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The following assistive devices are available at Baycrest:


Wheelchairs

  • Courtesy wheelchairs are located at all main entrances
  • Contact Security at ext. 2050 for assistance with wheelchairs

Assistive listening and communication devices

  • Contact the Audiology Department at ext. 2476 for assistance with these types of devices

Pocket Talker

Pocketalkers

The Pocketalker is an easy-to-use portable amplifier that can improve the ability of hard of hearing clients to communicate in difficult listening situations; for one-on-one conversations, listening in restaurants, in the car, and any place where background noise and distance from the speaker is a problem.

In addition, Baycrest ensures communication access through:

  • Amplifiers on all public telephones (pay phones, taxi phones and information phones)
  • TTY pay phone located outside the hospital cafeteria
  • Wellness Centre computers have amplifying headphones
  • Provision of sign language interpreters where necessary for effective communication in the delivery of medical care and service
  • All common area televisions are programmed with closed captioning as a standard option
  • For more information, see our policies:

Pocket Talker

Speech & language assistive devices

  • Contact the Speech-Language Pathology department at ext. 2925 for assistance with these types of devices
  • Devices can be high-tech or low-tech
  • Client information materials can be made available in “aphasia friendly” format (large font, pictures, etc.)
  • Communication boards


A communication board is an alternative and augmentative communication device that allows a person to point to letters, words, phrases or pictures when unable to express their thoughts and ideas through speech.


Voice amplifiers

A voice amplifier is a device that amplifies or makes louder the voice of an individual. It is used for people who are unable to sustain sufficient loudness in their voices for intelligible speech.


Other Devices

  • Elevators throughout Baycrest have been modified so one car in each bank stops on all floors automatically as a Sabbath feature. This feature is also programmed on one hospital elevator each day for Customers who experience difficulty operating elevators
  • Client lifts (both portable and ceiling mounted) in Client rooms and throughout Client care areas

Service Animals

  • Service animals are to be afforded access to all places the public is invited when accompanying their human partner
  • Service animals are allowed in areas of a food premises (ie. the hospital cafeteria and the W.A. Café) where food is served, sold or offered for sale, but are not permitted in areas where food is manufactured, processed or prepared
  • Service animals are not pets; they are working animals
  • Baycrest personnel:
    • are not to separate a customer from his or her service animal
    • are not to touch a service animal or the person it assists without permission
    • are not to feed a service animal as it may have specific dietary requirements or may become ill from unusual food or food at an unexpected time
    • are not to deliberately startle a service animal
    • are not to provide care for the service animal while performing their health related responsibilities, including feeding, toileting, exercising and interacting with the service animal
  • If any Baycrest personnel or customer sustains an injury from a service animal, a report must be made in the Safety Event Reporting System (SERS) which is accessible on the Baycrest intranet
  • Any bites from service animals are to be reported to Toronto Public Health.

Support Persons

  • A customer who is accompanied by a support person should not be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on Baycrest premises
  • If any fees are charged for a support person to accompany a Customer in a Baycrest program, Customers should be notified of this in advance by a posted notice