A disability-led coalition of orgs and groups advancing equity, rights and full inclusion for disabled and Deaf people in the GTA.
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ALT Calls to Candidates in Toronto’s 2026 City Election on Disability Poverty Reduction. What are the issues? It is well documented that disabled people face more extreme rates of poverty than non-disabled residents, and that this rate is higher among people who experience additional marginalization (e.g. disabled 2 Spirit youth). For many, this is related to social assistance rates that are far below the poverty line, and income supports from other layers of government that do not meet actual need and are difficult to qualify for (e.g. Canada Disability Benefit). Another contributing factor is the lack of accessible and equitable employment opportunities that provide a living wage.
ALT Calls to Candidates. As a candidate who is running for election in my ward: 1. What will you do to ensure that City Council increases disability-specific investments within Toronto’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), including accessibility and disability inclusion, transparent and publicly reported disability-inclusion budget lines, and measurable accessibility/disability-inclusion targets across PRS-related programs? 2. How will you support City Council in advocating for adequate income rates from provincial and federal disability income programs such as ODSP and the Canada Disability Benefit, so that disabled people can be lifted out of legislated poverty? 3. What are your plans to increase accessible employment and training opportunities for disabled residents within city government, including jobs that offer a living wage linked to Toronto’s cost of living?
ALT What can you do? There are different ways that you can take action to have your voice heard this election! 1. Learn more about the issues. Social Planning Toronto has a list of election resources including webinars and events. You can also check out the full City For All platform. 2. Find who to contact by finding your ward and the list of local candidates. 3. Reach out to your local candidates by phone, email or social media and share these calls to action (or come up with your own!) with them. 4. Make sure you are registered to vote. You can vote by mail-in ballot, in advanced polls or on election day. 5. Stay in touch with GTADC’s election work by signing up for our Call to Action News and check out our Election Resources page! Vote by Mail: By October 14. Advanced Polls: October 6-11. Election Day: October 26. Centre for Independent Living in Toronto. CILT.ca. GTA Disability Coalition. GTADC.ca.
ALT Calls to Candidates for Toronto’s 2026 City Election on Accessible and Affordable Housing What are the issues? It is well known that Toronto is in the midst of a housing crisis. This crisis disproportionately impacts disability communities as many live in deep poverty, and some require accessible housing. Accessibility is often left out of affordable housing conversations and has been absent from shelter planning discussions too. There is currently a critical lack of accessible units with waitlists that are extremely long, while many shelters remain inaccessible. The accessible housing gap is more extreme for Black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, and other marginalized disabled people who require housing that prioritizes their safety.
ALT Calls to Candidates As a candidate who is running for election in my ward: 1. What will you do to ensure that City Council acts on their commitments to increase accessible housing, develop an up-to-date inventory of accessible units, and restate its request to the province to improve income support programs so that disabled residents can meet their basic needs. 2. Will you commit to calling for the City’s capital shelter plan to prioritize construction of all new shelter sites with 100% universal design standards, given the profound accessibility gaps in city shelter sites? 3. Will you strongly support the renewal of the City’s Housing Rights Advocacy Committee in Toronto Council’s next term?
ALT What can you do? There are different ways that you can take action to have your voice heard this election! 1. Learn more about the issues. Social Planning Toronto has a list of election resources including webinars and events. You can also check out the full City For All platform. 2. Find who to contact by finding your ward and the list of local candidates. 3. Reach out to your local candidates by phone, email or social media and share these calls to action with them (or come up with your own!). 4. Make sure you are registered to vote. You can vote by mail-in ballot, in advanced polls or on election day. 5. Stay in touch with GTADC’s election work by signing up for our Call to Action News and check out our Election Resources page! Vote by Mail: By October 14. Advanced Polls: October 6-11. Election Day: October 26. Centre for Independent Living in Toronto. CILT.ca. GTA Disability Coalition. GTADC.ca.
ALT GTA Disability Coalition’s Calls to Candidates for Toronto’s 2026 City Election on Accessible and Affordable Transit. What are the issues? Many disabled people living in Toronto must rely on the TTC to get around the city, to access resources and community, or get to work. However, issues such as accessibility, affordability, and reliability make the system hard or unsafe to use. Changes to Wheel-Trans and Family of Services have forced many disabled people to use the conventional transit system, even when it may not be an accessible option for them. Some routes can be very unreliable, especially in the winter when there can be hour-long delays. Also, TTC’s subway system is still not fully accessible, even though the TTC’s deadline to meet its AODA obligations was 2025. As well, fares can be a barrier for some riders who regularly use public transit, especially those who are on social assistance.
ALT Calls to Candidates. As a candidate who is running for election in my ward: 1. What will you do to ensure that The City, TTC, and Metrolinx address ongoing accessibility failures such as Eglinton crosstown accessibility gaps, wayfinding issues and unreliable elevator service, so that people with a range of accessibility needs (e.g. mobility, visual and hearing) have the same access as non-disabled residents? 2. How will you ensure that TTC Wheel-Trans is protected and sustained so people are not forced onto the Family of Service system and the conventional TTC given its significant accessibility gaps? 3. Will you support continued fare capping, expand access, and push for no fare increases in the next budget cycle?
ALT What can you do? There are different ways that you can take action to have your voice heard this election! 1. Learn more about the issues. Social Planning Toronto has a list of election resources including webinars and events. You can also check out the full City For All platform. 2. Find who to contact by finding your ward and the list of local candidates. 3. Reach out to your local candidates by phone, email or social media and share these calls to action (or come up with your own!) with them. 4. Make sure you are registered to vote. You can vote by mail-in ballot, in advanced polls or on election day. 5. Stay in touch with GTADC’s election work by signing up for our Call to Action News and check out our Election Resources page! Vote by Mail: By October 14. Advanced Polls: October 6-11. Election Day: October 26. Centre for Independent Living in Toronto. CILT.ca. GTA Disability Coalition. GTADC.ca.
ALT GTA Disability Coalition’s Calls to Candidates for Toronto’s 2026 City Election on Accessible and Affordable Transit. What are the issues? Many disabled people living in Toronto must rely on the TTC to get around the city, to access resources and community, or get to work. However, issues such as accessibility, affordability, and reliability make the system hard or unsafe to use. Changes to Wheel-Trans and Family of Services have forced many disabled people to use the conventional transit system, even when it may not be an accessible option for them. Some routes can be very unreliable, especially in the winter when there can be hour-long delays. Also, TTC’s subway system is still not fully accessible, even though the TTC’s deadline to meet its AODA obligations was 2025. As well, fares can be a barrier for some riders who regularly use public transit, especially those who are on social assistance.
ALT Calls to Candidates. As a candidate who is running for election in my ward: 1. What will you do to ensure that The City, TTC, and Metrolinx address ongoing accessibility failures such as Eglinton crosstown accessibility gaps, wayfinding issues and unreliable elevator service, so that people with a range of accessibility needs (e.g. mobility, visual and hearing) have the same access as non-disabled residents? 2. How will you ensure that TTC Wheel-Trans is protected and sustained so people are not forced onto the Family of Service system and the conventional TTC given its significant accessibility gaps? 3. Will you support continued fare capping, expand access, and push for no fare increases in the next budget cycle?
ALT What can you do? There are different ways that you can take action to have your voice heard this election! 1. Learn more about the issues. Social Planning Toronto has a list of election resources including webinars and events. You can also check out the full City For All platform. 2. Find who to contact by finding your ward and the list of local candidates. 3. Reach out to your local candidates by phone, email or social media and share these calls to action (or come up with your own!) with them. 4. Make sure you are registered to vote. You can vote by mail-in ballot, in advanced polls or on election day. 5. Stay in touch with GTADC’s election work by signing up for our Call to Action News and check out our Election Resources page! Vote by Mail: By October 14. Advanced Polls: October 6-11. Election Day: October 26. Centre for Independent Living in Toronto. CILT.ca. GTA Disability Coalition. GTADC.ca.
ALT Calls to Candidates in Toronto’s 2026 City Election on Disability Poverty Reduction. What are the issues? It is well documented that disabled people face more extreme rates of poverty than non-disabled residents, and that this rate is higher among people who experience additional marginalization (e.g. disabled 2 Spirit youth). For many, this is related to social assistance rates that are far below the poverty line, and income supports from other layers of government that do not meet actual need and are difficult to qualify for (e.g. Canada Disability Benefit). Another contributing factor is the lack of accessible and equitable employment opportunities that provide a living wage.
ALT Calls to Candidates. As a candidate who is running for election in my ward: 1. What will you do to ensure that City Council increases disability-specific investments within Toronto’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), including accessibility and disability inclusion, transparent and publicly reported disability-inclusion budget lines, and measurable accessibility/disability-inclusion targets across PRS-related programs? 2. How will you support City Council in advocating for adequate income rates from provincial and federal disability income programs such as ODSP and the Canada Disability Benefit, so that disabled people can be lifted out of legislated poverty? 3. What are your plans to increase accessible employment and training opportunities for disabled residents within city government, including jobs that offer a living wage linked to Toronto’s cost of living?
ALT What can you do? There are different ways that you can take action to have your voice heard this election! 1. Learn more about the issues. Social Planning Toronto has a list of election resources including webinars and events. You can also check out the full City For All platform. 2. Find who to contact by finding your ward and the list of local candidates. 3. Reach out to your local candidates by phone, email or social media and share these calls to action (or come up with your own!) with them. 4. Make sure you are registered to vote. You can vote by mail-in ballot, in advanced polls or on election day. 5. Stay in touch with GTADC’s election work by signing up for our Call to Action News and check out our Election Resources page! Vote by Mail: By October 14. Advanced Polls: October 6-11. Election Day: October 26. Centre for Independent Living in Toronto. CILT.ca. GTA Disability Coalition. GTADC.ca.
ALT Calls to Candidates for Toronto’s 2026 City Election on Accessible and Affordable Housing What are the issues? It is well known that Toronto is in the midst of a housing crisis. This crisis disproportionately impacts disability communities as many live in deep poverty, and some require accessible housing. Accessibility is often left out of affordable housing conversations and has been absent from shelter planning discussions too. There is currently a critical lack of accessible units with waitlists that are extremely long, while many shelters remain inaccessible. The accessible housing gap is more extreme for Black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, and other marginalized disabled people who require housing that prioritizes their safety.
ALT Calls to Candidates As a candidate who is running for election in my ward: 1. What will you do to ensure that City Council acts on their commitments to increase accessible housing, develop an up-to-date inventory of accessible units, and restate its request to the province to improve income support programs so that disabled residents can meet their basic needs. 2. Will you commit to calling for the City’s capital shelter plan to prioritize construction of all new shelter sites with 100% universal design standards, given the profound accessibility gaps in city shelter sites? 3. Will you strongly support the renewal of the City’s Housing Rights Advocacy Committee in Toronto Council’s next term?
ALT What can you do? There are different ways that you can take action to have your voice heard this election! 1. Learn more about the issues. Social Planning Toronto has a list of election resources including webinars and events. You can also check out the full City For All platform. 2. Find who to contact by finding your ward and the list of local candidates. 3. Reach out to your local candidates by phone, email or social media and share these calls to action with them (or come up with your own!). 4. Make sure you are registered to vote. You can vote by mail-in ballot, in advanced polls or on election day. 5. Stay in touch with GTADC’s election work by signing up for our Call to Action News and check out our Election Resources page! Vote by Mail: By October 14. Advanced Polls: October 6-11. Election Day: October 26. Centre for Independent Living in Toronto. CILT.ca. GTA Disability Coalition. GTADC.ca.
ALT Check out GTADC's Factsheets for Toronto's 2026 City Election! www.GTADC.ca/City-of-Toronto-Election-2026
ALT A food bank table packed with an array of food. Partial bodies of volunteers are seen sorting through food items.
ALT Check out GTADC's Resources for Toronto's 2026 City Election! www.GTADC.ca/City-of-Toronto-Election-2026
ALT Alt: cartoon with images of debaters standing at podiums and debate audiences.
ALT Promotional graphic encouraging participation in Toronto’s 2026 election through mail-in voting. Black text on a light beige background reads: “Have Your Say in Toronto’s 2026 Election by Mail-in Voting! Mail-In Voting Registration begins September 1 and closes September 24.” Below the text is a simple illustration of a hand placing a yellow ballot into a ballot box. The GTA Disability Coalition logo appears in the bottom left corner and the CILT (Centre for Independent Living in Toronto) logo appears in the bottom right corner.
ALT Poster Title: Centre for Independent Living in Toronto and GTA Disability Coalition present: Have Your Say: Shape Disability Inclusion in City of Toronto’s 2026 Election Thursday August 20, 1:00pm -3:00pm Est, On zoom. Purple megaphone graphic show to right of date Bringing together partners engaged in Toronto’s 2026 election, our event provides a non-partisan platform for disability community members, allies and organizations to participate in Toronto 2026 election through an intersectional disability and accessibility lens. This is a registered event and spaces are limited. Please sign up using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../register/ao2xB-OhR725o7yKq_LMww Access: ASL & CART available. If you require assistance signing up, please contact Robin Simmons at [email protected] For more info about our work, please visit GTADC.ca and CILT.ca. GTADC & CILT Logo
ALT Jacques wearing a blue checkered collared shirt, thin black frame glasses and silver watch with the Founders' Award plaque resting in his lap.
ALT Poster Title: Centre for Independent Living in Toronto and GTA Disability Coalition present: Have Your Say: Shape Disability Inclusion in City of Toronto’s 2026 Election Thursday August 20, 1:00pm -3:00pm Est, On zoom. Purple megaphone graphic show to right of date Bringing together partners engaged in Toronto’s 2026 election, our event provides a non-partisan platform for disability community members, allies and organizations to participate in Toronto 2026 election through an intersectional disability and accessibility lens. This is a registered event and spaces are limited. Please sign up using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../register/ao2xB-OhR725o7yKq_LMww Access: ASL & CART available. If you require assistance signing up, please contact Robin Simmons at [email protected] For more info about our work, please visit GTADC.ca and CILT.ca. GTADC & CILT Logo