Helped Toronto Hydro improve communication in accommodation requests

What happened

Adya disagreed with the proposed placement of Toronto Hydro equipment near her home, citing a medical condition that makes her extremely sensitive to noise. Adya submitted a medical accommodation request to Toronto Hydro, but after several months without a response, she became concerned. Adya frequently observed Toronto Hydro contractors working near her home and worried her accommodation request was
being ignored.

What we did

We confirmed with Toronto Hydro that they were still considering her accommodation request. We requested that they contact Adya directly to confirm to her that they were continuing to review her request and would contact her again when they made a final decision. We followed up with Toronto Hydro about the results of their review. We also advised Adya to discuss potential next steps with her lawyer, considering her complaint involved a request for accommodation under the Human Rights Code. Adya indicated she would follow up with her lawyer and she was encouraged to contact our office again if she experienced further delays.

The result

After our prompting, Toronto Hydro communicated to Adya that they decided to move the location of the equipment further away from her home. Adya expressed gratitude for our intervention.

Why this matters

Fair treatment requires that the City consider peoples’ individual needs and circumstances and explore all possible solutions to an issue. We worked with Toronto Hydro to ensure it did just that for Adya.