Ontario Judicial Council

Accessibility and Accommodation Policy

The Council is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible environment in which all members of the public have equal access to its services and are treated with dignity and respect.

The Council is committed to providing accommodation for needs related to disability, unless to do so would cause undue hardship. Disability includes physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, mental health disabilities, and “invisible” disabilities such as learning disabilities or environmental sensitivities.

This policy sets out a process for persons to let the Council know about situations where accommodation is needed so that it can work with individuals to make its services accessible to them.


The following principles will guide the Council in making its processes accessible:

  • Services should be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of members of the public.
  • Services should be provided in a manner that fosters physical and functional access to the Council’s processes.
  • All persons should be given equal opportunity to obtain, use and benefit from the Council’s services.
  • Where required, individualized accommodation will be provided, short of undue hardship.
  • The Council will be sensitive to the privacy concerns of those who seek accommodation.


The Council will promote equal access for all individuals including complainants, subjects of complaints, witnesses and representatives, to fully participate in its processes, short of undue hardship. This policy applies to hearing rooms used to conduct public hearings.

The Council recognizes that some individuals require the use of support services to assist with daily needs including communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs. The Council will work to accommodate such services but will not generally arrange for them.

The principles of accommodation do not mean that every request for accommodation made to the Council must be agreed to or provided by the Council. Accommodation means making sure that a person receives the full benefit of the Council’s services by providing the services in a way that ensures equal opportunity to access and benefit from the Council’s services, depending on that person’s disability-related needs.

In rare cases, the Council may not be able to provide the accommodation requested because it creates extreme financial costs or significant health and safety risks. This is known as “undue hardship” under the Ontario Human Rights Code.



Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In some cases, the Council may need to make inquiries as to the nature and extent of your disability-related restrictions in order to properly respond to a request. This may include a request for medical information to support your request for accommodation.

The Council may be contacted by mail, email, facsimile, telephone and TTY line. The phone line has a toll-free number. Bell Relay services may be requested.

The Ontario Judicial Council
1 Queen Street East, Box 65
Toronto, Ontario
M5C2W5
416-327-2339 (Fax)

In the greater Toronto area, please call (416) 327-5672.

If you are calling long distance, please dial the toll-free number: 1-800-806-5186.

TTY (teletypewriter) – Use Bell’s Relay Service: 1-800-855-0511.

Email: Council_information@ontario.ca