We go to work. We go shopping. We take in a movie and afterwards grab a bite to eat. We don't think twice about it. At least, most of us don't.

But that's not always the case for people with disabilities. Often, obstacles stop people with disabilities from doing the kinds of things most of us take for granted.

We call these obstacles, barriers to accessibility.

And Ontario is working to break such barriers down.

On June 13, 2005, the government passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.

The act:

• makes Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to develop, implement and enforce mandatory accessibility standards
• applies to both the private and public sectors.

About 1.85 million people in Ontario have a disability. That's one in seven people. Over the next 20 years as the population ages, the number will rise to one in five Ontarians.

Ontario needs to be more accessible to people with disabilities. It makes good sense - economically and socially.

Through the act and accessibility standards, our goal is to make Ontario accessible by 2025.