Creating a more accessible Vaughan!

We’re working to make Vaughan a more inclusive and accessible community for all! 

Want to learn more about how we are achieving this? Check out the 2024 Annual Accessibility Status Report, which highlights the City of Vaughan’s ongoing efforts to identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility across City programs, services and facilities.

The report outlines key achievements from the past year that ensure compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), which demonstrates the City’s dedication to building a more accessible Vaughan. This includes making enhancements to accessible design standards, delivering training to staff, leading digital accessibility improvements and providing support for inclusive programming. 

One of the City’s key initiatives is GoodMaps. In 2024, the City partnered with Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Access Labs to roll out a pilot of an indoor wayfinding mobile app called GoodMaps. The app launched in December 2024 and provides verbal and visual wayfinding instructions to people with vision-related disabilities and other diverse visitors, including people who use wheelchairs or mobility devices, to help them navigate municipal spaces independently and confidently. 

The GoodMaps platform is available at the following six City facilities:

• Vaughan City Hall (2141 Major Mackenzie Dr.)
• Chancellor Community Centre and Ansley Grove Library (350 Ansley Grove Rd.)
• Civic Centre Resource Library (2191 Major Mackenzie Dr.)
• Dufferin Clark Community Centre and Dufferin Clark Library (1441 Clark Ave W.)
• North Thornhill Community Centre and Pleasant Ridge Library (300 Pleasant Ridge Ave.)
• Pierre Berton Resource Library (4921 Rutherford Rd.)

This report is the second annual overview of the City’s 2023-2027 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan, which lays out the roadmap for how the City aims to achieve a barrier-free community with universal access to programs, services and facilities. To learn more about our ongoing accessibility efforts, visit vaughan.ca/accessibility.

QUOTES

“At the City of Vaughan, we are committed to treating everyone in a way that maintains their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and fair access for residents, visitors and employees with visible or non-visible disabilities. By removing barriers and increasing supports, we can achieve our goal to become a completely accessible municipality. The City wants to ensure Vaughan is welcoming, inclusive and a place where people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds can thrive. We have made a lot of progress towards this vision, but there is still work to be done. I want to thank the Inclusion and Community Outreach team for their dedication to moving us forward in creating a more inclusive city for all.”

- Mayor Steven Del Duca

“As the Chair of the City of Vaughan’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, I am honoured to play a role in the implementation of the City’s 2023-2027 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan. This comprehensive strategy is designed to create a more accessible city for everyone. Every resident should have the opportunity to actively participate in our vibrant community, regardless of ability. The plan encompasses a wide range of initiatives; each aimed at breaking down barriers and ensuring people of all abilities can enjoy access to the resources and opportunities our City offers. I am committed to continue working with our dedicated committee members, stakeholders, disability advocates and residents to ensure this plan remains effective, adaptive, and reflective of our community’s needs.”

- Accessibility Advisory Committee Chair and Ward 5 Councillor Gila Martow

QUICK FACTS

• Approved by Council in May 2025, the City of Vaughan’s 2024 Annual Accessibility Status Report (PDF) highlights the ongoing efforts to identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility across City programs, services and facilities.
• The 2023-2027 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan lays out how the City aims to achieve a barrier-free community with universal access to programs, services and facilities. Vaughan Council approved the plan on Nov. 14, 2023.

LEARN MORE

• City of Vaughan’s 2024 Annual Accessibility Status Report (PDF)
• City of Vaughan’s accessibility webpage
• City of Vaughan’s 2023-2027 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan