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:
Ontario Human Rights Commission marks anniversary of racial profiling report
Toronto - In a statement marking the first anniversary of the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s report, Paying the Price: The Human Cost of Racial Profiling, Chief Commissioner Keith Norton noted that a lot of work still needs to be done to address racial profiling.
Ontario Human Rights Commission takes further action to aid students with disabilities
Toronto - Following through on its commitment to help educational institutions, teachers, and parents better understand the duty to accommodate students with disabilities in Ontario’s schools, colleges and universities, Chief Commissioner Keith Norton announced the release of Guidelines on Accessible Education today.
Human Rights Complaints settled against the Ministry of transportation, City of Hamilton and DARTS
Toronto - A settlement has been reached between two Complainants with disabilities, the Ministry of Transportation, the City of Hamilton, and the Disabled and Aged Regional Transit System(“DARTS”), a transit service for persons with disabilities provided by the City of Hamilton.
Ten restaurant chains commit to improve accessibility
Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission today announced that another ten restaurant chains have voluntarily committed to a process that will eliminate barriers for customers with disabilities. They include: Burger King, Coffee Time Donuts, Harvey’s, Kelsey’s Neighbourhood Bar and Grill, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Montana’s Cookhouse and Milestones, Pizza Pizza, Red Lobster, Taco Bell and Timothy’s World Coffee. The Commission is still negotiating similar commitments with another eight chains.
Planning for the accomodation needs of students with disabilities (fact sheet)
2004 - As part of the duty to accommodate, education providers are responsible for taking steps to plan for the accommodation of students with disabilities. Effective planning will take place both on an organizational and individual level.
Guidelines on accessible education
September 2004- The Guidelines take key principles from the OHRC’s Policy and Guidelines on Disability and the Duty to Accommodate (“Disability Policy”) and apply them to the educational context. They are intended to provide guidance to support education providers and students with disabilities in the fulfilment of their duties and rights under the Code.
Submission of the Ontario Human Rights Commission to the Ontario Police Complaints review
September 2004 - am writing pursuant to my mandate under the Ontario Human Rights Code (the “Code”) to outline potential human rights concerns arising from the Toronto Police Services Board’s (the “Board”) recommendations related to the establishment of a new police complaints system as contained in a report entitled Changes to the Complaints System - Final Recommendations and in an Addendum to the July 20, 2004 Report: Changes to the Complaints System - Final Recommendations.
Commission restates concerns about potential discrimination arising from Ontario's "Safe Schools Act"
Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission has asked the Toronto District School Board and Ontario’s Ministry of Education to recognize that "zero tolerance" disciplinary legislation and related school board policies may be having a discriminatory effect on racialized students and students with disabilities.