Many kids with disabilities love the park and deserve the opportunity to play and socialize as much as anyone else. The IASR requires that new and redeveloped playgrounds include accessibility features, meaning that all kids can enjoy them. However, parks that have existing playgrounds and are not being redeveloped act as more of a barrier for kids with disabilities rather than a place to have fun. Below, we outline what makes a playground inaccessible. We also discuss accessible Ontario playgrounds for kids with disabilities.
AODA Resources
Resources on issues of accessibility and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
Accessibility at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) offers accessible services for people with various disabilities. The accessibility page on its website shows the services that other organizations could start providing. The page also shows how venues can make a public commitment to welcoming and understanding the needs of clients with disabilities.
Accessible Facilities and Equipment at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
All of the TSO’s venues offer:
- Wheelchair-accessible entrances
Pokémon Video Games: They’re for the Visually Impaired Too
Although Pokémon video games were not created with disabilities in mind, the video games are very popular with the low vision and blind community. Gamers who have visual disabilities have made Pokémon accessible all on their own. Here we explain what a Pokémon is, describe how a gamer with a visual disability plays, and offer a few resources to help those with visual impairments play the game.
Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC): Making Gaming Accessible
For many years, gamers with mobility disabilities have taken it upon themselves to find external devices when it comes to adaptive gameplay. Gamers not only have the struggle of finding their own adaptive devices, but also of setting them up. Gamers also have to test any homemade adaptive devices with their console. However, Microsoft recently unveiled the new Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC), a device that has changed accessible gaming. More importantly, it has brought gaming accessibility to a whole new level.
Beach Accessories for People with Disabilities
Now that summer is in full swing, many Ontarians are taking to the beach. However, accessibility barriers might be keeping people with impairments away from the beach. AODA has brought about some improvements to accessibility at Ontario beaches as new and renovated beaches have to meet certain criteria. However, the changes are not yet widespread enough for all people to enjoy time at the beach. Hence the need for beach accessories for people with disabilities.