[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":624},["ShallowReactive",2],{"post-en-aoda-compliance-requirements-deadlines":3,"post-related-en-aoda-compliance-requirements-deadlines":599},{"id":4,"title":5,"about":6,"article_section":13,"audio":14,"body":16,"course":556,"description":557,"extension":558,"image":559,"meta":562,"modified":563,"navigation":564,"path":565,"published":563,"read_time":566,"related":567,"resources":571,"seo":592,"seo_title":5,"slug_en":593,"slug_fr":594,"stem":595,"tags":596,"video":597,"__hash__":598},"postsEn\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Faoda-compliance-requirements-deadlines.md","AODA Compliance — Requirements, Reporting Deadlines and Penalties",[7,10],{"name":8,"same_as":9},"Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act","https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FAccessibility_for_Ontarians_with_Disabilities_Act,_2005",{"name":11,"same_as":12},"Occupational safety and health","https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FOccupational_safety_and_health","Workplace Safety",{"src":15},"\u002Faudio\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Faoda-compliance-en-v1.mp3",{"type":17,"value":18,"toc":533},"minimark",[19,27,35,40,51,223,227,233,238,243,270,275,279,291,296,300,320,323,327,330,334,340,360,365,369,374,383,388,392,401,405,408,460,466,470,474,484,488,496,500,510,514,523],[20,21,22,26],"p",{},[23,24,25],"strong",{},"AODA compliance"," means meeting the accessibility requirements that apply to your organization’s size and sector under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and being able to prove it: the training is done, the records are kept, and the compliance report is filed.",[20,28,29,30,34],{},"For Ontario businesses and non-profits with 20 or more employees, the next accessibility compliance report is due December 31, 2026, and the one after it December 31, 2029, filed through the province’s online reporting portal ",[31,32],"citation",{"source":33},"government-of-ontario-3",". Designated public sector organizations report on their own cycle. This guide sets out who has to do what at each size threshold, how the report is filed, what the penalties are for getting it wrong, and where organizations most often fall short.",[36,37,39],"h2",{"id":38},"what-aoda-requirements-apply-at-each-organization-size","What AODA requirements apply at each organization size?",[20,41,42,43,46,47,50],{},"AODA requirements stack as an organization grows ",[31,44],{"source":45},"government-of-ontario",". Every requirement at a smaller size still applies at a larger one. The thresholds in the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) count employees in Ontario ",[31,48],{"source":49},"integrated-accessibility-standards-regulation-o"," — full-time, part-time, seasonal and contract. Volunteers and independent contractors are not counted toward the threshold, although they still have to be trained.",[52,53,54,70],"table",{},[55,56,57],"thead",{},[58,59,60,64,67],"tr",{},[61,62,63],"th",{},"Organization",[61,65,66],{},"Must do",[61,68,69],{},"Notes and source",[71,72,73,107,131,168,204],"tbody",{},[58,74,75,79,95],{},[76,77,78],"td",{},"1 or more employees in Ontario (business or non-profit)",[76,80,81,82,85,86,88,89,91,92,94],{},"• Train all employees, volunteers and anyone acting on your behalf ",[83,84],"br",{}," • Have accessibility policies ",[83,87],{}," • Accessible customer service, a feedback process, and accessible formats on request ",[83,90],{}," • Meet the Employment Standard accommodation duties ",[83,93],{}," • Have regard to accessibility when designing, procuring or acquiring self-service kiosks",[76,96,97,98,101,102,104,105],{},"Training covers the IASR requirements and the Ontario Human Rights Code as it applies to people with disabilities, appropriate to each person’s duties ",[31,99],{"source":100},"government-of-ontario-1",". Policies do not have to be in writing below 50 employees. The regulation applies to an organization that provides goods, services or facilities to the public or to other third parties and “has at least one employee in Ontario”. ",[83,103],{}," O. Reg. 191\u002F11, ss. 1(3), 3, 6(2), 7 ",[31,106],{"source":49},[58,108,109,112,118],{},[76,110,111],{},"20 to 49 employees in Ontario",[76,113,114,115,117],{},"• Everything above, plus: ",[83,116],{}," • File an accessibility compliance report every three years — but only against the customer service standards",[76,119,120,121,125,126,128,129],{},"This band is still a “small organization” under the regulation, and it is exempt from reporting on every standard ",[122,123,124],"em",{},"other than"," customer service. It files on the same three-year cycle as larger businesses, so the next deadlines are also December 31, 2026 and December 31, 2029. ",[83,127],{}," O. Reg. 191\u002F11, ss. 86.1(1)(b), 86.1(3)4 ",[31,130],{"source":49},[58,132,133,136,160],{},[76,134,135],{},"50 or more employees in Ontario",[76,137,114,138,140,141,144,145,147,148,150,151,153,154,156,157,159],{},[83,139],{}," • File the compliance report against ",[122,142,143],{},"all"," the standards that apply ",[83,146],{}," • Keep written records of training — the dates and the number of people trained ",[83,149],{}," • Documented accessibility policies, made publicly available, with a written statement of organizational commitment ",[83,152],{}," • A multi-year accessibility plan, made publicly available and reviewed at least every five years ",[83,155],{}," • Documented individual accommodation and return-to-work processes ",[83,158],{}," • Accessible websites and web content to WCAG 2.0 Level AA",[76,161,162,163,165,166],{},"Fifty employees in Ontario is the line between a “small organization” and a “large organization” in the regulation, and it is the records line. Below it you still must train; above it you must also be able to document that you did. Large organizations report every three years, following the report that was due December 31, 2014. ",[83,164],{}," O. Reg. 191\u002F11, ss. 2, 4, 7(4), 14, 86.1(3)3 ",[31,167],{"source":49},[58,169,170,173,188],{},[76,171,172],{},"Designated public sector organizations (any size)",[76,174,175,176,178,179,181,182,184,185,187],{},"• All of the above, at any size, plus: ",[83,177],{}," • File an accessibility compliance report every two years ",[83,180],{}," • Accessibility criteria in procurement ",[83,183],{}," • Incorporate accessibility features when designing, procuring or acquiring self-service kiosks ",[83,186],{}," • Multi-year plan status reports",[76,189,190,191,194,195,198,199,201,202],{},"Includes municipalities, school boards, colleges and universities, hospitals and public transit organizations. Note the stronger kiosk duty here: the public sector ",[122,192,193],{},"shall incorporate"," accessibility features, where every other organization ",[122,196,197],{},"shall have regard to"," them. ",[83,200],{}," O. Reg. 191\u002F11, ss. 2, 5, 6(1), 86.1(3)2 ",[31,203],{"source":49},[58,205,206,209,215],{},[76,207,208],{},"Government of Ontario and the Legislative Assembly",[76,210,211,212,214],{},"• All of the above, plus: ",[83,213],{}," • File an accessibility compliance report every year",[76,216,217,218,220,221],{},"The regulation treats these as their own category, separate from designated public sector organizations, and puts them on the shortest reporting cycle. ",[83,219],{}," O. Reg. 191\u002F11, s. 86.1(3)1 ",[31,222],{"source":49},[36,224,226],{"id":225},"who-files-the-aoda-compliance-report-where-and-when","Who files the AODA compliance report, where and when?",[20,228,229,230],{},"The AODA compliance report — the accessibility compliance report, in the province’s own term — is a short online declaration confirming that your organization has met the AODA requirements that apply to it. It does not ask you to upload your policies or your training records. It asks you to confirm that they exist, which means the work has to be done before you file, not because you filed. ",[31,231],{"source":232},"government-of-ontario-2",[234,235,237],"h3",{"id":236},"who-files-the-report-and-how-often","Who files the report, and how often?",[20,239,240,241],{},"The regulation sets four separate reporting cycles, and they are not interchangeable: ",[31,242],{"source":49},[244,245,246,252,258,264],"ul",{},[247,248,249,251],"li",{},[23,250,208],{}," — annually. They are their own category under the regulation, not part of the designated public sector.",[247,253,254,257],{},[23,255,256],{},"Designated public sector organizations"," — every two years. This covers municipalities, school boards, colleges and universities, hospitals and public transit organizations, at any size.",[247,259,260,263],{},[23,261,262],{},"Businesses and non-profits with 50 or more employees"," — every three years, against every standard that applies to them.",[247,265,266,269],{},[23,267,268],{},"Businesses and non-profits with 20 to 49 employees"," — every three years, but only against the customer service standards.",[20,271,272,273],{},"Organizations with fewer than 20 employees do not file at all, although every other AODA duty that applies to them still does. ",[31,274],{"source":49},[234,276,278],{"id":277},"when-is-the-report-due","When is the report due?",[244,280,281,286],{},[247,282,283,284],{},"Businesses and non-profits: December 31, 2026, and then December 31, 2029 — every three years from the report that was due December 31, 2014 ",[31,285],{"source":49},[247,287,288,289],{},"Designated public sector organizations: the last deadline was December 31, 2025, and the next is December 31, 2027 — every two years from the report that was due December 31, 2013 ",[31,290],{"source":49},[20,292,293,294],{},"If you missed a past deadline, file now rather than waiting for the next cycle. An unfiled report is the thing the province acts on: not filing brings enforcement measures that include financial penalties. ",[31,295],{"source":232},[234,297,299],{"id":298},"how-do-you-file-the-report","How do you file the report?",[301,302,303,308,311,314,317],"ol",{},[247,304,305,306],{},"Sign in to the Government of Ontario accessibility compliance reporting portal, or create an account if your organization does not have one ",[31,307],{"source":33},[247,309,310],{},"Select your organization type and confirm your employee count, which determines the questions you are asked",[247,312,313],{},"Answer the compliance questions, which follow the standards: training, policies, plans, customer service, information and communications, employment, transportation and design of public spaces where they apply",[247,315,316],{},"Have the report certified by a person with authority to do so, usually a director, officer or owner",[247,318,319],{},"Submit and keep the confirmation for your records",[20,321,322],{},"The time cost is in the underlying work, not the filing.",[36,324,326],{"id":325},"what-are-the-penalties-under-the-aoda","What are the penalties under the AODA?",[20,328,329],{},"The AODA is backed by two distinct financial mechanisms: offence fines on conviction and administrative monetary penalties. They are routinely conflated, and the difference matters if you are trying to work out what your actual exposure is.",[234,331,333],{"id":332},"what-are-the-offence-fines-on-conviction","What are the offence fines on conviction?",[20,335,336,337],{},"Offence fines are the headline figures, and they apply only on conviction for an offence under the Act. The offences are defined narrowly: providing false or misleading information in an accessibility report, failing to comply with an order made by a director appointed under the Act or by the Tribunal that hears appeals under it, and intimidating or penalizing someone for co-operating with an inspection. ",[31,338],{"source":339},"accessibility-for-ontarians-with-disabilities",[244,341,342,348,354],{},[247,343,344,347],{},[23,345,346],{},"Corporations"," — a fine of up to $100,000 “for each day or part of a day on which the offence occurs or continues to occur”",[247,349,350,353],{},[23,351,352],{},"Individuals and unincorporated organizations"," — up to $50,000 on the same per-day basis",[247,355,356,359],{},[23,357,358],{},"Directors and officers"," who fail to take all reasonable care to prevent a corporate offence — up to $50,000 on the same per-day basis",[20,361,362,363],{},"The per-day wording sets a ceiling, not an automatic fine: an offence that continues for thirty days is still one offence, and the court sets the amount within the daily maximum for each day it lasted. ",[31,364],{"source":339},[234,366,368],{"id":367},"what-are-the-administrative-monetary-penalties","What are the administrative monetary penalties?",[20,370,371,372],{},"Separately, the regulation establishes an administrative penalty regime that can be applied without a prosecution. The amount is set by the severity of the contravention and by the organization’s contravention history over the current two reporting cycles, so a first minor lapse and a repeated major one are treated very differently: the figure comes from a published schedule, one for corporations and another for individuals and unincorporated organizations. ",[31,373],{"source":49},[20,375,376,377,380,381],{},"Only where ",[122,378,379],{},"both"," the impact and the history are assessed as major may a director appointed under the Act treat that penalty as a daily one, to a maximum of $100,000 a day for a corporation and $50,000 a day for an individual or unincorporated organization. ",[31,382],{"source":49},[20,384,385,386],{},"In practice the province works through inspection, director’s orders and compliance deadlines first. Failing to file a compliance report brings enforcement measures that include financial penalties, so the report is the point at which non-compliance becomes visible and easy to act on. ",[31,387],{"source":232},[36,389,391],{"id":390},"how-do-training-and-records-prove-aoda-compliance","How do training and records prove AODA compliance?",[20,393,394,395,400],{},"Training, and the written training records that go with it, are the evidence behind most of what the compliance report asks you to confirm. Our guide to the AODA covers ",[396,397,399],"a",{"href":398},"\u002Fblog\u002Fa-comprehensive-guide-to-aoda-training-in-canada-requirements-and-laws\u002F","who must be trained under the AODA"," — who has to be trained, when, and what the records must contain.",[36,402,404],{"id":403},"what-are-the-common-aoda-compliance-gaps","What are the common AODA compliance gaps?",[20,406,407],{},"The requirements are not complicated, but a handful of gaps come up again and again. Use the list below as a short AODA compliance checklist:",[244,409,410,419,428,437,443,451],{},[247,411,412,415,416,418],{},[23,413,414],{},"Untrained volunteers and contractors."," The duty covers anyone providing goods, services or facilities on your behalf, not just people on payroll. ",[31,417],{"source":49}," Event volunteers, agency staff and subcontracted service providers are routinely missed. The test is whether they are acting on your behalf, so work through your actual arrangements rather than assuming a job title settles it.",[247,420,421,424,425,427],{},[23,422,423],{},"Policies that exist in practice but not on paper."," At 50 or more employees the policies must be documented, made publicly available, and accompanied by a written statement of organizational commitment. ",[31,426],{"source":49}," Doing the right thing informally does not satisfy the requirement.",[247,429,430,433,434,436],{},[23,431,432],{},"Training records without dates or headcounts."," A record must show when training was provided and how many people received it. ",[31,435],{"source":49}," A list of names with no dates is not a compliant record.",[247,438,439,442],{},[23,440,441],{},"Missed report cycles."," Reporting is periodic, and organizations that filed once often assume they are done. Put the next deadline in a calendar the moment you submit.",[247,444,445,448,449],{},[23,446,447],{},"A multi-year plan that was never reviewed."," The plan has to be revisited at least every five years, and the review has to be reflected in the posted document. ",[31,450],{"source":49},[247,452,453,456,457,459],{},[23,454,455],{},"No accessible-format process."," Organizations must be able to provide information in accessible formats on request, charging no more for the accessible version than they charge anyone else for the same information. ",[31,458],{"source":49}," Many have no process for handling the request when it arrives.",[20,461,462,463,465],{},"One honest note on websites. For designated public sector organizations and for businesses and non-profits with 50 or more employees in Ontario, web accessibility under the Information and Communications Standard is measured against WCAG 2.0 Level AA — the regulation still names that version, not 2.1 or 2.2 ",[31,464],{"source":49},". Web accessibility is its own discipline with its own testing tools and specialists. This guide covers the obligations, reporting and deadlines side of AODA compliance. If your website is the gap, that work needs a web accessibility audit rather than a policy review.",[36,467,469],{"id":468},"frequently-asked-questions","Frequently asked questions",[234,471,473],{"id":472},"is-aoda-mandatory-in-ontario","Is AODA mandatory in Ontario?",[20,475,476,477,480,481,483],{},"Yes. The Act and its Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation apply to every business and non-profit with at least one employee in Ontario, to every designated public sector organization, and to the Government of Ontario and the Legislative Assembly. ",[31,478],{"source":479},"accessibility-for-ontarians-with-disabilities integrated-accessibility-standards-regulation-o"," What you must do scales with your size and sector, as the table above sets out. Our guide to the AODA covers ",[396,482,399],{"href":398},", and when.",[234,485,487],{"id":486},"what-happens-if-you-do-not-comply-with-the-aoda","What happens if you do not comply with the AODA?",[20,489,490,491,493,494],{},"Non-compliance can lead to inspections, director’s orders and administrative monetary penalties, which are set by the severity of the contravention and by the organization’s contravention history. ",[31,492],{"source":49}," Separately, conviction for an offence under the Act carries fines of up to $100,000 for each day or part of a day for corporations. The maximum is $50,000 on the same basis for individuals, unincorporated organizations, and directors and officers who fail to take reasonable care to prevent a corporate offence. ",[31,495],{"source":339},[234,497,499],{"id":498},"what-are-the-5-standards-of-the-aoda","What are the 5 standards of the AODA?",[20,501,502,503,505,506,509],{},"The five standards are Customer Service, Information and Communications, Employment, Transportation, and Design of Public Spaces, all contained in the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, O. Reg. 191\u002F11. ",[31,504],{"source":49}," Our guide to the AODA explains ",[396,507,508],{"href":398},"each of the five AODA standards"," in detail.",[234,511,513],{"id":512},"who-has-to-file-an-aoda-compliance-report","Who has to file an AODA compliance report?",[20,515,516,517,519,520],{},"Businesses and non-profits with 20 or more employees in Ontario, and designated public sector organizations of any size. Organizations with 20 to 49 employees report only against the customer service standards; organizations with 50 or more report against every standard that applies to them. ",[31,518],{"source":49}," The next business deadline is December 31, 2026, the one after it December 31, 2029, and reports are filed through the Government of Ontario’s online reporting portal. ",[31,521],{"source":522},"government-of-ontario-2 government-of-ontario-3",[524,525,530],"cta-panel",{"button":526,"image":527,"title":528,"to":529},"View AODA training","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fcta\u002Faoda-compliance-cta-image.webp","AODA training with a record for every employee","\u002Fcourses\u002Faoda-training\u002F",[20,531,532],{},"Every employee takes the same AODA and Human Rights Code course online, about 2 hours 10 minutes each, and you get a completion record for each of them. Volume pricing for teams.",{"title":534,"searchDepth":535,"depth":535,"links":536},"",2,[537,538,544,548,549,550],{"id":38,"depth":535,"text":39},{"id":225,"depth":535,"text":226,"children":539},[540,542,543],{"id":236,"depth":541,"text":237},3,{"id":277,"depth":541,"text":278},{"id":298,"depth":541,"text":299},{"id":325,"depth":535,"text":326,"children":545},[546,547],{"id":332,"depth":541,"text":333},{"id":367,"depth":541,"text":368},{"id":390,"depth":535,"text":391},{"id":403,"depth":535,"text":404},{"id":468,"depth":535,"text":469,"children":551},[552,553,554,555],{"id":472,"depth":541,"text":473},{"id":486,"depth":541,"text":487},{"id":498,"depth":541,"text":499},{"id":512,"depth":541,"text":513},"aoda-training","AODA compliance in Ontario: who must comply with what by organization size, how to file the compliance report, the deadlines and the penalties.","md",{"src":560,"alt":561},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Faoda-compliance-requirements-deadlines-blog-image.webp","Manager reviewing an accessibility compliance checklist at a bright office desk",{},"2026-10-21",true,"\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Faoda-compliance-requirements-deadlines",12,[568,569,570],"a-comprehensive-guide-to-aoda-training-in-canada-requirements-and-laws","workplace-violence-harassment-in-canada-ensuring-a-safe-and-secure-working-environment","mastering-conflict-resolution-a-comprehensive-course-for-professionals-in-canada",[572,576,579,583,586,589],{"id":339,"author_name":573,"page_site_title":573,"available_at":574,"accessed_at":575},"Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, S.O. 2005, c. 11","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ontario.ca\u002Flaws\u002Fstatute\u002F05a11","18\u002F09\u002F2026",{"id":49,"author_name":577,"page_site_title":577,"available_at":578,"accessed_at":575},"Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, O. Reg. 191\u002F11","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ontario.ca\u002Flaws\u002Fregulation\u002F110191",{"id":45,"author_name":580,"page_site_title":581,"available_at":582,"accessed_at":575},"Government of Ontario","Accessibility rules for businesses and non-profits","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ontario.ca\u002Fpage\u002Faccessibility-rules-businesses-and-non-profits",{"id":100,"author_name":580,"page_site_title":584,"available_at":585,"accessed_at":575},"How to train your staff on accessibility","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ontario.ca\u002Fpage\u002Fhow-train-your-staff-accessibility",{"id":232,"author_name":580,"page_site_title":587,"available_at":588,"accessed_at":575},"Completing your accessibility compliance report","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ontario.ca\u002Fpage\u002Fcompleting-your-accessibility-compliance-report",{"id":33,"author_name":580,"page_site_title":590,"available_at":591,"accessed_at":575},"Accessibility Compliance Reporting portal","https:\u002F\u002Faccessibilityreporting.ontario.ca\u002Fen-US\u002F",{"title":5,"description":557},"aoda-compliance-requirements-deadlines","conformite-lapho-exigences-echeances","en\u002Fposts\u002Faoda-compliance-requirements-deadlines",[],null,"Mgd0Ab9QG_j4U5setwbnpBvyLVpS1iPVWSfcW0COT7U",[600,608,616],{"title":601,"description":602,"path":603,"image":604,"published":563,"read_time":607},"What Is the AODA? Ontario's Accessibility Law and Its 5 Standards","AODA, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act: its 5 standards, who must train and keep records, report deadlines, other provinces' laws.","\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Fa-comprehensive-guide-to-aoda-training-in-canada-requirements-and-laws",{"src":605,"alt":606},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fa-comprehensive-guide-to-aoda-training-in-canada-requirements-and-laws-blog-image.webp","Employee using a wheelchair working with colleagues at an accessible workstation",18,{"title":609,"description":610,"path":611,"image":612,"published":563,"read_time":615},"What Is Workplace Conflict Resolution? Methods & Canadian Law","What workplace conflict resolution means in Canada, the methods that resolve disputes, and what the law does and does not require of employers.","\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Fmastering-conflict-resolution-a-comprehensive-course-for-professionals-in-canada",{"src":613,"alt":614},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fmastering-conflict-resolution-a-comprehensive-course-for-professionals-in-canada-blog-image.webp","Three colleagues resolving a disagreement in a calm facilitated conversation",17,{"title":617,"description":618,"path":619,"image":620,"published":563,"read_time":623},"Workplace Violence & Harassment in Canada: Laws & Bill C-65","Workplace violence and harassment laws in Canada: definitions, Bill C-65 and SOR\u002F2020-130 federal duties, and every province's requirements.","\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Fworkplace-violence-harassment-in-canada-ensuring-a-safe-and-secure-working-environment",{"src":621,"alt":622},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fworkplace-violence-harassment-in-canada-ensuring-a-safe-and-secure-working-environment-blog-image.webp","Employee looking uncomfortable as a colleague leans over her workstation",16,1792732150463]