Legal Information

Overview

End The Wait Ontario (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website https://www.endthewaitontario.com (the “Site”). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our Site or interact with our services. Learn more about our mission to advocate for Ontario families.

We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable Ontario privacy laws.

Information We Collect

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• •Advocacy: To support our advocacy efforts and communicate with government officials on behalf of Ontario families
• •Communication: To respond to your inquiries and send updates you've requested
• •Story Sharing: To share parent stories (with explicit consent) to raise awareness
• •Site Improvement: To analyze usage patterns and improve our Site
• •Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights

How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• •With Your Consent: When you explicitly authorize us to share information (e.g., submitting a petition to government officials)
• •Government Officials: Petition signatures and constituent communications may be shared with relevant government officials as part of our advocacy
• •Service Providers: With trusted third parties who help us operate our Site (e.g., email services, analytics)
• •Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights

Cookie Policy

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our Site.

We never use cookies for commercial advertising or sell your data to third parties.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

• •Contact form submissions: 2 years
• •Petition signatures: Duration of advocacy campaign plus 2 years
• •Story submissions: Until you request removal, or 7 years if published
• •Analytics data: 26 months (Google Analytics retention)
• •We comply with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and obtain your consent before sending commercial electronic messages. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• •Consent records: 7 years (as required for legal compliance)

Your Rights

Under PIPEDA and applicable privacy laws, you have the right to:

• •Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• •Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
• •Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• •Withdrawal: Withdraw consent for communications at any time
• •Complaint: File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

To exercise these rights, contact us through our form

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• •HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• •Secure hosting with industry-standard protections
• •Access controls limiting who can view personal information
• •Regular security reviews and updates

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children's Privacy

Our Site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

For stories involving children, we require consent from a parent or legal guardian, and we encourage careful consideration of how much identifying information to include about minors.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Privacy Resources

For more information about your privacy rights in Canada:

• •Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
• •Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using the End The Wait Ontario website (https://www.endthewaitontario.com), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our website.

We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. Your continued use of the website after changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.

About End The Wait Ontario

End The Wait Ontario is a parent-led advocacy campaign focused on improving autism services in Ontario. We are:

• •Not affiliated with the Ontario government or any government ministry
• •Not affiliated with the Ontario Autism Coalition or Autism Ontario
• •Not endorsed by or affiliated with the World Health Organization
• •A volunteer-run, non-partisan advocacy group

References to these organizations on our website are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation.

Important Disclaimers

Acceptable Use

When using our website, you agree to:

• •Provide accurate information when submitting forms or content
• •Use the site only for lawful purposes
• •Respect the privacy of others
• •Not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the site
• •Not engage in any activity that could harm or disrupt the site

Prohibited Conduct

You may not use this website to:

• •Post defamatory, false, or misleading content
• •Harass, threaten, or harm any person or organization
• •Violate any person's privacy rights
• •Infringe any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights
• •Promote illegal activity
• •Submit spam or automated content
• •Impersonate any person or entity

We reserve the right to remove any content and block any user who violates these terms.

User-Submitted Content & Stories

When you submit content to our website (including stories, comments, or form submissions), you represent and warrant that:

• •The content is your own original work or you have permission to share it
• •The content is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge
• •You have obtained all necessary consents (including for information about minors). By submitting a story about a minor, you attest that you are the parent or legal guardian.
• •The content does not violate any law or infringe any rights

License Grant: You grant End The Wait Ontario a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to use, reproduce, modify (for anonymity/clarity), and distribute your submitted content in connection with our advocacy mission (e.g., in reports to government, on social media), subject to the privacy preferences you indicate at submission.

Intellectual Property

The content on this website, including text, graphics, logos, and software, is the property of End The Wait Ontario or our content contributors and is protected by Canadian and international copyright laws.

You may share and link to our content for non-commercial, educational, and advocacy purposes, provided you give appropriate credit and do not modify the content in a way that misrepresents our positions.

External Links

Our website contains links to third-party websites for reference and information. These links do not constitute endorsement. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, or privacy practices of external sites.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, End The Wait Ontario and its volunteers, contributors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from:

• •Your use of or inability to use the website
• •Any errors or omissions in the content
• •Any unauthorized access to or use of our servers
• •Any action taken based on information on this website

This website is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, either express or implied.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless End The Wait Ontario, its volunteers, contributors, and affiliates from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the website or violation of these terms.

Governing Law

These Terms of Use shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of the website shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ontario.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms of Use is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms of Use, please contact us:

Our Commitment

As an advocacy organization focused on disability rights, we believe strongly that our website should be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. We are committed to meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards and the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

We recognize that accessibility is an ongoing process, and we are continuously working to improve our website's accessibility.

Accessibility Features

We have implemented the following accessibility features on our website:

Standards We Follow

We strive to comply with:

• •WCAG 2.1 Level AA - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
• •AODA - Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, specifically the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR)
• •ARIA - Accessible Rich Internet Applications specifications for dynamic content

Known Limitations

We are aware of the following accessibility limitations and are working to address them:

Accessibility Feedback

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of our website. If you encounter any accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us:

When contacting us about accessibility, please include:

• •The page URL where you encountered the issue
• •A description of the problem
• •The assistive technology you are using (if applicable)
• •Your preferred method of contact

We will make every effort to respond within 5 business days and work to resolve accessibility issues promptly.

Alternative Formats

If you need information from our website in an alternative format (large print, audio, braille, etc.), please contact us. We will work with you to provide information in a format that meets your needs.

Compatible Assistive Technologies

Our website is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies:

• •Screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack)
• •Screen magnification software
• •Speech recognition software
• •Keyboard-only navigation
• •Browser zoom and text scaling

Browser Compatibility

This website is optimized for modern browsers including:

• •Google Chrome (latest version)
• •Mozilla Firefox (latest version)
• •Apple Safari (latest version)
• •Microsoft Edge (latest version)

For the best experience, we recommend keeping your browser updated to the latest version.

Assessment Methods

We assess our website's accessibility through:

• •Automated testing tools (Lighthouse, axe DevTools)
• •Manual keyboard navigation testing
• •Screen reader testing (VoiceOver, NVDA)
• •Color contrast analysis
• •User feedback and testing

Accessibility Resources

For more information about web accessibility and your rights:

• •Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ontario.ca)
• •W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
• •AODA Alliance
• •Ontario Human Rights Commission