Online Resources

Access Canada Training Program - Hotel Association of Canada

http://www.hotelassociation.ca

This program was designed to provide clear standards that will help hotel owners develop various levels of accessibility ranging from I -IV. There are also training components for staff to increase their understanding and comfort level when serving guests with disabilities. To open the PDF with information on the Access Canada Training Program, use the link provided below. Once on the site, click the logo with the various disability symbols.

Guest Services that Work for Everyone: A Disability Sensitivity Training Program - Ontario Restaurant and Hotel Association

http://www.orhma.com/training/course_outlines.asp

This training program was developed to assist the hotel industry to better serve guests with disabilities, and reach a huge untapped travel market. The training will help raise awareness of the needs of persons with disabilities and teach practical skills to front-line hotel staff. The Sensitivity Awareness Training provides a comprehensive overview on how to provide appropriate and effective service to people with all types of disabilities.

Hospitality Accessibility Checklist - Greater Toronto Hotel Association

http://www.gtha.com/dsp_HospCheckLst.cfm#Intro

This checklist was designed to help those in the hospitality industry evaluate the physical accessibility of their premises. The Greater Toronto Hotel Association acknowledges the support of the Government of Ontario through its EnAbling Change Program in the development of this checklist.

NRC Building Code + CSA Standards CD

http://www.csa.ca

This Canadian Standards Association CD includes the National Building Code of Canada 1995 plus all CSA standards referenced by the Code.

Granted by John Watson - Theatre Ontario Newsletter Dec/Jan 2003

http://www.theatreontario.org/content/news22-4.htm#FEATURE

This article discusses various aspects of making the theatre experience more accessible to people with disabilities, including sensitizing box office staff, physical access, use of adaptive listening devices, lighting and the use of large-print programs.

Get Connected to Serving Deaf, Deafened and Hard of Hearing Restaurant Patrons A Guide for Service Providers and Businesses - Canadian Hearing Society

http://www.chs.ca/info/access/index.html

This package of materials is available online and on a free CD-ROM. It includes A Guide for Service Providers and Business and three fact sheets: Restaurant: Easy-to-implement techniques for welcoming customers who have a hearing loss into your food establishment. Retail: A common sense approach for making the shopping experience fun and profitable for everyone, including people with a hearing loss. Medical settings: Effective two-way communication between health care providers and deaf, deafened and hard of hearing patients will make a medical visit or hospital stay a positive and productive one. Includes important legal information on your responsibility to be accessible to people with hearing loss.

Directory for Accessibility - Government of Ontario Accessibility Directorate

http://www.accessibilitydirectory.ca/

This online directory lists Ontario-based companies that offer services to improve accessibility. The listings include contact information for architects, contractors and consultants who specialize in barrier removal and barrier-free design.

Duty to Accommodate People with Disabilities - Ontario Human Rights Commission

http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/consultations/dining-out_2.shtml

Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, persons with disabilities have the right to equal treatment in accessing services such as those provided by restaurants, shops, hotels, movie theatres and other public places. This webpage gives an overview of the obligations of businesses under the Ontario Human Rights Code to accommodate people with disabilities.

Funding Sources for Barrier-Free Access

http://www.gnb.ca/0048/english/funding.htm

Prepared by the Premier's Council on the Status of Disabled Persons in New Brunswick, this webpage has a list of federal and provincial (New Brunswick) programs and funding sources for renovations to houses, businesses and community buildings

Tax Deductions for Disability-related Modifications - Canada Revenue Agency

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/t4002/t4002-04-e.html #P865_75212

(CCRA) T4002 - Business and professional income guide to disability-related modifications

• You can deduct expenses you incur for eligible disability-related modifications made to a building in the year you paid them, instead of having to add them to the capital cost of your building. Eligible disability related modifications include changes you make to accommodate wheelchairs, such as;
• Installing hand-activated power door openers
• Installing interior and exterior ramps
• Modifying a bathroom, elevator, or doorway

You can also deduct expenses paid to install or obtain the following disability-related devices and equipment

• Elevator car-positions indicators (such as Braille panels and audio indicators)
• Visual fire-alarm indicators
• Telephone devices to help people who are hard of hearing
• Listening devices for group meetings

Making Your Business Accessible for All - Disability Rights Commission (United Kingdom)

http://www.drc-gb.org/library/publications/services _and_transport/making_your_business_accessibl.aspx

This booklet was designed to provide guidance to large businesses about in meeting their duties under the 2005 UK Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). This site can be used for the general information it provides on improving service to people with disabilities, but please note that the accessibility standards and duty to accommodate in the United Kingdom are not the same as those in Canada.