Accessibility Awareness Week in Frontenac County

Apr 07, 2016

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) came into effect in 2012, and in an effort to bring awareness to the fact that the private sector must comply with certain accessibility standards under the act, the Frontenac Accessibility Advisory Committee (FAAC) and the County of Frontenac have proclaimed April 3-8 as Accessibility Awareness Week.

The aim is to increase awareness of accessibility in the four townships across the county by sharing successful stories and highlighting local businesses, groups and individuals who are making a difference through their #AccessibleFrontenac Twitter campaign.

Janette Amini, manager of legislative services and the clerk at the county, hopes that by devoting the week to issues of accessibility, the word will get out to private business owners. “Our focus is to inspire local businesses and make them aware of the standards that need to be met to comply with the AODA, while assisting them in creating the types of policies they need to put in place and letting them know that we are here to help in any way we can”.

Part of the awareness campaign has been focusing on local businesses in the county that have made an effort to meet the regulations. In 2013, the county in partnership with the FAAC created the County of Frontenac International Day of Persons with Disabilities Access Award, which is awarded annually to a business in the community that has shown leadership and commitment to meeting the AODA requirements.

In 2015 the award went to Verona resident Doug Lovegrove, a long-time member of the Verona Community Association, who was recognized for producing an AODA training booklet/manual that outlines topics regarding accessibility and customer service for persons with disabilities. Lovegrove uses the manual to train volunteers in the Verona community.

Previous recipients of the award were the Verona Lions Club (2013) and Joe Ryan and Brenden Hicks of Accessible Living (2014).

The campaign also tells the stories of the many businesses that were also nominated for the award. Amini stressed the fact that a more accessible county is good for business.

The ultimate goal of the AODA, which was passed by the Ontario government in 2005, is to create a fully accessible Ontario by 2025. Amini looks to the hard facts of an ever-increasing aging population and the fact that today, 1.8 million Ontarians have a disability. That number is expected to grow to 16% of the total population by 2026, and by 2035, 40% of the population of Canada will have a disability. The fact that persons with disabilities have the spending power of $21-$25 billion and that in Ontario improving accessibility can create up to $9.6 billion in new retail spending and $1.6 billion in new tourism spending are some very concrete reasons for local businesses to meet the new standards.

However, profits are not the only reason that business owners are encouraged to comply. The AODA outlines five areas of standardization that need to be met, including: customer service; information and community employment; transportation; and the design of public spaces. Meeting the needs not only can mean increased profits but also the rewards that come with creating a more diverse workplace and one where persons with disabilities are given an opportunity to reach their full potential as employees.

For more information about this topic visit www.ontario.ca\accessibility or contact Janette Amini at 613-548-9400 ext. 302.