C. Clifford Lax

The complainant, who is visually impaired, brought a human rights complaint against the Toronto Transit Commission for failing to announce all surface transit stops.

Following an interim decision finding the TTC in breach of the Human Rights Code, the Tribunal issued final remedies.

The Tribunal ordered the TTC to implement automated stop announcements with a 98% reliability rate, conduct extensive training for staff and management, hold annual public forums on accessibility, and pay $35,000 in damages to the complainant.

The complainant, who is blind, alleged that the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) discriminated against him and other visually impaired persons by failing to consistently announce all streetcar and bus stops.

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario found that the failure to announce all stops constituted a prima facie breach of the Human Rights Code.

The TTC argued that requiring drivers to announce all stops would cause undue hardship due to safety concerns, but the Tribunal rejected this defence, noting the lack of expert evidence and the fact that drivers already announce stops in inclement weather.

The Tribunal issued an interim order requiring the TTC to implement a program to clearly and consistently announce all surface stops within 30 days.