A barrier-free Ontario was the purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), unanimously passed by MPPs in 2005. With the province’s 20-year deadline for the implementation of accessibility standards looming on Jan. 1, 2025, Restricted Access: Will Ontario meet its barrier-free goals? explores this quality-of-life issue for the millions of people living with disabilities — a demographic that’s expected to skyrocket as the population ages.
With less than a year to meet its 2025 accessibility deadline, Ontario faces mounting criticism over housing standards that advocates say fail seniors and people with disabilities.
Kate Chung, 82, spent $18,000 on retrofitting her home to make it more suitable for her and her partner when they both went through mobility-limiting surgeries.
Even after spending thousands on renovations, Chung says there are still tripping hazards in her home — including a raised hot water pipe at the door to her balcony.
Sal Amenta, a senior living with sciatica, had to spend a large amount on renovating his bathroom so that his bathtub was removed and replaced with a walk-in shower.
The stairs of Sal Amenta’s home — he recalls when the pain from his sciatica was so severe he had to crawl down them on all fours.
Luke Anderson, co-chair of the Accelerating Accessibility Coalition, said it is “clear” that the province will reach not its deadline to be accessible by 2025.