Ontario Government honours the ROM for its dedication to accessibility
The Ministry of Community and Social Services has honoured the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in a new video for its leading implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians Disability Act. The video follows Minister Madeleine Meilleur’s visit to the ROM during National Access Awareness Week as she witnesses firsthand the steps the ROM has taken to ensure its accessibility to all visitors and employees.
The honour bestowed upon the ROM by the Ministry of Community and Social Services is a positive recognition of the Museum’s dedication to accessibility. The ROM is committed to making the Museum accessible for all visitors and has developed a comprehensive accessibility policy. To ensure that all visitors can experience its history and treasures, the ROM has developed audio guides, tactile displays, and digital access to collections. The main entrance of the Museum is stair-free, while the main foyer has a two percent slope allowing visitors to access the area smoothly from the street. All floors are accessible by elevator or platform lift and the Museum’s wayfinding system includes Braille and tactile elements. The ROM offers visitors complimentary wheelchairs, large-format floor plans, captioning of the digital donor wall, sign language podcasts, descriptive audio guides, tactile elements in the galleries, and increased seating throughout the Museum. The implementation of these services has allowed the ROM to effectively reduce barriers, making the Museum more accessible to people with disabilities.
Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur identified the ROM as being on par with the Ministry’s aspirations for a barrier-free Ontario. “We envision an Ontario where people of all abilities have equal opportunities,” said Minister Meilleur. “I know that, by continuing to work together to break down barriers, we can make this vision a reality.”
The ROM has tailored its exhibits and galleries to meet the individual needs of visitors with disabilities. Presently, 1.85 million Ontarians have a disability, and the ROM has always strived to make Ontario’s largest museum accessible to all members of society.
“The ROM is extremely honoured to have been selected by the Ministry of Community and Social Services as its featured Toronto attraction for National Awareness Week,” said William Thorsell, ROM Director and CEO. “We consider accessibility a top mandate and will continue striving to ensure the Museum and its collections can be fully enjoyed by every visitor and employee.”
The video can be viewed at
http://www.accesson.ca.
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The ROM looks forward to the years ahead, as the Museum will strive to exceed the current standards of the Accessibility for Ontarians Disability Act.