AODA: the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005) and its regulations.
Accessibility: refers to “giving people of all abilities opportunities to participate fully in everyday life. It is used to describe how widely a service, product, device or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be seen as the ability to access and benefit from a system, service, product or environment.”1
Accessible formats: “may include, but are not limited to, large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, braille and other formats usable by persons with disabilities.”2
Accommodation: under the Human Rights Code, “organizations are required to prevent and remove barriers and provide accommodation to the point of undue hardship. The principle of accommodation arises most frequently in the context of creed, family status, sex (pregnancy) and disability, as well as age, gender identity and gender expression.”3
Assistive device: any device used by people with disabilities to help with daily living; any auxiliary aid such as communication aids, cognition aids, personal mobility aids, mobility assistive devices and medical aids (wheelchairs, walkers, white canes, oxygen tanks and electronic communication devices).
Barrier: anything that keeps someone with a disability from participating in all aspects of society. Examples of barriers include the following: