ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT HISTORICAL TIME LINE — 30 Years of Tenaciously Campaigning to Tear Down Barriers Impeding over 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities

1982

Ontario Legislature amends the Ontario Human Rights Code to make it illegal to discriminate because of physical or mental disability.

Charter of Rights enacted, including right to equality for people with mental or physical disabilities. Read the history of the fight for the disability amendment to the Charter in D. Lepofsky’s Swimming Up Niagara Falls: The Battle to Get Disability Rights Added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Spring 1994

NDP backbench MPP Gary Malkowski introduces Private Member’s Bill into Ontario Legislature, the proposed Ontarians with Disabilities Act. First such bill in Ontario.

November 29, 1994

Public hearings on Malkowski’s bill begin in Ontario Legislature. Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee is spontaneously formed in meeting room at Ontario Legislature.

May 1995

Ontario election called. Malkowski’s bill dies on the order paper.

Liberal Leader Lyn McLeod promises to enact Disabilities Act if elected. Conservative leader Mike Harris promises to enact Disabilities Act in his first term if elected. These pledges are set out in letters to the Ontario Disability Act (ODA) Committee.

June 1995

Mike Harris elected Premier of Ontario.

May 16, 1996

Ontario Legislature unanimously passed a resolution proposed by ODA Committee and presented by NDP MPP Marion Boyd calling on the Harris Government to keep its promise to pass the Disabilities Act and to work with the disability community to develop it.

October 29, 1998

The Legislature unanimously passed Liberal MPP Dwight Duncan’s resolution proposed by the ODA Committee calling for a Disabilities Act to be passed that complies with the ODA Committee’s 11 principles to make it strong, effective and mandatory. Liberal Opposition leader Dalton McGuinty appeared at a Queen’s Park news conference with ODA Committee Chair David Lepofsky and publicly pledged for the first time that, if elected, he will pass a Disabilities Act that fulfils this resolution.

November 23, 1998

Conservative Minister Isabel Basset introduces into the Legislature Bill 83, a three-page proposed Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It required no barriers to be removed or prevented. It dies on the order paper days later, after it was widely condemned.

Spring 1999

1999 Ontario election called. Premier Mike Harris did not enact the Disabilities Act in his first term despite promising to do so. In Ontario election, Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty and NDP leader Howard Hampton each promise that if elected, they would pass a Disabilities Act that fulfils the ODA Committee’s 11 principles. These promises are in letters to the ODA Committee. Mike Harris Conservatives elected to second term in office.

November 23, 1999

Ontario Legislature unanimously passed a resolution proposed by the ODA Committee and introduced by Liberal MPP Steve Peters calling on the Government to enact the Disabilities Act within two years.

November 5, 2001

PC Minister Cam Jackson introduced Bill 125, the Conservatives’ second Disabilities Act bill. It is sent to legislative to public hearings.

December 13, 2001

Ontario Conservatives passed the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. Liberals and NDP in opposition vote against it as being too weak, not covering the private sector, and lacking enforcement.

Spring 2003

Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty and NDP leader Howard Hampton each promise in the 2003 election campaign that if elected, they would enact a Disabilities Act that fulfilled the ODA Committee’s 11 principles. These promises are in letters to the ODA Committee.

October 2003

Dalton McGuinty elected Ontario premier as head of the new Liberal Government.

October 12, 2004

Liberal Citizenship Minister Dr. Marie Bountrogianni introduces into the Legislature Bill 118, the Liberals’ proposed Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Fall 2004

Conservative leader John Tory announced that the Conservative Party will support the mandatory, enforceable Bill 118 – dramatically changing party policy from the Mike Harris years.

January-February 2005

Legislature holds public hearings on Bill 118, first time public hearings were televised while held outside Toronto.

May 10, 2005

Ontario Legislature unanimously passes Bill 118, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. MPPs unanimously give standing ovation to this historic event right after the vote.

August 2005

ODA Committee winds down, having secured enactment of the AODA. It is replaced by its successor coalition, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, with a mission to get the AODA effectively implemented and enforced.

Fall 2006

Over the AODA Alliance’s strong objection, the Legislature passes Bill 107, which privatizes enforcement of human rights. It removes the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s mandate to investigate and litigate individual human rights cases. Individuals must thereafter investigate and litigate their own cases.

Summer 2007

Ontario Government enacted the Customer Service Accessibility Standard, the first accessibility standard enacted under the AODA.

September 14, 2007

Premier McGuinty made written election promises to strengthen the implementation of the AODA during the 2007 election campaign. NDP leader Howard Hampton and PC leader John Tory make election commitments on this topic. All promises are in letters to the AODA Alliance.

May 2010

Legislature enacted Bill 231 to modernize Ontario elections. Includes some of the amendments the AODA Alliance sought to remove voting barriers facing voters with disabilities.

May 31, 2010

Ontario Government made public the final report of the first Independent Review of the AODA’s implementation, which the Government appointed Charles Beer to conduct. Report called for the Government to show new leadership on the AODA and to revitalize and breathe new life into its implementation. Most of its recommendations are not implemented.

June 3, 2011

Ontario Government enacted the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, an accessibility standard under the AODA to address barriers in employment, transportation and information and communication.

June 24, 2011

Ontario Government announces major Ten-Year Infrastructure Plan which includes commitments on the accessibility of new infrastructure. Despite this, new infrastructure is built with disability barriers.

August 2011

Premier Dalton McGuinty and NDP leader Andrea Horwath make written election pledges to AODA Alliance to strengthen the implementation of the AODA during the 2011 election.

October 2011

Premier McGuinty’s Liberals win third term with a minority Government.

December 2012

The Government expands the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation by enacting the Design of Public Spaces Accessibility Standard. It addresses physical barriers in a narrow range of public spaces, such as recreation trails, public parking, and service areas.

December 3, 2012

Kathleen Wynne, running for leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party, promises the AODA Alliance that as premier she would keep all her Government’s earlier promises on accessibility and would ensure Ontario is on schedule for full accessibility by 2025.

November 18, 2013

AODA Alliance reveals that Government knew for months that 70% of private sector organizations with at least 20 employees violated AODA without any real Government enforcement. This was despite the Government having ample enforcement powers and unused budget on hand for enforcement.

December 2013

Government passes limited accessibility amendments to the Ontario building code for new buildings and major renovations, but the promised Built Environment Accessibility Standard is not enacted under the AODA to address many physical barriers in the built environment.

January 26, 2014

Kathleen Wynne wins Liberal Party leadership and becomes Ontario Premier.

Ontario Government designates the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council to conduct a mandatory five-year review of the sufficiency of the 2007 Customer Service Accessibility Standard.

May 2014

The three parties in the legislature make written election pledges to the AODA Alliance during the 2014 election.

June 12, 2014

Liberals under Premier Kathleen Wynne win fourth term in office, now as a majority government.

September 25, 2014

Premier Wynne writes “Mandate Letters” to each cabinet minister to set their marching orders and priorities. Many if not most Government promises and duties on disability accessibility are systematically left out of these letters. On May 14, 2014, Premier Wynne had promised the AODA Alliance in writing that she would instruct cabinet ministers and other senior officials on their accessibility promises and duties.

February 3, 2015

Ontario Government makes public the final report of the 2^nd mandatory Independent Review of the AODA, which the Government appointed Mayo Moran to conduct. Report calls for new strong leadership on accessibility by Ontario’s premier and for the AODA’s implementation to be revitalized. Most of the report’s recommendations are not implemented.

Ontario Government commits to develop a Health Care Accessibility Standard under the AODA to tear down barriers impeding patients with disabilities in the health care system. This has still not been enacted.

July-August 2015

Ontario hosts the Pan/Parapan American Games in the greater Toronto area. No concerted strategy is announced or implemented to increase accessibility of tourism services surrounding the games to accommodate the influx of tourists, including tourists with disabilities.

June 2016

Ontario Government makes minor amendments to the 2007 Customer Service Accessibility Standard but disregards most if not all of the AODA Alliance’s reform recommendations.

December 5, 2016

In Question Period, Premier Wynne commits that the Government will enact an Education Accessibility Standard under the AODA to tear down the barriers impeding students with disabilities in Ontario schools, colleges and universities. This has still not been enacted.

2016

Ontario Government appoints Standards Development Committees under the AODA to review the sufficiency of the Transportation Accessibility Standard, Employment Accessibility Standard and Information and Communication Accessibility Standard. Under the AODA, these Standards Development Committees were required to be appointed by 2016.

Fall 2017/ Early 2018

Ontario Government appoints the Health Care Standards Development Committee to make recommendations on what the promised Health Care Accessibility Standard should include. This appointment came two years after the Government had committed to develop a Health Care Accessibility Standard.

Ontario Government appoints the K-12 Education Standards Development Committee and the Post-Secondary Education Standards Development Committee to recommend what should be enacted in an Education Accessibility Standard to tear down the disability barriers in Ontario’s schools, colleges and universities.

Spring 2018

The Ontario Government makes public the final recommendations of the Transportation Standards Development Committee which recommended measures to strengthen the 2011 Transportation Accessibility Standard. The Government has enacted no reforms in response to that report.

June 2018

Doug Ford’s Conservatives win majority Government.

Raymond Cho appointed Minister for Seniors and Accessibility.

Work of five AODA Standards Development Committees had been frozen during the election campaign, the K-12 Education Standards Development Committee, the Post-Secondary Education Standards Development Committee, the Information and Communication Standards Development Committee, the Employment Standards Development Committee, and the Health Care Standards Development Committee. Ontario Government left these Committees frozen for several months over our objection before it let them get back to work.

January 22, 2019

The Ontario Government received the final recommendations of the Employment Standards Development Committee. The AODA required the Government to make this report public upon receiving it. The Government did not make it public until in or about February 2021, some two years later. The Government has enacted none of that Standards Development Committee’s recommendations.

January 31, 2019

The Ontario Government receives the final report of the 3^rd AODA Independent Review which former Lieutenant Governor David Onley was appointed to conduct. This blistering report found that Ontario is full of “soul-crushing barriers” facing people with disabilities, that progress has been “glacial” and “barely detectable.” It indicated that Ontario is not on schedule for becoming accessible by 2025. The Premier must show strong new leadership on this issue. Accessibility Minister Raymond Cho tells the Legislature that David Onley did a “marvelous job.” Most of the report’s recommendations are not implemented.

February 23, 2020

The Information and Communication Standards Development Committee delivered its final report to the Government. The AODA required the Government to make it public upon receiving it. However, the Government did not publicly post it until around November 16, 2020, 8 months later. The Government has not enacted any of its recommendations.

March 2020

COVID-19 pandemic breaks out. Government mounts emergency initiatives for the public especially in the education and health care systems. People with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable to and die from COVID-19. Government responses fail to address the urgent needs of people with disabilities in the pandemic.

Ontario hospitals are sent a critical care triage protocol in the event that intensive care wards cannot serve all patients. Disability community reveals that the critical care triage protocol is infected with disability discrimination, which is never removed from that protocol.

July 2020

K-12 Education Standards Development Committee submits detailed report and recommendations to the Government on measures needed to remove disability barriers from the school system’s responses to the pandemic. None of its recommendations are implemented.

January-February 2022

Ontario Government receives final reports and recommendations by the K-12 Education Standards Development Committee, the Post-Secondary Education Standards Development Committee, and the Health Care Standards Development Committee. None of their recommendations are enacted. No Education Accessibility Standard or Health Care Accessibility Standard has been enacted.

2022

Ontario Government appoints Design of Public Spaces Standards Development Committee to review the sufficiency of the 2011 Design of Public Spaces Accessibility Standard (which addresses a few disability barriers in the built environment). The Government held no open public process to apply to serve on that committee. Committee was appointed some five years after the deadline for its appointment set by the AODA.

June 2022

Ford Government re-elected with a majority government. All opposition parties made written election commitments to the AODA Alliance. The Ford Government did not answer the AODA Alliance’s request for written commitments.

Mid-2023

Ontario Government appoints Customer Service Standards Development Committee to review the sufficiency of the 2007 Customer Service Accessibility Standard. This appointment came two years after the AODA’s deadline for appointing this review.

March 2023

The Ontario Government makes public the Initial report of the 4^th Independent Review of the AODA, which the Government appointed Rich Donovan to conduct. This report blasted the Government’s failed implementation of the AODA, concluding that the Government has not prioritized accessibility. The results for people with disabilities have been poor.

March 2023

The Ontario Government opens the new Toronto courthouse on Armoury Street, Toronto. An AODA Alliance video released in August 2024 reveals that it is a billion-dollar accessibility bungle, replete with many preventable disability barriers.

June 6, 2023

Rich Donovan submits to the Government the final report of the 4^th Independent Review of the AODA. Even more scathing than the 2019 Onley Report, this Report declares that Ontario is in an “accessibility crisis.” It recommends that Premier Ford should establish and chair a crisis committee. The Government has not implemented any of this report’s recommendations.