This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order
presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution
to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about
permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com
GTA
City asked to exempt costs of accommodating workers with disabilities from budget belt-tightening
By Laurie MonsebraatenSocial Justice Reporter
Mon., Sept. 30, 2019timer5 min. read
Louis Manno worked in the city’s old “Access Toronto” call centre for a dozen years until the current 311 information service was introduced in 2009 and forced him into early retirement.
Manno is blind, and the 311 technology was not compatible with his computer screen reader that transcribed web pages into braille or speech so he could respond to callers’ queries.
“City staff knew I needed this technology to continue working there and they said they were building a new system from the ground-up to accommodate me,” Manno said in an interview. “But at the end of the day, it didn’t work.”
To his knowledge, he is the last blind person to work for the service. The city refused to say if 311 currently employs any blind staff “due to privacy” concerns.
Manno isn’t sure what happened, [...]