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What the Review Heard: The American Experience

As part of my consultations, I met with senior officials of the United States Access Board in Washington, DC. The Access Board was established in 1973 to support the Architectural Barriers Act enacted in 1968. The board’s mandate evolved over time including significant changes introduced with the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.

Although there are many differences between the accessibility legislative framework in the U.S. and the AODA, there are general principles and best practices that can be applied to Ontario’s approach to standards development and review. For example:

• an inclusive process that incorporates extensive involvement of the disability community and the obligated sectors on an ongoing basis
• a transparent process
• a recognized role and process for establishing technical and sectoral committees, and
• a permanent accessibility board.

For more than 30 years, the U.S. model has been successful in cultivating a group of individuals who have built a significant and perhaps unique level of knowledge and expertise. Over the decades, the board’s responsibilities and mandate has changed. Today, an important part of the board’s role is to monitor developments nationally and internationally with respect to accessibility as well as the body of knowledge that is constantly evolving.

The board has been effective in bringing together key players from the disability community, government, the broader public sector and private industry. Its structure and process ensures broad public policy input from all sectors, coupled with knowledgeable technical and sectoral expertise. The board plays an important role in enhancing public awareness about the need for increased accessibility in the United States.