Beginning Tuesday, February 16, 10 of the City’s recreation facilities will open to allow individuals with disabilities to access physical therapy while Toronto remains in lockdown. Under provincial regulations, participants will be required to provide a medical certificate issued by a regulated medical practitioner attesting to a disability as defined by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
The Provincial Government recently filed a revision to Regulation 82/20 which provides an exemption for a person with a disability to access recreation, sports and fitness facilities during the lockdown. Weight rooms, studios, stretch areas and indoor walking tracks will be made available to residents who meet the provincial criteria to use fitness centres. It is important to note that these amenities will not be available to people who do not meet the criteria outlined in the revised regulation.
The City’s community centre locations that will open to individuals with disabilities include:
Participants will need to make an appointment in advance and present their medical certificate each time they attend. Visits will be limited to 90 minutes. Appointments can be made by calling the recreation centre directly, beginning Tuesday, February 16. People using the facility under the provisions of the revised regulations will also be subject to membership and/or pay-as-you-go fees for services.
More information about registration.
These 10 community centre locations were selected because they are accessible facilities, easily reached by public transit, feature accessible exercise equipment and other features and are reasonably distributed across Toronto. Each facility is already staffed and available to the broader public for washroom/shower use and undergo enhanced facility cleaning. Their current hours of operation remain unchanged.
Toronto Public Health was consulted and provided guidance on the limited operation of these recreation facilities. Each facility will continue current contract tracing and enhanced cleaning procedures to ensure the safety of staff and the public therefore, participants will be required to sign in, provide contact information and complete a health screening prior to entering the facility. Masks remain mandatory while in all common areas of the facility, including changerooms and washrooms, and should be worn as much as possible during exercise.
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