The YMCA of Greater Toronto is committed to achieving the goals of this focus area and fulfilling its obligations under Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), by providing accessible environments that respect the rights of every individual.

Our Goals:

• To make efforts to dismantle ableism through our programs, practices, and education.
• To ensure the Y is accessible to disabled communities by adopting and promoting universal design principles.
• To advocate for sustainable, equitable inclusion and resourcing of disabled individuals and their support systems.
• To advance a strength-based and intersectional approach to disability.

The YMCA has a strength-based understanding of disability that recognizes the value of disabled people. We go against ableist norms that discriminate, ignore, or create shame and stigma related to differences in ability. We apply universal design principles to program development, service delivery, and indoor and outdoor spaces. We will also dismantle existing systems that reinforce barriers to accessibility. 

We endeavor to remove all barriers at the Y so that people with disabilities can participate fully and rely less on seeking accommodations. We also aim to increase access and inclusion through targeted programs for people with disabilities across our service areas. An example of the Y's equity programming under this focus area is the YMCA Academy, a school designed specifically for children and youth with learning disabilities.

The term disability includes all types of disability — physical, sensory, and learning disabilities as well as mental illness, neurodivergence, brain injuries, and medical conditions, to name a few. Although we may not have the capacity to develop highly targeted programs or interventions for every situation, we’re committed to considering the diverse experiences of people with visible and invisible disabilities across the disability spectrum.