Only June 13, 2005, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was passed unanimously with a 20-year timeline to make Ontario fully accessible “with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises on or before January 1, 2025.” “I remember in that moment having this sudden realization that I might actually be able to access this province the same as everybody else, something that I never thought would be possible in my life,” recalls Jeff Preston, associate professor and chair of disability studies, at King’s University College, Western University. Anthony Frisina from the Ontario Disability Coalition has a similar memory.
“I’ll never forget when we had this piece of legislation born. I anticipated the future not only for myself, but for members of the disability community to be more prosperous,” he says. As one of the advocates who led the campaign to get the law passed, David Lepofsky, chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, remembers the historic day vividly.
“Our movement started 30 years ago this fall and we fought for a decade from 1994 to 2005 to get this law passed. And it was a huge victory,” he says. “There were great hopes and great expectations and the fact that all parties supported it was very important because it meant that whoever got elected, they were on board.
” As the AODA’s January 1, 2025, target is now less than six months aw.