AODA Policy Gap Analysis & Development for a Large Ontario Municipality
Some policy gaps are about language that has drifted out of date. Others are about entire areas — procurement, intranet — where no accessibility policy existed at all.
Project Overview
A large Ontario municipality engaged Accessibility Partners to review its existing accessibility policies against current AODA and Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) requirements. Policy review at this level is not a one-time exercise — legislation evolves, and policies written to meet earlier requirements do not automatically update themselves.
The AODA & IASR Policy Challenge
The municipality had accessibility policies in place, but they had been written at different points in time and had not been systematically reviewed against the current state of AODA and IASR. Some policies cited regulations that had since been amended. Others referenced obligations that had since expanded. And in two areas — procurement and intranet content management — the municipality had no accessibility policy at all, despite both being explicit IASR coverage areas.
Our Policy Gap Analysis Approach
We conducted a clause-by-clause review of every existing accessibility policy against current AODA and IASR requirements. Where existing policies contained gaps or outdated language, we provided draft replacement language ready for the municipality’s adoption process. Where no policy existed, we identified what was needed and provided a draft framework.
Recommendations were structured to align with the municipality’s governance and policy approval processes ensuring that what we delivered could actually move through their system.
Project Snapshot
Industry
Municipal Government
Location
Ontario, Canada
Compliance Standard
AODA
Key Result
Clause-by-clause · Draft policy delivered
Municipal Policy Audit Results
Services Used
Legislation: AODA
Talk to Us About Policy Review
Every engagement we take on is led by a credentialed senior consultant — not delegated to junior staff after the proposal is signed. We hold Government of Canada Standing Offer #1 national ranking, $5M errors and omissions insurance, and twelve years of experience across federal, provincial, municipal, and private-sector clients.
If your organisation’s accessibility policies have not been reviewed against current legislation, or you suspect there are areas with no policy coverage at all, we would welcome the conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is a clause-by-clause AODA policy gap analysis?
It is a detailed review comparing existing policies against current AODA and IASR requirements.
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How often should an organisation review its accessibility policies against current AODA and IASR requirements?
Policies should be reviewed regularly, especially after legislative or regulatory updates.
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What policy areas are most commonly missing or out of date in municipal AODA reviews?
Procurement, intranet accessibility, and digital content management policies are often outdated or missing.
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How do policy recommendations get structured to fit a municipality’s governance and approval process?
Recommendations are written in a format that aligns with the municipality’s internal policy review and approval procedures.