plainkit

Do I have to file an AODA compliance report?

If you're a business or non-profit in Ontario with 20 or more employees, yes — by December 31, 2026. Under 20, the accessibility rules still apply, but there's no report to file.

The rule

Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, private businesses and non-profits with 20 or more employees in Ontario file an accessibility compliance report every three years. The current cycle's deadline is December 31, 2026; the last one was December 31, 2023. It's filed online, there is no fee, and a director or senior officer with authority to bind the organisation certifies it as complete and accurate.

How to count employees

Count everyone on payroll in Ontario: full-time, part-time, seasonal, and fixed-term. Volunteers and genuine independent contractors are not employees. Staff working entirely outside Ontario don't count.

If you sit right on the line — 19 or 20, 49 or 50 — read the portal user guide before deciding, and remember that 50 is a second threshold: at 50 employees the obligations change from "have it in place" to "have it written down and published". If you expect to cross either number during the cycle, work to the higher band.

Under 20 employees

You don't file. But the requirements — accessible customer service, training, accommodation during recruitment, accessible formats on request, an individualised emergency plan for any employee who needs one — apply from the first employee. The report is just the province asking you to certify them; not filing doesn't mean not complying.

Public-sector organisations

Municipalities, hospitals, school boards, universities, colleges, and other bodies designated under the regulation file every two years on a different schedule (the last deadline was December 31, 2025) and have broader obligations. If that's you, start from Ontario's reporting page rather than this one.

What the officer is certifying

The report is yes/no questions about the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. The free checker lists them for your size and sector, with the evidence to keep for each: plainkit.lol/aoda.

Sources

Checked against these pages on September 11, 2026. Information, not legal advice.