January 20, 2026 at North York Civic Centre
Good morning Members of Council, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Keya Osborne, and I am here representing the vision loss community and the GTA Disability Coalition.
I am here to urge Council to invest meaningfully in accessible health care for Torontonians living with sight loss, especially those facing compounded barriers related to disability, race, income, age, or language.
Across Canada, an estimated 7.4 % of people aged 15 and over have a sight disability. That’s nearly 2.2 million Canadians who are blind, partially sighted, or Deafblind. Many require specialized care and supports to participate fully and safely in everyday life. Locally, more than 570,000 Toronto residents live with a disability, and this number continues to grow as our population ages.
For these residents, accessing health care is not seamless. Barriers include:
- Inaccessible appointment booking systems and health information
- Clinics and hospitals difficult to navigate independently
- Medical forms, results, and consent materials that are not accessible
- Frontline staff with limited disability and sight-loss awareness
These barriers are not minor. They contribute to delayed diagnoses, poorer health outcomes, emergency room use, and avoidable health inequities. Accessible health care is about equity, dignity, and the basic right to receive care safely and independently.
The City of Toronto’s 2026 Budget sets a tax-supported budget of nearly 18.9 billion and a 63.1 billion capital plan over 10 years focused on affordability, mobility, and services that residents rely on. This is a powerful opportunity to embed accessibility into core services and infrastructure.
Why municipal investment matters
Even though health care delivery is a provincial responsibility, the City shapes whether people can access care through:
- Transportation services like Wheel-Trans, with 4.4 million projected rides in 2026 demonstrating the demand and reliance on accessible transit for health appointments.
- Public health programming within the City’s budget that touches preventative care and community supports.
Municipal leadership can make the difference between preventative care and crisis care. Accessible systems reduce emergency costs, strengthen independence, and reduce health inequities. Investments here are both a human rights imperative under the AODA and the Ontario Human Rights Code and a cost effective public policy choice.
Some Key recommendations for this budget cycle
- Invest in Accessible Health Infrastructure
Fund Disability and Sight-Loss Training - Expand Accessible Health Information and Communication
Ensure appointment reminders, results, consent forms, and health education materials are provided in all accessible formats. - Fund Community Led, Disability Informed Health Programs
A dedicated funding stream for disability led organizations will support preventative health education, mental health, and system navigation programs especially for racialized, Indigenous, and low income communities that face compounded barriers.
Closing
Accessible and equitable health care is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
When Torontonians with sight loss cannot access care, the costs ripple across the health system and our communities.
With the 2026 Budget process underway, this Council can show leadership by ensuring that accessibility, dignity, and independence are prioritized in investments.
I urge you to embed these recommendations into the municipal budget, public health strategies, and accessibility plans.
Thank you for your time and commitment to building a city where everyone, regardless of ability, can access health care with dignity and respect.