Guides

AODA compliance report checklist 2026: what to have in place before you certify

Updated 2026-10-30. Rules current to October 23, 2026. A plain-language summary, not legal advice. EmployerReady is not affiliated with the Government of Ontario.

The 2026 accessibility compliance report takes minutes to file. The work is in being able to answer “yes” truthfully, because a director or senior officer certifies the answers. This checklist lists what has to be true for each part of the report. For who files and what the form looks like, start with the AODA compliance report 2026 guide.

Before you start

• Confirm you are in scope. You provide goods, services or facilities to the public or to other businesses and have at least one employee in Ontario (O. Reg. 191/11 s. 1(3)). You have 20 or more employees in Ontario (s. 86.1(1)). If you have 1 to 19, you do not file; the standards still apply.
• Settle your employee count and write down how you got it: every employee in Ontario, whether full-time, part-time, seasonal or on contract; volunteers and independent contractors are not employees, and staff outside Ontario are not counted. See how to count.
• Gather the portal details: legal name, business number (BN9), number of employees, and the name and contact details of the person who will certify.
• Choose the certifier: a director, senior officer or other person with authority to bind the organization (AODA s. 15).

Customer Service Standards (asked of everyone with 20+)

At 20 to 49 employees, this is the only section the report asks about. Each line is a requirement in Part IV.2 of the regulation; the customer service guide explains them.

• Policies on providing goods, services or facilities to people with disabilities, consistent with dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity, that address assistive devices (s. 80.46).
• Service animals and support persons are welcome where the public has access to your premises; any fee for a support person is announced in advance; a support person is required only after consultation and for health or safety (s. 80.47).
• Temporary disruption notices with reason, expected duration and alternatives (s. 80.48).
• Training on the required topics for all employees and volunteers, everyone who develops your policies and anyone else who provides goods, services or facilities on your behalf, given as soon as practicable and when policies change (s. 80.49).
• A feedback process that says what you do with complaints, accepts accessible formats on request and is readily available to the public (s. 80.50).
• Documents required under this standard are available in accessible formats on request (s. 80.51).
• At 50+ only: the policies, the training policy and records, and the feedback process are written down, and the public is told the documents are available on request (ss. 80.46(4) to (6), 80.49(5) to (7), 80.50(5) to (6)).

General Requirements (asked at 50+, apply at every size)

• Accessibility policies on how you meet the regulation (s. 3(1)). At 50+: in writing, with a statement of organizational commitment, available to the public on request (s. 3(2) to (3)).
• At 50+: a multi-year accessibility plan, posted on your website if you have one, reviewed at least every five years (s. 4).
• Training on the accessibility standards and the Human Rights Code for employees, volunteers, policy developers and others acting on your behalf (s. 7(1) to (4)). At 50+: records of dates and numbers trained (s. 7(5)). See training requirements.

Information and Communications (asked at 50+, most items apply at every size)

• If you have processes for receiving and responding to feedback, they are accessible to people with disabilities, with accessible formats and communication supports on request (s. 11).
• Accessible formats and communication supports for information you provide, on request, in a timely manner and at no more than the regular cost, in consultation with the person; the public notified that they are available (s. 12).
• Emergency procedures, plans and public safety information you make public are provided in an accessible format on request (s. 13).
• At 50+: your public website and web content meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA (required since January 1, 2021), other than live captions and pre-recorded audio descriptions, where meeting the requirement is practicable (s. 14(4), (5)).

Employment (asked at 50+, most items apply at every size)

• Employees and the public are told that accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities in your recruitment process (s. 22).
• Applicants selected for assessment or selection are told accommodation is available on request, and accommodation is arranged in consultation with them (s. 23).
• Successful applicants are told about your accommodation policies when the offer is made (s. 24).
• Employees are informed of your policies for supporting employees with disabilities, as soon as practicable after starting and when the policies change (s. 25).
• Accessible formats and communication supports for job-related and workplace-wide information, on request (s. 26).
• Individualized workplace emergency response information for employees whose disability requires it, where you know of the need (s. 27).
• At 50+: a written process for documented individual accommodation plans (s. 28) and a documented return-to-work process (s. 29).

Filing and after

• File on the Accessibility Compliance Reporting Portal. Filing is free. A “no” is permitted and asks for an explanation.
• Keep a copy of what you certified and make the filed report available to the public (AODA s. 14(2)).
• Diarize December 31, 2029 for the next report and keep training and policy changes current in between.

If you want these items as dated, editable documents for your organization, the free check tells you which apply; our pricing page explains what the paid pack includes. We do not file the report for you; the certifier does that on the portal.

Sources

• O. Reg. 191/11, Integrated Accessibility Standards (ss. 1 to 7, 11 to 14, 22 to 29, Part IV.2, s. 86.1)
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (ss. 14, 15)
• Completing your accessibility compliance report (ontario.ca)