Martin Prosperity Institute Releases Commissioned Report on AODA's Economic Impact

Last Updated on Wednesday, 30 June 2010 04:02

The economic impact of the AODA  is something that everyone is concerned about. Some businesses and organizations may feel that the AODA Standards present too great a burden, while others recognize new business opportunities that are being presented.

On Monday, June 14th, prosperity economists Alison Kemper and Kevin Stolarick from the Martin Prosperity Institute of the Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto and Jutta Treviranus, Director of OCAD University's newly inaugurated Inclusive Design Institute (IDI) talked about their just released report.

The report, entitled "Releasing Constraints: Projecting the Economic Impacts of Increased Accessibility in Ontario", was commissioned by the Ministry of Community and Social Services in order to gain insight into the kind of economic impact Ontario's public and private sectors might expect from the passage of the AODA Standards.

In a nutshell, the report decisively challenges the tired (if not uninformed) lament that it's too expensive to meet proposed accessibility standards.  A key part of the report's findings is that the AODA brings clear economic benefits to the province. Every day Ontario delays moving forward with enacting the AODA's proposed standards, the province actually loses money, to the tune of thousands of dollars. There are specific references to tourism, retail, and education. We would add that Ontario has strong industry footing as a digital media enabler – the combination of digital media and inclusive design is a natural fit.

For those of us in the accessibility field who already have a strong sense that there are good economic arguments for inclusive and accessible design, the report is quite the validation.

As the AODA standards evolve into regulation, we hope the Martin Prosperity/Inclusive Design Institute's scrying glass remains in place to help us keep our eye on the prize. Their continued involvement and guidance is essential if we are to achieve fully inclusive prosperity for all.