Arbor Room

12 Hart House Cir, Toronto Ontario M5S 3J9

AccessTO was recently invited to visit the Arbor Room within Hart House at the University of Toronto. I’m very glad they did because this space is incredible and easily missed if you’re not a student. The Arbor Room is open to students, staff, faculty and community members. It’s the community members part that they, and we want you all to know about the most.

Located on the lower level of Hart House on the grounds of the University of Toronto, I entered via their accessible entrance at 18 Queen’s Park Crescent W. Here you will find two metal ramps leading you up to the main entrance. The first of the two ramps is the narrower of the two but still 37 inches wide. From there you travel down the hall to an elevator that will take you to the lower level. The main doors into the space are across from the elevator.

The space within the Arbor room is quite generous. For example, the door into the space is 40 inches wide and that is one of the smallest ones in the space. Inside there is a selection of different tables heights so I’m confident you’ll be able to find one that works for your needs. For me I picked one of the lower tables which was 29 inches tall. There are spaces with bar seating, bench seating or large padded chair options. I love a space that gives a variety of options so you can pick what works best for you.

Between the rows of tables and the counter where you place your order and pick up your food is 54 inches wide. The ordering counter has two heights, the lower of which is 34 inches and has an undercut so you can pull right up if you’re a wheelchair user like me. This is the same for the counter that holds milk and sugar if you’re preparing a coffee or tea.

At the ordering counter they have also installed a 1-to-1 hearing loop device. This setup works by providing a microphone on the side where a staff member is located which is connect to a hearing loop device. Sound captured by the microphone is transmitted to the patron’s side of the counter, where hearing aid wearers can switch their hearing aids to the T position to pick up the sound transmitted. When I visited the space early in the day there was music playing quietly but I expect it might get loud around lunch time.

There is a patio off the main space which is really lovely on a nice day like when I visited. There is a long ramp up that is more than 60 inches wide and a responsible grade. I’m told the ramp has heating in the concert which will keep it clear of snow in the winter as well. Both doors to reach the outside have power assist and are over 37 inches wide.

There is a universal washroom located across the hall from the main space. It is one of the largest washrooms I’ve encountered to date. The door to enter the washroom has power assist and is 37 inches wide. Inside you’ll find a few grab bars around the toilet, the lowest of which is 29 inches from the ground. There is a grab bar behind the toilet and one that flips up to the right of it. The sink, soap dispenser, air dryer and paper towel dispenser all have automatic features. There are free menstrual products available to anyone needing them. Again, going one step further than almost anyone else there is a full adult size changing table and lift available to use.

Overall, I am incredibly impressed with the space and the care the designers have taken to try and make it as accessible and accepting to everyone as they could. When speaking with the staff you can tell they too are proud of the space. Heart house is itself a beautiful building and it’s so cool that this modern space is housed within it. Knowing that the Arbor Room is available to the community now I will be visiting a lot more. The Arbor Room currently provides food service Monday to Friday from 8 am - 8pm, with bar service beginning at 11 am. The Arbor room reopens for the 2023 season August 28th 2023.

 

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