Commitment, policies, plans and supports

As outlined in its Accessibility Policy, the City of Ottawa is committed to providing equal treatment to people with disabilities with respect to the use and benefit of City services, programs, goods, facilities and information.

This commitment extends to residents, visitors and employees with visible or non-visible disabilities.

The City has many policies related to service standards and accessibility. Some of these include:

• Accessibility Policy
• Equity and Diversity Policy
• Accessible formats and communication supports procedure
• Bilingualism Policy

These documents are available in multiple formats upon request. Learn how and where to request an accessible format.

The City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan (COMAP) – Five-year Plan (2020-2024) outlines the City’s plan in meeting its legislated obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), and its commitment to implementing additional initiatives to advance accessibility in City services, programs, facilities and infrastructure.

Progress reports are provided to Council on an annual basis and include the City’s annual AODA compliance report.

• City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan (COMAP) Annual Update (2023) Report
• City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan (COMAP) Annual Update (2022) Report
• City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan (COMAP) Annual Update (2021) Report
• City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan (COMAP) Annual Update (2020) Report

To receive a copy of a compliance report for a year prior to those listed above, please contact the Accessibility Office by email at accessibilityoffice@ottawa.ca.

All contractors and their employees who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of the City have specific obligations under the AODA and are required to take accessibility training.

More information on the obligations of City contractors and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is available.

The City of Ottawa is pleased to announce that Canada Video Relay Service (VRS) is available for residents wishing to use their service to access our general phone line by calling 613-580-2400.

Canada VRS is a service that allows Canadians who are Deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired to make phone calls using internet and cellphone-based technologies. Callers using VRS are connected with a sign language interpreter who provides real time interpretation for telephone calls. This allows callers to express themselves in their first language, American Sign Language (ASL) or Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), when asking questions or making requests to the City.

More information can be found on the Canada VRS webpage.