January 1, 2010 marked an important milestone in Ontario.

Our accessible customer service standard is now in force for Ontario's public sector.

This is the first standard under our accessibility legislation.

And a first significant step towards achieving our goal of an accessible Ontario by 2025.

This standard will help people of every ability gain equal access to customer services across the province.

Many businesses and organizations in Ontario have already made great strides to ensure their doors — and their services — are open to everyone.

And I applaud these efforts.

We have come a long way to improve opportunities for people with disabilities.

But there is more work to do.

Let's continue working together to make this province more accessible, more inclusive and more prosperous for everyone.