Accessibility

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Accessibility

The City of Vaughan is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. The City believes in integration and fair access for residents, visitors and employees with visible or non-visible disabilities. The City promises to meet the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility, and supporting the goals of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).

News and updates:

Vaughan Accessibility Champion Awards

The Vaughan Accessibility Champion Awards recognize businesses and individuals that demonstrate exemplary commitment towards advancing accessibility. Nominations are open from Monday, Nov. 1 to Friday, Nov. 19, 2021 for this year’s awards.

Vaughan Accessibility Champions can be nominated in four categories, including an individual, a small business with less than 20 employees, a medium or large business with 20 or more employees and an individual with a disability.

Individuals or businesses being nominated for an Accessibility Champion Award can be located within or outside of Vaughan and must provide goods or services to people with disabilities in Vaughan and go above and beyond to enrich the lives of people with disabilities. Examples of this include a business that has implemented significant accessibility upgrades or an individual who has secured and/or invented a product or service for people with disabilities.

The successful candidates will be notified by the end of November. Recipients will be honoured at a virtual award ceremony hosted by the City of Vaughan on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021. This event will be streamed online live at vaughan.ca/live.

Nominations are now closed for the 2021 Vaughan Accessibility Champion Awards as of Nov. 19, 11:59 p.m. Thank you to those who submitted nominations.

Treat Accessibly

The City of Vaughan is dedicated to fostering an inclusive community where people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds can thrive – including on Halloween. As a reflection of this commitment to advancing accessibility, Vaughan Council recently endorsed the Treat Accessibly initiative making the City the first municipality in Canada to do so.

According to the Treat Accessibly website, approximately 400,000 children in Canada identify with having a disability that may prevent them from trick-or-treating because of something as simple as stairs. Treat Accessibly outlines the following ways households in Vaughan, and in communities throughout North America, can distribute Halloween goodies in a safe and accessible way:

Download a free accessible trick-or-treating sign to place in your window.

Create a trick-or-treating station at the end of your driveway.
Make sure the path to your trick-or-treating area is well lit and clear of any hazards.
Refrain from using strobe lights and high-pitched, sudden loud noises.
Ensure pets are kept safely away from the front of your house.

For more information, visit treataccessibly.com.

Some of the City’s accessibility commitments include:

The delivery of quality programs and services to all citizens
The identification and removal of physical barriers to existing and new facilities
The participation of people with disabilities in the development and review of our annual accessibility plans and initiatives
The support of ongoing efforts of the Vaughan Accessibility Advisory Committee (PDF)
The implementation of initiatives that continue to make the City an inclusive and he implementation of initiatives that continue to make the City an inclusive and accessible city (PDF) where people of all abilities have the chance to fully achieve their potential

The goal of creating an accessible community by 2025

Together with residents, the City will ensure Vaughan is fully accessible and barrier-free. Every person with a disability should have:

Access to City services, programs and facilities available to the general public
The rights to dignity, inclusion, privacy and confidentiality
The opportunities to develop life skills through programs and services to meet individual needs and goals
A forum where they can voice concerns or issues (PDF) as they relate to accessibility

What is considered a ‘disability’?

Under the AODA and Ontario Human Rights Code, a disability includes:

Any degree of physical disability caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness. Examples may include diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, vision or hearing loss
A condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability
A learning disability, or difficulty understanding or using symbols or spoken language
A mental disorder
An injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997

What is a ‘barrier’?

The AODA defines a barrier as anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of his or her disability.

Barriers to those with a disability may include:

Attitudinal barriers – societal beliefs, negative attitude, stereotyping, stigma, discrimination, etc.
Architectural/structural barriers – steps, manual doors, building design, etc.
Information or communications barriers – small font, poor text contrast, confusing design of materials and signage, inaccessible websites, etc.
Technological barriers – lack of assistive technology for computers, telephones, etc.
Policy, procedure or practice barriers – services or systems that are nonexistent or hinder the involvement these people

For more information about the City's Accessibility Strategy, contact: Warren Rupnarain, Accessibility and Diversity Co-ordinator, 905-832-2281, ext. 8641, warren.rupnarain@vaughan.ca.