Working Together: The Code and the AODA
Rights and responsibilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Intro to the Code and AODA standards and how they work together.
Alternative voting methods – an OHRC letter to Elections Ontario
Dear Mr. Essensa, Thank you for the opportunity to meet earlier this month regarding Elections Ontario’s review and public consultation on alternative voting methods involving internet and telephone voting technologies. The Ontario Human Rights Commission supports these forms of accessible voting as well as the eight electoral principles identified by Elections Ontario.
14. Rights awareness and enforcement
From: Minds that matter: Report on the consultation on human rights, mental health and addictions
14.1. Complaint mechanisms
13. Services
From: Minds that matter: Report on the consultation on human rights, mental health and addictions
Under the Code, service providers have a duty to provide services that are free from discrimination and harassment. “Services” is a very broad category and includes services designed for everyone (shops, restaurants or education), as well as those that apply specifically to people with mental health disabilities and addictions (the mental health system or addiction treatment centres).
Principles of accommodation
From: Annual Report 2011-2012 - Human rights: the next generation
Accommodation is a means of preventing and removing barriers that impede students with disabilities from participating fully in the educational environment in a way that is responsive to their own unique circumstances. The principle of accommodation involves three factors: dignity, individualization and inclusion.[9]
Summary of results
From: Dining out accessibly: A review of audit results and commitments
At a number of the sites visited, the results of the audit confirmed that there are restaurant facilities in operation in Ontario that do not meet even the most basic accessibility requirements of the current Building Code, nor the provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code. In some cases, facilities are completely inaccessible while at other locations, persons with disabilities would face significant barriers, particularly in accessing washrooms.
Systemic and societal human rights issues in housing
From: Right at home: Report on the consultation on human rights and rental housing in Ontario
More on the AODA – Proposed Integrated Accessibility Regulation
From: Annual Report 2010-2011: Looking back, moving forward
In March 2011, we made a submission on the Proposed Integrated Accessibility Regulation that expressed our serious reservations. This Regulation continues to focus on preventing new barriers going forward in the areas of information and communications, employment and public transportation. Our concern is that the proposed Regulation has no requirements for removing the many existing barriers across the province.
Continuing to vote for accessible elections
From: Annual Report 2010-2011: Looking back, moving forward
On March 12, 2010, Canada ratified the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Much more than “just another treaty,” the Convention is, essentially, Canada’s promise to protect, promote and advance the rights of people with disabilities. An important part of the Convention covers the right to vote. Article 29 states:
States Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others, and shall undertake:
Services
From: Human rights and the family in Ontario
Section 1 of the Code prohibits discrimination based on family status in the social areas of services, goods and facilities. This is an extremely broad social area, covering everything from corner stores and shopping malls, to education, health services and public transit. The issues are therefore also extremely diverse. However, very little attention has been paid to these issues.
