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Ontario will not meet its goal of having all of its facilities fully accessible by 2025.
A report presented to government in June but only made public in December made 23 recommendations following a review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
The Act was put in place in 2025 to reduce and remove barriers for people with disabilities.
Speaking in the legislature, Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Lise Vaugeois says the government owes it to people with disabilities to react to the recommendations.
“It’s unacceptable that you aren’t going to reach this target, and it’s unacceptable that you have been hiding the truth. You owe people with disabilities an apology, and you owe them action,” says Vaugeois.
The Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, Raymond Cho (CHOY), insists action is being taken to make provincial facilities barrier-free.
“Our government is taking action on a new initiative that will provide direct experience on AODA issues from people with disabilities,” says Choy.
“We are building evacuation plans for all government buildings to ensure safe evacuation of people with disabilities. We will ensure all government procurement complies with AODA. We are using recommendations from the force legislative review to achieve and exceed the goals of AODA.”
In his report, Rich Donovan concluded that accessibility in Ontario currently constitutes a crisis and that bold and decisive action is needed.
