The Company is committed to providing a barrier-free environment for all stakeholders, including our patrons, employees, job applicants, artists, suppliers, volunteers, and any visitors who may enter our premises, access our information, or use our services. We respect and uphold the requirements set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and its associated regulations.
We are committed to providing excellent customer service and a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment to all individuals who use our goods and services. We strive to meet the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and to do so by: a) preventing and removing barriers to accessibility, and b) meeting accessibility requirements set out in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “Act”) and Ontario Regulation 429/07 (the “Customer Service Standard”). To assist us in adhering to our commitment, the Company has developed and set out below our policies, practices and procedures for the provision of goods or services to people with disabilities (the “Policy”). The Policy is guided by the following principles prescribed by the Customer Service Standard:
The Company will communicate and provide goods and services in a manner that takes into account a person’s disabilities and needs, and respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities;
The Company will provide integrated services to people with disabilities wherever possible and we will provide alternative measures to provide goods and services to people with disabilities where integration is not possible; and
The Company will provide equal opportunity to people with disabilities to obtain, use, and/or benefit from our goods or services.
This Policy applies to our employees and to any third parties providing goods and services on behalf of the Company and who may interact with the public or third parties. Any policy of the Centre that does not respect or promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed.
Audio Description
The Young Centre is working with Soulpepper Theatre Company to make Audio Described performances available to blind and partially sighted patrons on a more regular basis.
ASL Performances
Whenever Soulpepper or a guest company presents an ASL performance, the Young Centre endeavors to have people trained in ASL to assist deaf or hard of hearing patrons with directions and information.
Relaxed Performances
As the theatre community looks towards greater inclusivity, we work to offer a relaxed performance during the run of every show, when possible. Our Garland Cabaret space acts as a Quiet Room with live feed from any theatre venue, so patrons do not miss a minute of the performance. In our effort to make the space safe, we include floor mats, low tables, and ample seating. Our staff are also at the ready to tend to the needs of our patrons and offer assistance. When purchasing tickets online, the date of relaxed performances is indicated.
Please CLICK HERE to view our Visual Guide.
For more information on any of the above, please contact the Young Centre Box Office.
Accessible Seating
The Young Centre offers wheelchair accessible seating in every one of our venues. If you are interested in purchasing an accessible seat please contact Box Office at 416-866-8666 and have the date and time of the interested show at the ready. Our team meets before every performance to ensure we are properly prepared to seat every patron.
Please note: these seats can only be purchased by contacting the Box Office.
Hearing Assist Devices
Our theatres are equipped with audio systems compatible with our in-house FM hearing assist stetho devices. Currently, we are working on finessing the devices to connect seamlessly to Bluetooth hearing aids.
Storage of Mobility Devices
If a mobility device needs to be stored during a performance, we have reserved locations at the ready. Our staff are always attentive should a patron need immediate access to their mobility device. For the safety of all patrons, we do ask for patience in exiting the theatre during intermission and at the end of the show.
Support Persons
A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person may require that person to accompany them on our premises to assist them with communication, mobility, personal care or any other medical need. A support person will be permitted to accompany a person with a disability into any areas of our facility open to our customers. A person with a disability will not be prevented from access to their support person at any time while attending our facility.
Please note: every person entering the facility for a ticketed public performance or event is required to present a purchased admission ticket. As a rental facility and hosting establishment, we encourage all performances and productions to offer accessible prices at all seating locations throughout our facility.
Service Animals
We welcome people with disabilities who require the use of service animals. We encourage customers to notify the box office in advance if a service animal will accompany them, so that we are best able to accommodate. Service animals are allowed to accompany persons with disabilities into any areas of our facility open to our customers. Our staff have been trained on how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.
Other Assisted Devices
Booster seats and a wheelchair are also available at the Young Centre for patron use, in limited supply.
Wheel-Trans Pick-Up/Drop-Off Locations
To view the pick-up and drop-off locations for Wheel-Trans, please visit the Young Centre's Getting Here page.
In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services, equipment and/or assistive devices for customers with disabilities, the Centre will post a notice: a) at our facility, both at the customer entrance and at our box office and, b) where possible, on our web site.
- The notice will identify: The specific services impacted
- The reason for the disruption
- The period of time the services will be affected
- How we will accommodate customers with disabilities during the disruption
- Alternate services available for customers with disabilities and support persons
The Company has provided customer service training to ALL existing employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public or third parties on their behalf. All new employees and volunteers will be required to receive similar training.
Our Company training program is delivered through workshops and/or online training. The training covers, but is not limited to, the following:
- An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the Customer Service Standard and the Information and Communications Standard
- An overview of the Ontario Human Rights Code with a special focus on providing equal treatment that is ethical and fair, and in compliance with all applicable employment, and human rights legislation
- This Policy
- How to use FM hearing assist devices, wheelchairs, booster seats, elevators, automatic doors, on-site or otherwise, and any other equipment or devices available at the facility to assist with providing goods or services to people with disabilities
- How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities, including those with assistive devices, service animals and/or support persons
- What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing the Centre’s goods and services
The Company is committed to customer service and to providing the best possible experience for our patrons. Patrons are encouraged to provide us with feedback, both positive and negative, in regard to the delivery of our services to persons with disabilities. We welcome your feedback so that we can continually enhance our capabilities and support.
Patrons may provide their feed back to the Company either verbally to any staff member, by emailing us at accessibility@soulpepper.ca, calling 416-866-8666 ext 402, or by mailing a letter to the attendion of “Accessibility at SP/YC, Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4.
Information gathered through these channels will be read and reviewed by an appropriate representative at the Company. We will investigate and assess the feedback for appropriate action. A response, if required, will be made in a timely manner. In these situations, customers can expect to hear back from us within three business days.
To ensure that our feedback process is accessible to patrons with disabilities, we will provide or arrange for accessible formats and communication support, upon request.
Appendix A - AODA – Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) Policy
The following policy was developed by Soulpepper Theatre Company (“Soulpepper” and the GBSP Centre Corp (operating as the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, “Young Centre”), hereinafter referred to as “the company” or “we”, to govern the provision of services with respect to the “Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation” (“Regulation”) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.
These standards are intended to break down barriers and increase accessibility and participation for persons with disabilities in the areas of information and communications, and employment.
We will develop, implement and maintain these policies in order to achieve accessibility through meeting our requirements as outlined in this policy, our Accessible Customer Service Policy and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act, 2005
STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT
The Company is committed to providing a barrier-free environment for all stakeholders, including our patrons, employees, job applicants, artists, suppliers, volunteers, and any visitors who may enter our premises, access our information, or use our services. We respect and uphold the requirements set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and its associated regulations.
We understand that we have a responsibility for ensuring a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment for everyone. We are committed to ensuring our compliance by incorporating accessibility legislation into our policies, procedures, equipment requirements, training, and best practices. We will review these policies and practices annually, as organizational changes occur, or in anticipation of compliance deadlines. In addition, we will strive to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in a timely and effective manner.
Providing an accessible and barrier-free environment is a shared effort, and we are committed as to working with the necessary parties to make accessibility for all a reality. For more detailed information on our accessibility policies, plans, and training programs, please contact the Director of Finance and HR.
TRAINING
We are committed to training staff and volunteers on Ontario’s accessibility standards and on the accessibility aspects of the Ontario Human Rights Code that apply to persons with disabilities. Training will be provided to:
- All employees and volunteers;
- All persons who participate in developing the organization’s policies; and
- All other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of the organization
Training will be provided in a way that relates to the specific roles and best suits the duties of the employees, volunteers and other persons and will complement our existing Accessible Customer Service training.
All persons requiring training shall be trained as soon as practicable. In addition, training will be provided on an ongoing basis whenever changes are made to the accessibility policy.
We will also maintain a record of the training we provide.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
We are committed to meeting the information and communication needs of persons with disabilities in a way that takes into account their disabilities. We encourage patrons, staff and volunteers to provide us with feedback, both positive and negative, in regard to our performances, procedures and policies. We will continue to ensure that our feedback processes are accessible to persons with disabilities. When asked, we will provide information and communication materials in accessible formats or with communication supports. This includes publicly available information about our goods, services and facilities.
Unless deemed unconvertible, we will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities upon request. Accessible formats and communication supports will be provided in a timely manner and at no additional cost to the individual.
The Company will account for the person’s accessibility needs when customizing individual requests and will consult with the individual making the request to ensure suitability.
The Company will consult with persons with disabilities to determine their information and communication needs.
We will also notify the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports.
The Company will ensure that the website and content conform to the World Wide Web Consortium Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA in accordance with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the Regulation.
EMPLOYMENT
The company is committed to fair and accessible employment practices.
We will notify the public, staff and potential hires that, when requested, we will accommodate disabilities during the recruitment, assessment, selection and hiring process. This will include consulting with the selected applicants or employees on the suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the accessibility needs.
We will notify staff that supports are available for those with disabilities. As soon as practicable, we will inform our new hires of our policies used to support employees with disabilities.
The company will put in place a process to develop individual accommodation plans for employees. The company will also consult with the employees with respect to arrangements for accessible formats and communication supports.
If needed, we will provide customized workplace emergency response information to help employees who have a disability, if the disability is such that the individualized information is necessary and if the company is aware of the need for accommodation.
Any performance management, career development, redeployment and return-to-work processes, currently in place or implemented in the future, will take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities.
Staff, artists and volunteers may provide feedback to their immediate supervisor, any member of Senior Management, or the Chair of the Board. Union members may also provide feedback to their Union representative.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information on this policy, please contact us at accessibility@soulpepper.ca, calling 416-866-8666 ext 402 or by posting a letter to the attention of “Accessibility at Soulpepper/Young Centre,” Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4.