Issued March 2010
ACCESSIBILITY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
The policy and its contents outlined below is intended to ensure the Toronto Centre for the
Arts meets or exceeds compliance with the standards by and regulations contained in the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).
POLICY STATEMENT
The Toronto Centre for the Arts welcomes and encourages persons with disabilities to access
our facilities. The Toronto Centre for the Arts is committed to providing accessible services to
persons with disabilities that are consistent with the core principles of independence, dignity,
integration and equality of opportunity, as set out in the Accessibility Standards for Customer
Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07. The Toronto Centre for the Arts has established policies,
practices and procedures on providing goods and services to people with disabilities and will
communicate and distribute these documents upon request, taking into consideration the
disability of the person requesting the information.
SCOPE
This policy applies to all employees and contractors working on Centre property.
CONDITIONS
SUPPORT PERSONS, SERVICE ANIMALS, AND ASSISTIVE DEVICES
• The Toronto Centre for the Arts welcomes persons with disabilities who use support persons
to have that person accompany them in any public area to assist in accessing goods or services.
Where admission fees are charged, the support person will be charged full admission price,
unless otherwise stated.
• Persons with disabilities are welcome to have a service animal accompany them in any public
area on our premises, to assist in accessing goods or services.
• Persons with disabilities may bring and use their own assistive devices to access goods and
services, and the Toronto Centre for the Arts will use reasonable efforts to accommodate their
use. The Toronto Centre for the Arts also offers a variety of other services and assistive devices
for use by persons with disabilities, including:
o Assistive hearing devices are available at coat checks for all three theatres free of charge.
Photo ID must be left and will be returned upon receipt of the device.
o Wheelchair accessible washrooms are located throughout the building, as well as private
wheelchair accessible washrooms in designated locations.
o An elevator is available in the lobby to access the second floor, as well as a wheelchair
accessible ramp.
o A wheelchair accessible window is available at the Toronto Centre for the Arts Box Office.
o An automatic door opener at wheelchair height is available at the main entrance.
o All three theatres have designated wheelchair accessible seating. Tickets for these seats
may be purchased by calling the Toronto Centre for the Arts Box Office at 416-733-9388.
Patrons who require accessible seating but did not purchase tickets in an accessible area will be
accommodated to the best of our ability.
o Pre-boarding is available for persons who may require additional time to reach their seats
ahead of other ticket holders – Front of House staff will direct patrons requiring assistance.
NOTICE OF TEMPORARY DISRUPTION
• The Toronto Centre for the Arts will provide notice when facilities or services used by persons
with disabilities to access goods and services become temporarily disrupted. In the event
of a temporary disruption, written notice will be posted in a conspicuous area detailing the
determined approximate length of the disruption, and what alternate accommodations are
available to persons with disabilities. In the event of a planned disruption involving services
relied upon by persons with disabilities, written notice will be posted in a conspicuous area,
detailing the proposed approximate length of the disruption, and what alternate services will be
available for persons with disabilities to access goods and services.
TRAINING OF STAFF IN REGARDS TO ACCESSIBLE SERVICES
• The Toronto Centre for the Arts trains its staff contractors who interact with the public or
other third parties on a number of topics related to the Customer Service Standard as it applies
to persons with disabilities. Those who create or modify the policies of the Toronto Centre for
the Arts have also received similar training.
DEFINITIONS
“Assistive Devices”
• any device that is designed, made, or adapted to assist a person to perform a particular task,
for example: canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs are all assistive devices
“Disability”
As defined in the AODA, disability can include:
• any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation, or disfigurement that is caused
by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
including diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical
coordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness of
speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or on a wheelchair or other remedial
appliance or device;
• a condition of mental impairment or developmental disability;
• a learning disability, or a dysfunction, in one or more of the processes involved in
understanding or using symbols or spoken language.
• a mental disorder; or
• an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the Workplace Safety
and Insurance Act (WSIA)
“Goods and Services”
• useful labour performed by an individual on behalf of others and items of merchandise,
finished products, supplies, or raw materials
• “Staff”
• individuals employed by the Toronto Centre for the Arts to distribute its goods and services
“Third Parties”
• individuals or organizations other than the subject of the records or representatives of the
Toronto Centre for the Arts
• The Toronto Centre for the Arts has established a process for people to provide feedback
on how goods and services are accessed by persons with disabilities, how feedback is
responded to, as well as any actions taken as a result of a complaint. Feedback forms are readily
available to the public in person at the Box Office and all Coat Checks.
