Ontario’s 2025 accessibility goals impossible without urgent action, report finds

A new report says Ontario will not meet its goals of making the province accessible for people with disabilities by 2025 unless the government takes urgent action.

The blistering report that examines the implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act says a lack of basic leadership, accountability and data will make meeting the 2025 target “difficult, if not impossible to achieve.”

Report author Rich Donovan, who was appointed by the province to conduct a legislative review of the act, says it has been 17 years since the law came into effect but Ontarians with disabilities still consistently face barriers in everyday experiences.

In the report, which was based on consultations with the disability community, Donovan asks Ontario Premier Doug Ford “do you care?”

The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The report is an interim one that Donovan says he released to emphasize the urgent need for the province to make accessibility a priority – his final report will be published in June with a full set of recommendations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2023.

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