Accessibility and Equity
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
Ontario Health atHome is committed to providing a respectful, accessible and inclusive environment for all patients, employees, partners and the public.
We strive to provide goods and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities and will use reasonable efforts to ensure our policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the requirements and standards in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (S’ouvre dans un nouvel onglet) .
Ontario Health atHome remains dedicated to incorporating the following four core principles of Ontario’s accessibility legislation into our policies, procedures, training and best practices: dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity.
To learn more about our accessibility standards and commitments, please visit our Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities page.
To access local accessibility plans and reports, please use the regional lookup tool.
Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism
In fall 2021, our Board of Directors approved an Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism commitment statement which has set a foundation to guide our work:
Ontario Health atHome is committed to a culture of equity, inclusion, diversity and anti-racism.
We will work collaboratively to eliminate systemic barriers to under-represented and racialized groups, and work towards a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve, with the goal of optimizing patient and family outcomes.
We will have an initial focus on the impacts of anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism.
French Language Services
Access to quality French language health services directly impacts the health of Francophones and their overall patient experience. As a Government of Ontario Crown agency, Ontario Health atHome is committed to ensuring high-quality home and community care for our Francophone population and works to fulfill its responsibilities under Ontario’s French Language Services Act, 1990 (S’ouvre dans un nouvel onglet) and in accordance with regulations under the Connecting Care Act, 2019 (S’ouvre dans un nouvel onglet) . We have a provincial French Language Services Committee, which drafted a new provincial policy to ensure our organization continues meeting the needs of our Francophone patients. We also work with many French Language Health Planning Entities across the province to ensure the French language perspective is embedded in our processes, structures and programs.
Respecting our responsibility to provide what is referred to as active offer – meaning our staff indicate that services are available in both English and French at the first point of contact and at every step along the patient journey. Once a patient, family or caregiver is identified by a member of our information and referral or intake staff as requesting services in French, that individual is assigned to a care coordinator who will provide communications and services in French. Alternate bilingual or Francophone staff may also be engaged to support the provision of care as needed. Patients, families and caregivers are also supported to share feedback, concerns and/or participate as a Francophone advisor with our organization.
Ontario Health atHome proactively provides public communications in both French and English, and responds to all French verbal conversations, emails, letters, voicemail messages, etc. in French. Similarly, Ontario Health atHome’s contracted service provider organizations are also responsible for providing active offer to patients and assigning French-speaking staff to provide care.
Indigenous Health Services
Ontario Health atHome is committed to working with Indigenous communities to ensure culturally safe and appropriate care for Indigenous people, and as part of this journey will address issues of equity, inclusion, diversity and racism.
To recognize the importance of Truth and Reconciliation, Ontario Health atHome has provided staff across the province with opportunities to register for Indigenous cultural safety training programs, resulting in team members and leaders learning more about anti-Indigenous racism and how to promote cultural safety for Indigenous people in Canada. These types of courses help our staff increase their knowledge, self-awareness and skills so that they work more safely and effectively with Indigenous patients, families and caregivers.
We have also established an internal Indigenous Working Group focused on providing ongoing awareness and learning opportunities for our staff across the province so that we continue to strengthen relationships with the Indigenous communities we serve.
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