Twenty-six restaurant chains in Ontario will make their
eateries more accessible to people with disabilities, says a recently
released report.
Twenty-six restaurant chains in Ontario will make their eateries more accessible to people with disabilities, says a recently released report.
The report outlines the progress restaurant chains have made in ensuring everyone regardless of disability can get in and around their restaurants, the Toronto Star reported.
It’s the culmination of five years of work by the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Under the code, people with disabilities have a legal right to access premises and services with dignity and without impediment.
“Despite this right, persons with disabilities continue to face daily obstacles in going about their lives, including when they are accessing restaurant services,” the report states.
Some restaurants have taken steps to offer braille menus, and braille or tactile signs on washroom doors to assist the blind. Other chains plan to deal with barriers in their restaurants with concepts such as sloped condiment counters.
“The (commission) believes that these initiatives can, over time, make a significant impact on the accessibility of the restaurant industry,” the report states.
But it also cautions they need to do much more. There’s still a long way to go in improving the design of restaurants to make sure disabled Ontarians can easily get a slice at Pizza Pizza or a coffee at Tim Hortons.
When a restaurant fails to provide someone with a disability equal access to a facility, it constitutes discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
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