OVERVIEW

Toronto, located on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario, is the largest city in Canada and is the capital of the Ontario Province. Toronto is a large, modern, diverse city. There are many things to see and do for travelers with a mobility impairment, including museums, art demonstrations, shopping, fine dining, and a visit to the CN Tower, which is the tallest free-standing structure in the Americas.

LANGUAGE

The official languages of Canada are English and French.

CURRENCY

The official currency of Canada is the Canadian dollar. We were able to use US dollars on our visit without any issue.

QUICKLINKS

LOGISTICS: Air – Water – Ground
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels – Resorts
ENTERTAINMENT: Tours – Activities – Restaurants & Nightlife
EMERGENCY SERVICES: Hospitals – Medical Equipment
ABILITYTIPS: Precautions

TORONTO : Logistics

AIR TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORT

The Toronto Pearson International Airport offers convenient access to Toronto.

“Re: Airpost assistance…If you call Toronto International Airport in advance they will arrange to meet you at the curb or when you are de-planing. This is very helpful if you are travelling alone or need someone to push you while your companion carries the luggage.”  Lindylou, 6/24/11

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GROUND TRANSPORTATION

“Toronto has the most liberal (and abused) parking laws I’ve ever seen. When I was still driving I was extremely grateful. If you contact Service Ontario they can you to where you can obtain a copy of your parking with a permit rights.” Lindylou, 6/24/11

Dignity Transportation: Dignity serves the greater Toronto area. It offers both emergency and non-emergency transport, and has a variety of vehicles, from sedans to buses, to serve its clients.

TAXI

Several companies in Toronto offer wheelchair accessible transport.

Motion Taxi: This company serves the greater Toronto area, and even has online booking. Motion Taxi currently has 28 accessible cabs in their fleet.

City Taxi: City Taxi offers a “range” of wheelchair accessible vehicles. To book, call their dispatchers at the phone number listed on the link.

Scarborough City Cab: This company is “dedicated to meeting the unique transportation needs of seniors, persons with physical or mental disabilities and children with special needs by providing safe and reliable door-to-door, accessible transportation services within the Metropolitan Toronto Area.” You must call to book your trip and they do offer same day service.

“Almost all companies including Beck, Royal and Co-op can provide wheelchair accessible vans. It is best to give 24 hr. notice. Also, they all have a hefty minimum of $30-35.” Lindylou, 6/24/11

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SHUTTLE

Toronto Airport Express: “All Airport Express shuttles are accessible with lifts. These serve the downtown Toronto hotels.” Pam, 1/14/09

Wheelchair Accessible Transit: Wheelchair Accessible Transit has a variety of vehicles available to accommodate the physically challenged traveler, from mini vans to large shuttles, capable of accommodating up to six wheelchairs.

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RENTAL CAR (Wheelchair Van)

Lifestyle Accessible: Lifestyle Accessible Van Services Inc., provides wheelchair van rentals for people with disabilities.

Wheelchair Getaways: This company rents wheelchair accessible vans in Toronto. Their service features daily to weekly rentals, and features 24 hour emergency vehicle service. As we have always driven to Toronto, we have not used Wheelchair Getaways. If you have any experience with accessible rental vehicles in Toronto, please add your update at the end of this page and we will incorporate your comments here.

Wheelchair in Motion: Wheelchair In Motion specializes in short term rentals of accessible vehicles. They offer competitive rates as well as deliver and pick up service-free of charge to most locations in Southern Ontario.

Ontario, Canada is a travel destination of choice of many travelers. There are many attractions, events, festivals, and concerts to discover. Many of these venues are wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair In Motion enables you to visit all of these destinations in Ontario, in the comfort and freedom of your own accessible rental vehicle.

Wheelchair In Motion was created with John’s family members in mind, and for everyone else in our lives who have special transportation needs.

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LIGHT RAIL (SUBWAY)

“To make sure your subway stop is accessible go to the TTC website. You can also make sure the elevators are in operation. Power chairs beware…while the subway trains are accessible there is a small chance of causing squeeking as the entrance to the train is not smooth. New subway cars are slowing entering the system. These are supposed to solve the problem.”  Lindylou, 6/24/11

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TORONTO : Accommodations

HOTELS

Toronto is a large, modern city, and as such, has a variety of accessible hotels to choose from. On our visit, we stayed at an accessible hotel in the heart of the downtown area, and our room was very accessible.

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LUXURY RESORTS

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TORONTO : Entertainment

SIGHTSEEING TOURS

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ACTIVITIES

Toronto Botanical Garden: The Toronto Botanical Garden offers modified tours for individuals that can not ascend stairs. See the website for details and booking.

CN Tower: The CN Tower offers spectacular views of the Toronto skyline. It is the largest structure in the Americas, and is a very popular tourist attraction. The CN Tower is wheelchair accessible.

Toronto Harbourfront: A cultural center located on the Toronto harbor, the Harbourfront is in the heart of an exciting, artistic, diverse experience. The harbor area is a great place to spend an afternoon, particularly in the summer. It is very accessible to the physically challenged traveler. On our visit, we were able to park in a nearby garage (for a fee), and wandered throughout the harbor.

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RESTAURANTS/NIGHTLIFE

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TORONTO : Emergency Services

MEDICAL SERVICES/HOSPITAL

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MEDICAL EQUIPMENT RENTALS

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TORONTO : AbilityTips

PRECAUTIONS

If you are driving your own vehicle or a rental around Toronto, be very careful where you park. We found the parking signs on the streets to be a bit confusing, so opted to park in garages, which was much more costly.

OVERVIEW

Niagara on the Lake, a short drive north of Niagara Falls, is a must visit destination for wine enthusiasts visiting Niagara Falls or Toronto. The quaint city is home to world famous wineries such as Inniskillin, maker of delicious ice wine. Most if not all of the wineries are accessible to the physically challenged traveler.

LANGUAGE

The official languages of Canada are English and French.

CURRENCY

The official currency of Canada is the Canadian dollar. We were able to use US dollars on our visit without any issue.

QUICKLINKS

LOGISTICS: Air – Water – Ground
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels – Resorts
ENTERTAINMENT: Tours – Activities – Restaurants & Nightlife
EMERGENCY SERVICES: Hospitals – Medical Equipment
ABILITYTIPS: Precautions

NIAGARA ON THE LAKE : Logistics

AIR TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORT

Toronto Pearson Airport offers convenient access to Niagara on the Lake. We have always driven to Niagara on the Lake, so cannot comment on the accessibility of the airport.

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GROUND TRANSPORTATION

TAXI

Absolute Taxi: This company provides service to the greater Niagara area, and has a wheelchair accessible van available. We could not locate a website, but the phone number is: 905 735-8294. We have always driven to Niagara on the Lake, so cannot comment on the service of Absolute Taxi.

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SHUTTLE

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RENTAL CAR (Wheelchair Van)

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NIAGARA ON THE LAKE : Accommodations

HOTELS

Riverbend Inn and Vineyard: On our visit, we stopped at the Riverbend Inn and had dinner on its fabulous patio. The Inn is wheelchair accessible, but we did not stay the night.

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LUXURY RESORTS

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NIAGARA ON THE LAKE : Entertainment

SIGHTSEEING TOURS

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ACTIVITIES

Wineries: Niagara on the Lake is home to eighteen wineries. We visited one on our trip to Toronto, and we were very impressed with the experience. Inniskillin is our favorite ice wine, so we were excited to visit the winery. We were pleased to find that the grounds were wheelchair accessible, including the tasting room and shop. 

Haunted Hamilton’s Ghost Walks: This haunted historical walking tour of Niagara on the Lake is wheelchair accessible “with assistance.”

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RESTAURANTS/NIGHTLIFE

Riverbend Inn and Vineyard: As we stated above, we ate at the Riverbend Inn on our visit and it was totally accessible. Niagara on the Lake is a beautiful, older town, and as such, many of the restaurants and nightclubs may not be accessible.

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NIAGARA ON THE LAKE : Emergency Services

MEDICAL SERVICES/HOSPITAL

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MEDICAL EQUIPMENT RENTALS

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NIAGARA ON THE LAKE : AbilityTips

PRECAUTIONS

Niagara on the Lake has been beautifully preserved, and as such, many of the buildings have steps. If you are unable to ascend steps, check ahead with the establishment you want to visit to verify it has an accessible entrance.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Accessible Niagara: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, is widely known as the honeymoon capital of the world and it’s also a wonderful place for people with disabilities to honeymoon or just visit and enjoy. AccessibleNiagara.com, run by Linda Crabtree, a journalist who hasn’t walked in more than 20 years, lists many accessible attractions, hotels and lodgings, wineries, theatre, restaurants, gardens, shopping, festivals and so much more in 270 plus pages of detailed information and pictures. Everything on the site has been audited and Linda answers questions via e-mail anytime to help you personalize your trip and even make up an itinerary.

OVERVIEW

Niagara Falls, famous for its romantic falls and reputation as a destination for honeymooners, can be visited and viewed from two different perspectives – the US and Canadian sides. We visited the Canadian side, and found the falls were somewhat accessible to the physically challenged traveler.

LANGUAGE

The official languages of Canada are English and French.

CURRENCY

The official currency of Canada is the Canadian dollar. We were able to use US dollars on our visit without any issue.

QUICKLINKS

LOGISTICS: Air – Water – Ground
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels – Resorts
ENTERTAINMENT: Tours – Activities – Restaurants & Nightlife
EMERGENCY SERVICES: Hospitals – Medical Equipment
ABILITYTIPS: Precautions

NIAGARA FALLS : Logistics

AIR TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORT

The Niagara Falls International Airport offers convenient access to Niagara Falls. We have always driven to Niagara Falls, so cannot comment on the accessibility of the airport.

Add your accessible travel knowledge about airports for this destination.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION

TAXI

Absolute Taxi: This company provides service to both sides of the falls, and has a wheelchair accessible van available. We could not locate a website, but the phone number is: 905 735-8294. We have always driven to Niagara Falls, so cannot comment on the service of Absolute Taxi.

Add your accessible travel knowledge about taxi services for this destination.

SHUTTLE

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RENTAL CAR (Wheelchair Van)

 Boulevard Van City Mobility Solutions: For convenience, Boulevard Van City offers pick up and drop off of a wheelchair accessible rental for a fee.

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BUS

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NIAGARA FALLS : Accommodations

HOTELS

Best Western Fireside Hotel: On our visit to Niagara Falls, we stayed at the Best Western Fireside Hotel. Our room was accessible, and there was an elevator to our floor. Note that this hotel is located a bit too far from the falls for individuals with mobility limitations. We drove over to the falls and parked on our visit.

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LUXURY RESORTS

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NIAGARA FALLS : Entertainment

SIGHTSEEING TOURS

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ACTIVITIES

Horseshoe Falls: The Horseshoe Falls are an amazing site to see in person. The sheer volume of water passing over the falls is simply impressive. Obviously, the falls are free to observe and you can stay as long as you like. In the evening, the falls are illuminated by colored lights, adding a different dimension to the experience. On the Canadian side, the sidewalk along the falls is bordered by a waist-high stone fence that is capped with a railing. If you are unable to stand or elevate, you may have trouble viewing the falls from the railing. My electric chair elevates vertically, so I was able to elevate and see them pretty well.

Maid of the Mist: This boat tour will allow you to get personally kissed by the falls – literally! The tour motors up the Niagara River straight to the base of the Horseshoe Falls. According to the Maid of the Mist website, the tour is wheelchair accessible. Because I am in a motorized chair, I did not want to chance getting the electronics wet.

Journey Behind the Falls: This attraction allows you to go behind the falls and experience the thunderous roar of the falls up close. According to the website, this tour is wheelchair accessible, except for the lower level observation deck, which is reached by stairs.

White Water Walk: Located a few miles upstream of the falls, the White Water Walk is a boardwalk that runs along a section of intense whitewater rapids. According to the website, the majority of the boardwalk is wheelchair accessible. There are two small areas that have stairs that allow closer access, which are not wheelchair accessible.

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RESTAURANTS/NIGHTLIFE

Niagara Falls has many accessible restaurants and nightclubs. We ate at a place right across from the casino, and it had an elevator to the 2^nd floor, where there was outdoor seating on the rooftop deck. While the name escapes me at the moment, it was a stones throw from the IMAX Theater.

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NIAGARA FALLS : Emergency Services

MEDICAL SERVICES/HOSPITAL

Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center

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MEDICAL EQUIPMENT RENTALS

Health System Services

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NIAGARA FALLS : AbilityTips

PRECAUTIONS

Niagara Falls is a very accessible city, but there are some steep hills around town to watch out for. If you are in a chair or scooter, be sure to charge your batteries and check your brakes.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Accessible Niagara: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, is widely known as the honeymoon capital of the world and it’s also a wonderful place for people with disabilities to honeymoon or just visit and enjoy. AccessibleNiagara.com, run by Linda Crabtree, a journalist who hasn’t walked in more than 20 years, lists many accessible attractions, hotels and lodgings, wineries, theatre, restaurants, gardens, shopping, festivals and so much more in 270 plus pages of detailed information and pictures. Everything on the site has been audited and Linda answers questions via e-mail anytime to help you personalize your trip and even make up an itinerary.