The accessibility portfolio includes collaboration with Plant Services, Student Services and Human Resource Services, among other Board departments to identify and support the needs of students, staff and the community through various accessibility projects.
All Access Washrooms
All Access washrooms are available for use by students or staff with disability-related needs ("barrier-free"), who self-identify as gender diverse ("All Gender"), or feel the need for privacy due to religious or other personal reasons.
Designated washrooms that are not barrier-free are identified as “All Gender” washrooms instead of “All Access” for consistency.
Plant and Planning Services continues to progress with the full-scale implementation plan of the Board's All Access Washrooms project. At this point, approximately 500 school washrooms have been transitioned to an All Access or All Gender washroom. The way in which All Access washrooms are accessed (unlocked or by card reader) are at the discretion of each school administrator and how they identify issues or needs specific to their school community.
Plant Services began installing All Access washrooms at schools that were identified as requiring significant renovations and costs in order create an All Access washroom.
Braille and High Contrast Signage
All YRDSB schools constructed after 2005 have Braille included as part of all school signage. However, signage colours were typically chosen to match school colours, which are not always accessible contrast ratios.
Blind/Low Vision (BLV) Services worked in collaboration with Plant Services to establish a standardized high contrast style and format for all new Board signage (i.e., white lettering on a black background).
Blind / Low Vision (BLV) Services continues to identify and update a priority list of YRDSB schools with students who require Braille signage to access their school environment in a meaningful way. The priority schools requiring and installed with Braille signage are listed below.
Priority schools
The following schools have been identified for installation of Braille signage in the coming years:
- Beckett Farms Public School
- Doncrest Public School
- Hodan Nalayeh Secondary School
- Newmarket High School
Completed schools
Installation of Braille and high contrast signage has been completed throughout the following YRDSB schools:
- H.G. Bernard Public School
- Maple High School
- Wilshire Public School
- Keswick High School
- Michael Cranny Public School
- Stonehaven Public School