Improving the outlook for disabled in Toronto
Accessibility is the measure of the ease of access to everyday life experienced by people living with disability, and is an area in which Toronto continues to fail. The lack of proper adaptation for people living with disability has impacted members of the public from across society. This was clearly shown in CBC.ca’s report concerning schools, which found 50% of TDSB schools have some barrier to disabled people – both teachers and students. Improving accessibility in the city is crucial, and begins with understanding exactly how disability impacts individuals.
A vicious circle
Accessibility is often thought of as being as simple as a wheelchair-accessible ramp. While this is undoubtedly important, both for wheelchair users and other people with mobility concerns, it’s only part of the story. To be truly accessible, consideration must be given to a wide range of potential barriers to entry. The University of Toronto, for instance, highlights their work in creating a support network for students who are hard of hearing, enabling them to fully take part in lectures through a support network. It is essential that services like education and healthcare have these accessibility requirements built-in, as they not only enable disabled people, but aid their recovery, too. CP Family, an advocacy group for families with children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, note how proper therapy combines a range of physical, emotional and psychological treatments. This can only be provided in a fully accessible society.
Digital life
Society is shrinking, however, with the advent of online integration. While digital tools have been a wonderful way for people living with disability, they’ve also become a barrier in the new, digitally serviced age. The majority of web services and websites simply are not disability-friendly. Fines are potentially huge for non-compliant web services, according to Global News which highlights a figure of up to $100,000 per day, but enforcement is slow and legally difficult. The need, meanwhile, is never more pressing – accessible digital services need to come into power now, and pressure is mounting.
A poor record
It’s important to note that work has been done to improve the outlook for disabled people – yet, plans have not been acted on. The Star highlights how a report by specially appointed civil servants had progressed at ‘glacial’ rates across Ontario, leaving the record of Doug Ford with serious criticisms of his overall record over the past few years. Political debate aside, it’s clear more needs to be done. While the tourism sector of the city has done so much to improve access for people living with disability, the story isn’t over yet.
While schools and basic services remain difficult to access for those Ontarian’s with disability requirements, change needs to come. If society is to become fully digitized, change needs to come from across the state and the political divide to ensure it’s done sustainably. Only a society without any barriers is a fair one.
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