“A leader in advocating for tenants with physical disabilities and creating accessibility solutions that work.”
The Responsible Personal Accessibility in Toronto Housing (R-PATH) Committee is a tenant-led group established in May 2013, with the first meeting held on July 11, 2013. The committee’s goal is to improve quality of life for people with physical disabilities and to support Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation (TSHC) and Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) in being leaders in accessible housing.
The R-PATH Committee works with the TSHC leadership team and staff to identify and remove accessibility barriers. This helps improve the lives of tenants with physical disabilities by providing the lived experience expertise and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) compliance support.
All current members of R-PATH are tenants of TCHC. R-PATH is currently looking for tenants from TSHC to join the Committee. If you are interested, please see the application information at the bottom of this web page.
Current members of R-PATH
Cathy Birch
(Founder and Chairperson). Cathy is a tenant leader who has more than a decade of experience in TCHC’s Tenant Engagement Program and is a trainer for AODA on compliance. Cathy is the 2022 recipient of the David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility from the Province of Ontario.
Lene Andersen
Lene is an author of several books on arthritis and a photographer. She has over two (2) decades of experience in TCHC’s Tenant Engagement Program, has AODA training, and is a founding member of R-PATH.
Jane Donohue
Jane is a long-time tenant of TCHC and a founding member of R-PATH.
Joe Knapper
Joe has been a Tenant Representative in TCHC’s Tenant Engagement Program, has AODA training, and is a founding member of R-PATH.
Amanda Boudreau
Amanda has been a Tenant Representative in TCHC’s Tenant Engagement Program, is a long-time member of R-PATH, has AODA training, and is the current secretary of the Committee.
The Accessibility Program and Toronto Seniors Housing
Toronto Seniors Housing manages buildings owned by TCHC. TCHC continues to be responsible for all major repairs, renovations, and accessibility modifications.
Through advocacy and support from the R-PATH Committee, the Accessibility Program delivered by Toronto Community Housing staff continues to be available to all TSHC tenants. All Toronto Community Housing Corporation Accessibility Build Standards (TCHCABS) also apply to TSHC, so tenants still get the same accessibility quality that they were eligible for when the buildings and tenants were part of TCHC.
As a result of this relationship, in some materials you may notice TCHC references or logos instead of, or alongside of, TSHC. This also means that tenants may be connecting with both TSHC and TCHC staff on accessibility projects, such as unit modifications.
What does R-PATH do
R-PATH works with all TSHC departments and advocates for accessibility in many ways such as:
- Tenants: Connecting with and assisting tenants with accessibility needs in all communities of TSHC. R-PATH also provides staff and Tenant Volunteer training to meet AODA requirements and support accessible event planning.
- Communications: Working closely with the TSHC Communications Team to make sure alternative formats are available, such as large print or audio. They advise on website content and making sure all tenants can understand the materials and information. R-PATH also provides content for ongoing publications, such as the annual report, the tenant newsletter (Seniors Speak), and social media materials.
- Policy Reviews: Making sure accessibility and Human Rights barriers are removed in all TSHC policies and supports are built into these policies for people with disabilities.
- Programs and Partnerships: Working with TSHC on Agency Agreements to ensure tenant needs are being met, information from Agencies is accurate, complaint and appeal processes are in place, and helping TSHC to have the tools to evaluate quality of services being delivered to tenants. R-PATH provides information to tenants to ensure they know their rights pertaining to Agency services.
- Operations: Working with the regional staff to correct issues or remove barriers tenants bring to R-PATH that affect them specific to their building or unit.
- Budget: Providing Yearly Capital Budget recommendations to TCHC on common spaces, unit modifications, and demand projects in both TCHC and TSHC, and supporting those recommendations at the Board of Directors.
- Facilities Management: Working closely with TCHC Facilities Management on Accessibility Program budget requirements for both TSHC and TCHC based on project needs and unit modification capital needs. This includes going on site with staff to write project scopes for common spaces. R-PATH reviews design drawings, participates in community engagement, and monitors all common space projects. They also review unit modification drawings.
- Build Standards: Co-authoring Toronto Community Housing Corporation Accessibility Build Standards (TCHCABS), which is the current build standard for both TCHC and TSHC. Click here to visit TCHCABS.
- Development: TSHC relies on R-PATH’s works with TCHC Development to review drawings and finishes for new builds. R-PATH also works with TCHC Development to further increase the number of units built that are accessible for mobility devices.
- In the following video, members from R-PATH show what Accessibility Build Standards can look like in TSHC and TCHC spaces:
Accessibility Is for You
R-PATH has authored “Accessibility Is for You”, a booklet on the process involved in getting your unit modified. Get a copy of “Accessibility Is for You” from your Seniors Services Coordinator or you can print or read it below.
Accessibility Is for You: This guide will advise tenants about what they need to do so they can submit an accessibility modification request.
Accessibility Is for You Guide
Additional Languages
The welcome guide is available in the following languages. Please contact your Superintendent, Seniors Services Coordinator or the Tenant Support Centre to obtain the information in an alternate language or format.
Top seven questions about unit modifications
R-PATH provides community information sessions on how to get your unit modified. Through delivering these sessions, R-PATH identified the seven (7) most common questions asked. R-PATH collaborated with TCHC to develop an animated video answering those questions. You can watch the video here:
Meetings and Activities
- R-PATH meets monthly, except in August and December.
- R-PATH provides AODA legislated training required for Tenant Volunteers.
- R-PATH has participated at the People in Motion Show.
- R-PATH also works with the City of Toronto and Toronto Community Housing Corporation on accessibility needs.
Are you interested in joining R-PATH?
If you are interested in joining R-PATH and want to help us make positive changes, please see the application information (PDF) and email it to cbirch619@msn.com.
“R-PATH is about the fix. We don’t dwell on changing the past but we learn from it, then build on today and for the future. We are here to help people with disabilities have a voice and to ensure medical needs are met in housing. We bring our lived experience expertise as well as our training to help TSHC and TCHC make good and practical decisions to remove barriers. This results in people living at home longer with better functioning in day-to-day living, safer quality of life, and inclusive communities.”
Cathy Birch, R-PATH Founder and Chair