Accessibility

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) was enacted into law by the provincial government in June 2005. The goal of the AODA is to create provincial accessibility standards and to obtain universal accessibility by 2025.

The AODA applies to the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. This means businesses and organizations with more than one employee are required to comply with accessibility standards in five areas, including:

• Customer Service - To help remove barriers for people with disabilities so they can access goods, services or facilities.
• Transportation - To make it easier for everyone to travel in the province.
• Employment - To help make hiring and employee support practices more accessible.
• Information and Communications - To help organizations make their information accessible to people with disabilities.
• Design of Public Spaces - To help organizations make new and redevelop outdoor public areas accessible.

For more information about the Province's accessibility legislation and these standards, please visit Making Ontario Accessible. 

The Town of LaSalle maintains an Accessible Customer Service Standards Policy that provides for service delivery in a way that preserves the dignity and independence of those with disabilities.

Accessible Customer Service Standards Policy

The Town of LaSalle is committed to providing high quality goods and services in an accessible manner to all members of the community. Your input on our services is welcome as it helps us to identify areas that require change, and encourages us to continually improve our services.

Submit an Accessible Customer Service Feedback Form

In 2001, the Province introduced the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA), which stated that every municipality having a minimum population of 10,000 shall establish an Accessibility Advisory Committee. 

The Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), is a law passed by the Ontario legislature that allows the government to develop specific standards of accessibility and to enforce them. The standards are made into laws called regulations, and they provide the details to help meet the goals of the AODA. The AODA is the foundation on which the standards are built.

The purpose of the accessibility standards is to move organizations in Ontario forward on accessibility. The standards will set requirements in a number of key areas and will be reviewed at least every five years. New requirements may be added. Ontario will move step by step towards accessibility that is widespread and commonplace. The goal of the Act is to make the Province of Ontario completely accessible by 2025.

Businesses and organizations that provide goods and services to people in Ontario will have to meet certain accessibility standards in five important areas of our lives.

Since 2004, all municipalities in the Province of Ontario have had a legal obligation under the AODA to prepare multi-year accessibility plans, which must outline an organization’s strategy to prevent and remove barriers and meet the requirements under the Integrated Accessibility Standard Regulation (IASR).

LaSalle's  Multi-Year Accessibility Plan includes a review of accessibility initiatives, a history of ongoing projects, a description of our future goals and a plan to address the Integrated Accessibility Standards.

The Accessibility Plan will be updated every five years, but reviewed annually by the LaSalle Accessibility Advisory Committee.  This allows Council, staff and the public to monitor the barriers identified, and the direction in which the Town is moving to remove those barriers.

LaSalle Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2023-2027

Year over year, the Town of LaSalle prepares a Year End Accessibility Report outlining the completed and ongoing initiatives of the Town to improve accessibility. It is implemented by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (also known as the AODA). This report is completed annually, and is approved by the LaSalle Accessibility Advisory Committee. The purpose of this report is to bring public awareness to the Town's progress in preventing and removing barriers for individuals with disabilities, and to meet the requirements under the AODA.

2023 Year-End Accessibility Report