Title “Interior Designer”
Titles “Interior Designer” and “ARIDO”
Bill Pr6, An Act respecting the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario, grants only ARIDO Registered members the legal right to hold themselves out publicly as interior designers and/or to use the designation ARIDO after their name. Other ARIDO members may identify themselves as such, according to their categories of membership:
- “Intern, ARIDO”
- “Student, ARIDO”
- “Educator, ARIDO”
- “Retired Member, ARIDO”
- “Life Member, ARIDO”
- “ARIDO Non-Resident” or “ARIDO Non-Res.”
- “Honorary, ARIDO” or “Hon. ARIDO”
To confirm if an individual is a Registered Member of ARIDO, please use ARIDO's Public Registry which allows you to search for Registered members of ARIDO who have met and continue to meet ARIDO's qualification standards. For assistance or to verify if an individual is a member of ARIDO in a different membership category, please contact membership@arido.ca with your inquiry.
Protected titles under ARIDO Act
In 1984, Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario Act was passed in the Legislature of Ontario. The act was amended by the passing of Bill Pr6 in 1999 which granted Registered Members of ARIDO who have met and continue to meet ARIDO's standards the exclusive use of the title Interior Designer in the province of Ontario.
By giving legal standing to the designation of Interior Designer, the act acknowledges that ARIDO Registered Members meet and maintain a high level of qualifications and standards. The act safeguards the public by ensuring that the practitioners who hold the designation Interior Designer or ARIDO are fully qualified and possess the most current qualifications. It is against the law for any person in Ontario who is not a Registered member of ARIDO to use the title Interior Designer or the designation ARIDO.
This protection also applies to job titles. Roles where a person's title is or includes "Interior Designer" may only be filled by a Registered member of ARIDO.
Bill Pr6 (Chapter Pr6 Statutes of Ontario 1999)
An Act respecting the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario, 1999
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Bill Pr6, Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario Act, 1999
Enforcement
ARIDO is committed to protecting the title Interior Designer and the designation ARIDO and will take all necessary steps to ensure non-authorized parties cease and desist from using the title and/or the designation.
As the Enforcement Body in Ontario for Bill Pr6, ARIDO is active in monitoring and enforcing breaches of the Act. ARIDO receives reports from members of the public, industry and ARIDO members across Ontario of individuals who are not Registered Members of ARIDO but are holding themselves out as being authorized to use the title Interior Designer or the designation ARIDO.
With every report received of a potential breach of Bill Pr6, ARIDO collects documentation which proves that the individual is publicly using the title Interior Designer or the designation ARIDO and records the incident. ARIDO then provides formal written notice of the breach of Bill Pr6 and instructs the individual to cease and desist from using the title and/or the designation in any way.
Failure of an individual to comply following the written notice of the breach will result in ARIDO further pursuing the matter and taking all steps available, including legal actions where necessary, in order to ensure that non-authorized parties cease using the title Interior Designer or the designation ARIDO after their names.
If you are aware of an individual who is not a Registered Member of ARIDO but is using the title Interior Designer or the designation ARIDO, please report the incident with proof or evidence of the misuse of the title and/or designation to report@arido.ca and ARIDO will investigate the incident.
For more information about the use of the title and designation or about Bill Pr6, please contact registrar@arido.ca.