Toronto accessibility advocate gives the city a 6/10 — here's why

Toronto's accessibility for people navigating the city in a wheelchair rates at about a 6 out of 10 — a passing mark, but hardly a glowing one — according to Toronto content creator and accessibility advocate Taylor Lindsay Noel, known online as Access by Tay.

Noel has spent years reviewing accessibility at restaurants, entertainment venues and public spaces through her platform, documenting wheelchair entrances, ramps, washrooms and seating arrangements. She's also identified a persistent problem: businesses describing themselves as accessible when the reality on arrival can be very different.

"I think the stereotype that we have is that we don't go out and don't care to go out, so it's kind of an afterthought in their mind," Noel said. "These considerations are seen throughout the entire experience. Whether that be just allowing us to get in in the first place, or understanding that if we do provide constructive criticism for them to do better, that it's not something we're doing to be mean, but something to try to help their business be more inclusive."

When identifying Toronto's biggest barriers, Noel singled out King Street and Yorkville as particularly challenging for accessible restaurants. "It is such a shame because there are so many restaurants or even shops that I hear about that I would have loved to visit, but I won't have the opportunity to because they don't seem to want to change over there," she said.

The Yonge-Dundas area fares better, which Noel attributes partly to its volume of tourist traffic. Midtown has provided some of her better accessibility experiences, with several spots she enjoys visiting regularly.

Noel also rated the TTC at a 6 out of 10. Winter snow and inaccurate accessibility information — on websites, signage and apps — count among the biggest challenges she encounters while navigating the city.