What’s New: Accessible and Inclusive Restaurants Is a Win-Win

Over the years I have taken a real interest in the culinary arts. I have studied under some amazing chefs. I also grow my own herb garden. As a result of this culinary passion, dining out is a favourite past time of mine. I’m always looking for new and exciting restaurants.   

However, as a person with a physical disability who is also nonverbal the journey to finding out about the accessibility of a particular restaurant ahead of time can be frustrating. For example, a list of the top restaurants in Canada was recently  released. I reviewed the websites of the top ten restaurants on this list close to where I live.  None of them offered any information about their accessibility. Further research by one of my colleagues using the telephone – which, mind you, I cannot use personally because I am nonverbal – revealed that only three of these dining establishments were fully accessible. As good as the others sound, they are not going to get my business.

Canadians with disabilities now make-up 25% of the population. When you add their families, friends, and colleagues— this consumer group wields considerable spending power. When a restaurant is not accessible to and inclusive of people with a disability then everyone loses. There are a number of toolkits and guides to assist restaurants in the journey to be more accessible to and inclusive of people with disabilities including:

Restaurant Accessibility Checklist featured on the Touch Bistro website is a helpful resource. To view this checklist, click here.

Restaurant Canada in collaboration with Centennial College has developed the guide titled How to Create a Positive and Inclusive Workplace for Food Service Employers. To view this guide, click here.