Accessibility

The law requires that all public and private sector organizations in Ontario, including Town of Aurora, identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessible customer service.

Take a moment to read more about how Aurora is working toward access for everyone.

• Guide For An Accessible Aurora
• Accessibility Standards for Customer Service for Persons with Disabilities​​
• ​Integrated​ Accessibility Standards Policy​​

The Town of Aurora ensures that training is provided on the requirements of the accessibility standards referred to in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, and on the Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities to,

1. all persons who are an employee of, or a volunteer with, the Town;
2. all persons who participate in developing the Town’s policies; and
3. all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of the Town.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Compliance Statement acknowledges that the work/services being performed on behalf of the Town of Aurora will be in accordance with the provisions and regulations of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).

The AAC advises Town Council in the preparation, implementation and effectiveness of its Accessibility Plan. The AAC provides a forum for persons with disabilities to raise issues and concerns and provides advice and guidance to Town Council concerning policies, practices, services and programs.

The Town of Aurora recognizes that some residents may require special consideration with respect to the collection of recycling and garbage material.

If you are unable to place your recycling or garbage material at the curb, or require additional collection for dialysis waste you may qualify for the Town of Aurora’s assisted collection service.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) requires businesses with one or more employees to meet a number of accessibility requirements in the areas of customer service, information and communications, employment, and the built environment. The AODA Design of Public Spaces (DOPS) does not only apply to a building’s physical structure and businesses are not required to do retrofits. However, there are many ways businesses can be more accessible and inclusive of all customers.

This handbook offers no cost and low cost suggestions, gathered from those with first-hand experience, to inspire businesses to become more inclusive of people with access needs.

• Business of Accessibility Handbook (OBIAA, 2019)

A sensory room will be available at many of our special events taking place around Town. This space is designed for individual’s sensory processing needs, who can benefit from a safe and calming atmosphere. This will allow individuals, regardless of their ability, to enjoy our events, knowing they have a quiet space to retreat to for a break, as needed.

For more information visit our special events page.

The Town of Aurora Accessibility Design Standards outline Town-wide standards that build a universally-designed and accessible community for residents, visitors and employees.

These standards are a key component of the Town’s vision for accessibility to make Aurora a great place to live, work, travel and play for everyone. They reflect our corporate values of Trust, Quality and Excellence and ensure Aurora is a place where everyone belongs.

Introduction

The Town of Aurora celebrates its growing and diverse population as a source of strength, vitality and economic opportunity, and is committed to creating an inclusive organization. An important piece of inclusivity is the way that the Town writes and speaks about persons of differing abilities. The following guideline has been built to assist with ensuring that respectful language is used when speaking with persons with disabilities.

Language Changes

It is important to acknowledge that language norms can change at any time. This guideline should be changed in the event where social norms have altered. Language referred in this guideline should always reflect what is currently accepted in The Town of Aurora and the greater community.

Person First

It is always a good idea to mention the person first, and then their condition. This keeps the wording focused on the person, not their situation. For example: “person with disabilities” is preferred to: “disabled person”.

Focus

Similar to person first, it is important to focus messages on the people they are about and not of their disability. In most cases, mentioning a person’s circumstance is unnecessary to include in messages. For example, “Dave, a committee member” is preferred to “Dave, a committee member who has disability”.

Ask, do not assume

There are many overlapping areas of inclusive language which can get confusing. Hence, it is always a good practice to ask people how they want to be portrayed. Many persons with disabilities have their personal preferences around their identity.

For example, when it is necessary to refer to a person’s disability, it is important to ask the person how they want their disability to be identified. A person with bipolar disorder may prefer to be referred to as a “person with a mental health condition” instead of a “person with bipolar disorder”.

Neutral Language

It is also important to use plain language when describing actions taken by a person with disabilities. A great way to take an unbiased approach is to portray persons in the same way, no matter their ability. Just think, what sentence is more neutral?

“Olivia motivated herself and persevered to wheel herself to the Library”. Or,

“Olivia wheeled herself to the library”.

Disability-Specific Language

In order to properly refer to disabilities, you should use language that correctly refers to the disability(s) and disability related terms you are communicating about. Please see the table below for terms that go with different disabilities. 

Disabled vs. Non-Disabled

In most cases, it is unethical to differentiate between “disabled” and “non-disabled” persons as the difference is not significant. In the case where the Town has to make this differentiation (e.g., recruiting Accessibility Advisory Committee members) the phrase “person who identifies with having a disability” should always be used to specify if a person is disabled. Just think, what sentence sounds more ethical?

“The AAC is made of 2 non-disabled and 4 disabled resident members”. Or,

“The AAC is made of 6 resident members with a majority identifying with having disability”.

Disability vs. Handicapped

The word “handicapped” should not be used since it highlights the limitations of persons with disabilities making it an offensive word. “Disability”, “person with disabilities”, or “universal” should always be used to replace “handicapped”. Consider the following definitions:

Disability - any degree of physical, developmental, learning, or mental impairment.

Universal - something that is accessible to everyone with a wide range of abilities.

Handicapped - a constraint a person has.

Accepted vs. Unaccepted Language

When it comes to disabilities, there are many words and phrases that are socially acceptable and unacceptable. Please see the following table to see the difference between accepted and unaccepted language.

To view the following reports - please download the PDF file.

• AODA Compliance Report (2023)
• AODA Compliance Report (2021)
• AODA Compliance Report (2019)
• AODA Compliance Report (2017)
• AODA Compliance Report (2015)
• AODA Compliance Report (2013) ​
• AODA Complian​ce Report (2010)

• Inclusion Charter Progress Report (2021)

• 2023 Annual Accessibility Update
• 2022 Annual Accessibility Update
• 2021 Annual Accessibility Update
• 2020 Annual Accessibility Update
• 2019 Annual Accessibility Update
• 2018 Annual Accessibility Update