Previous page  |  Table of Contents  |  Next Page

Introduction: Why Accessibility Matters

Equality and Participation

First, what is at stake is a question of our fundamental values as a society. The rights of persons with disabilities are protected under both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Ontario’s Human Rights Code. As the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration who introduced the AODA in the legislature said in 2004, “We all agree that discrimination against people with disabilities is wrong; accessibility for people with disabilities is right.” ¹ More recently, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been tabled in the House of Commons.

Accessibility turns legal rights into practical, everyday realities. The goal behind the AODA is to create an inclusive society where everyone can participate to their full potential. Ontario as a whole will benefit from providing full accessibility for persons with disabilities. As accessibility increases, Ontarians with disabilities will bring their talents to bear more effectively in the workplace and in all other aspects of Ontario life. Youth with disabilities will have more opportunity for educational achievement and seniors will live more fulfilling lives. Consumer spending by persons with disabilities will rise. And our quality of life will be enriched by the fuller inclusion of Ontarians with disabilities in our social relationships and community activities. Most important, the realization of accessibility will demonstrate our shared commitment to each other — and reinforce the values of decency, fairness and respect for individual dignity that bind Ontarians together.

Changing Perceptions

Society’s perceptions of disability are changing and persons with disabilities are now seen to include a larger population.

For a long time, the popular image of disability centred on physical conditions. But more recently a wider view has gained ground, and sensory, developmental, mental health, learning and other non-evident — or “invisible” — disabilities are also better understood and more widely recognized. The definition of disability under the AODA is inclusive and reflects this broader view.

Along similar lines, the disability community was once thought of as a relatively small group of people who were disabled from birth or as the result of serious, accidental injuries. It remains true that a large majority of disabilities have their onset during the prime working years of 18 to 54 and are the result of external trauma. In the younger and older age groups, however, underlying disease and illness account for most disabilities. ² As the incidence of disability rises with the growth in the older population, disability is more widely perceived as a product of the aging process and the result of chronic disease.

More than 1.85 million Ontarians or 15.5 per cent of the population ³ have a disability and this number is quickly rising as society ages. By 2017, for the first time, Ontarians aged 65 and over will account for a larger share of the population than children under 14 ⁴ .

Examples of the link between aging and disability include survivors of strokes or heart attacks who may face limits on their functioning, and seniors who have trouble with vision or hearing. While average life expectancy in Ontario is just under 80 years, disability-free life expectancy is only 68 years ⁵ .

Moreover, as Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable David Onley, has pointed out, the number of Ontarians affected by disability grows to 53 per cent of the population when immediate family members are included. “As caregivers and supporters, they also experience the reality of disability,” the Lieutenant Governor has noted. “It is a group that is projected to grow, as Ontario's population ages. It is also a group that any one of us may become a member of as a result of illness, accident or age-related causes.” ⁶

From an economic perspective, a population of this size has a substantial impact. This is another area where perceptions are changing. Ontario businesses increasingly understand the potential of the disability market. People with disabilities already have an estimated spending power of $25 billion a year across the country and Canadians with disabilities influence the spending decisions of about 12 to 15 million other consumers. ⁷

Changing attitudes and the changing legal framework have led to advances in accessibility in recent years. Such measures as wheelchair ramps, reserved parking spaces, special education programs and close-captioned broadcasts are now more commonplace. But much remains to be done to remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities — and the goal of the AODA is to make this happen.

¹ Hansard, November 18, 2004
² Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Submission to the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada, January 14, 2002, p. 13.
³ Statistics Canada, Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, 2006
⁴ Ontario Population Projections 2008-2036, Fall 2009 Ministry of Finance Report
⁵ Statistics Canada — Catalogue no. 82-221, Vol. 2005 No. 1; Vol. 2002 No. 1
⁶ Media Statement by the Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, for December 3, 2009 — International Day of Persons with Disabilities
⁷ Wilkerson, Bill. Business Case for Accessibility: How Accessibility Awareness Strengthens your Company’s Bottom Line 2001 P. 5.