Accommodation
What is “accommodation”?
Accommodation is a series of steps taken to ensure that individuals, regardless of physical or mental ability, race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, family or marital status, pregnancy, ancestry, place of origin, and citizenship have equal access and opportunity to participate fully in events, services, and employment. Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, everyone has the right to request accommodation if they are being denied access to services, housing or employment on any protected grounds listed in the Code.
What is the “duty to accommodate”?
The right to be accommodated, and the corresponding duty of the College to respond quickly and appropriately to requests for accommodation, are now well established in statute and case law. The Ontario Human Rights Code requires an effort to the point of undue hardship to accommodate the needs of persons who are protected by the Code.
What is “undue hardship”?
Accommodation can only be denied if the College or any of its supervisors can provide quantifiable evidence that the required accommodation would pose significant and irreparable harm to the operation of the College. Some considerations in determining undue hardship include: cost, outside sources of funding, if any, and health and safety.