Ontario's new accessibility act starts a 20 year process.

Queen's Park, Toronto -- The Ontario legislature passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

The act requires the government to work with partners to jointly develop standards to be achieved in stages of five years or less, leading to a fully accessible Ontario in 20 years. Standards will be set in both the public and private sectors to address the full range of disabilities--including physical, sensory, hearing, mental health, developmental and learning. New standards could include:

* Accessible pedestrian routes and entrances into buildings.

* Lower counter heights at cash registers to accommodate wheelchairs.

* Large print menus in restaurants for the visually-impaired.

* Staff training in serving customers with learning disabilities.

Representatives from the provincial government, industries or sectors, and people with disabilities will form committees to develop standards in each sector. The committees will submit proposed standards to the government for adoption as regulations. The standards will include timelines for compliance, and the legislation provides tough penalties for violators.

David Lepofsky, chair of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee, a group that has worked to promote these measures, expressed support for the new law.