The Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 was passed on December 14, 2001. The purpose of the act is to:
- build on the strong foundation of the Ontario Human Rights Code that protects the human rights of all Ontarians, and
- improve opportunities for persons with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the province.
Even though the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 is now the law, the provisions of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 remain in force until the act is repealed.
This means that public sector organizations — Ontario government ministries, municipalities, hospitals, school boards, colleges, universities and public transportation organizations — are still legally required to:
- prepare annual accessibility plans, and
- make these plans available to the public.