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Goods, services and facilities

 

You have the right to be free from discrimination when you receive goods or services, or use facilities. For example, this right applies to:

  • stores, restaurants and bars
  • hospitals and health services
  • schools, universities and colleges
  • public places, amenities and utilities such as recreation centres, public washrooms, malls and parks
  • services and programs provided by municipal and provincial governments, including social assistance and benefits, and public transit
  • services provided by insurance companies
  • classified advertisement space in a newspaper. 

Relevant policies and guides:

  1. Commission initiates complaints against the Ministry of Health and West Park Healthcare Centre over restrictive access to assistive devices

    March 29, 2001

    Toronto - Following a promise made last week to be more proactive when it comes to issues faced by persons with disabilities, the Ontario Human Rights Commission today initiated complaints against the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and its contractor, West Park Healthcare Centre. The complaints cite allegations that the Ministry of Health is acting in breach of the Human Rights Code by funding a program that uses discriminatory age-based eligibility criteria in providing assistive devices.

  2. Ruling in Famous Players Theatres case a victory for Ontarians

    September 25, 2001

    Toronto - In a recent ruling by a Board of Inquiry (Human Rights), Famous Players Theatres has been ordered to make three of its theatres accessible to persons with disabilities. The theatres to be upgraded are the Uptown, Backstage and Eglinton. The Plaza was also named in the group of inaccessible theatres in the complaint, but Famous Players Theatres chose not to renew its lease.

  3. Ontario Human Rights Commission regrets Famous Players decision to close theatres

    December 11, 2001

    Toronto - Reacting to an implementation plan submitted by Famous Players Theatres in accordance with an earlier decision by a Board of Inquiry, Chief Commissioner Keith Norton stated, "The fact that Famous Players has decided to close the three theatres affected by the Board order well ahead of the deadlines set out by the Board, suggests that this decision is economically motivated. I am disappointed by this decision as it deprives local moviegoers from accessing services at these theatres. Clearly, the closings are based on economic reasons and not related to the decision of the Board."

  4. Insurance industry urged to avoid using enumerated grounds of discrimination and genetic testing information for measuring risk

    February 14, 2002

    Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission today released a report on consultations it conducted on human rights issues in insurance. In accordance with the Commission's mandate, the objective of the consultation was to promote awareness, understanding and advancement of human rights in the area of insurance and to examine alternatives to current practices by obtaining input from experts and regulators in the insurance industry as well as from consumers. Access to insurance in our society raises significant issues about distributive justice and fairness in the public sphere, issues that have received scant attention in Canada and in Ontario.

  5. "Paying The Price: The Human Cost Of Racial Profiling": Ontario Human Rights Commission releases report

    December 9, 2003

    Toronto - "Racial profiling has no place in our society. We have to stop debating the issue and start acting on it," was the key message delivered today by Chief Commissioner Keith Norton at the release of the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s report on the effects of racial profiling. Entitled, Paying the Price: The Human Cost of Racial Profiling, the Report is based on over 400 personal accounts of experiences with profiling that individuals shared with the Commission during the course of its Racial Profiling Inquiry held earlier this year. The Report looks at the human cost of racial profiling on individuals who have experienced it, their families and their communities and the detrimental impacts of this practice on society as a whole.

  6. Ontario Human Rights Commission sends 121 complaints to public

    March 2, 2004

    Toronto - At its meeting on January 28, 2004, the Commission decided to refer an unprecedented 121 autism-related complaints to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. The complaints against various Government of Ontario ministries allege discrimination on the basis of disability in accessing services. The Commission has referred the complaints based on the restrictive eligibility criteria for funding support and long waiting lists for a government program.

  7. Seven restaurant chains make landmark commitment to improve services for customers with disabilities

    April 6, 2004

    Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission today announced that seven chains, Country Style Donuts, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Subway, Swiss Chalet and Tim Hortons have made commitments to a process that will eliminate barriers for customers with disabilities. This result was obtained after the Commission shared the results of an independent accessibility audit with the chains.

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