The Corporation of the Town of Halton Hills is committed to improving accessibility for persons with disabilities in a manner that respects dignity, independence, integration and equality of opportunity.
Disabilities can be physical, visual, auditory and non-visible and affect key areas of daily living. People with disabilities represent a major and growing part of our population. By 2026, as the population ages, it is estimated that 16 per cent of people in Canada will have a disability.
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) |
| The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) became law on June 13, 2005. This Ontario law aims to identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities. Organizations that provide goods and services to people in Ontario must follow accessibility standards to become more accessible. The goal of the act and the standards is to make the province accessible for all people with disabilities by 2025.
The AODA accessibility standards recognize five areas of daily life:
Transportation, Information and Communication and Employment Standards are part of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR). Besides requirements specific to each standard, the IASR includes the following general requirements:
The requirements apply to public, private, and non-profit organizations that provide goods, services or facilities to the public. |
Accessible customer service |
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Accessible customer service is now the law and came into force on January 1, 2008. This means that organizations that provide goods or services must make their customer service operations accessible to people with disabilities. As a municipality, the Town of Halton Hills was required to meet the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service by January 1, 2010. Meeting these standards involved identifying and removing barriers to customer service in:
The Town also provided staff training. The customer service standard is the first in a series of standards that will help lead to a fully accessible Ontario. To request information in alternate formats, please fill out the Alternate Formats Form. You can also contact the Town Clerk.
Provide feedbackThe Town is committed to providing excellent and efficient accessible customer service. We welcome public input as it helps to identify barriers that exist so that we can work to address them. If you’d like to offer your feedback or provide a suggestion, please submit a Citizen Inquiries form. |
What the Town has done to comply |
AODA compliancyThe Town has done the following to comply with AODA standards:
Mandatory training included:
Disruption of serviceThe Town will inform customers of any temporary service disruptions as soon as possible. We will post notices at the facility or location, and on the Town’s website. Notices will include all known information about the disruption. For example, reason for disruption, duration, and alternate methods of service. Accessibility Advisory CommitteeThe Accessibility Advisory Committee is a citizen volunteer committee. The Committee advises the Mayor and Council on matters related to the identification, removal and prevention of barriers for people with disabilities. Visit the Accessibility Advisory Committee web page for more information. |
Emergency preparedness for persons with disabilities |
| Halton Region provides public education resources on emergency preparedness for persons with disabilities. A series of pamphlets address physical, visual, auditory and non-visible disabilities. The series also includes considerations for seniors, travelers and people living or working in high-rise buildings. |
Additional information and resources |