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Important information about your rights, our policies, and how we operate this website.

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Quick Summary

  • A central place for privacy, terms, cookie, and accessibility policies.
  • How End The Wait Ontario operates as a parent-led advocacy site.

Legal and policy pages use stable public-site disclosures and plain-language summaries.

  • General informationThis page explains website policy and does not provide legal advice.

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A central place for privacy, terms, cookie, and accessibility policies. How End The Wait Ontario operates as a parent-led advocacy site.

Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Accessibility · Cookie Policy · Verified September 16, 2026

Policy index

Policy destinations and their source sections on this page.
PolicySectionSource
HRTO DisclaimerHRTO DisclaimerOpen HRTO Disclaimer
Privacy PolicyPrivacy PolicyOpen Privacy Policy
Terms of UseTerms of UseOpen Terms of Use
AccessibilityAccessibilityOpen Accessibility
Cookie PolicyCookie PolicyOpen Cookie Policy

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Legal Disclaimer: HRTO Case vs. Website Advocacy

Important distinction between legal proceedings and advocacy content

The HRTO Case: Carroll v. Ontario (HRTO 2025-62264-I) is a specific human rights complaint filed by Spencer Carroll. This case alleges that making disabled children wait years for medically necessary services during their critical developmental window (ages 0-6) may constitute discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

This Website: Contains general advocacy content about Ontario's autism services system, including analysis of government announcements compared to independent data from the Financial Accountability Office (FAO), media coverage, and academic research. The views expressed are those of a parent-led advocacy organization.

Key Distinction:

The HRTO case makes specific legal claims that must be proven in a legal proceeding. The general advocacy content on this website represents analysis and opinions based on publicly available data. Readers should not interpret the website's general advocacy positions as legal advice or as statements about the likely outcome of any legal proceeding.

For information about filing your own HRTO complaint, contact the Human Rights Legal Support Centre or consult with a lawyer specializing in human rights law.

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us. This policy explains how End The Wait Ontario collects, uses, and protects your personal information.

Last updated: September 16, 2026

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

Information You Provide

When you use our Site, you may voluntarily provide:

  • •Contact Information: Name, email address, postal code (for constituency identification)
  • •Story Submissions: Personal experiences you choose to share about autism services via our story submission form page
  • •Petition Signatures: Name, email, and postal code for advocacy petitions
  • •Media Inquiries: Contact information for journalists and media professionals through our press page
  • •Newsletter Subscriptions: Email address and consent preferences when you sign up for our advocacy updates and monthly waitlist newsletters
  • •Communications: Messages sent through our contact forms

Sensitive Information and Minors

Stories may contain sensitive personal information, including health-related details (autism diagnosis, therapy history, service wait times) and information about children. We treat all such information as sensitive personal information under PIPEDA with enhanced access controls.

Please avoid including full names of third parties, exact addresses, school names, or other identifying details beyond what is necessary. If your story concerns a child, you confirm you are the parent or legal guardian, or have authority to share the information. We may redact details to reduce identification risk before any publication.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, our analytics collect as much as Canadian privacy law allows for measurement that is disclosed and can be switched off. As of 16 September 2026 that is:

  • •Device and browser: browser and operating system, screen and window size, pixel density, touch support, processor and memory class, language, time zone, connection speed and type, whether you prefer dark mode, reduced motion or high contrast, and whether you opened the site as an installed app.
  • •How you use the site: the pages you open and in what order, the site or search engine that sent you, how long each page was actually on screen and in use, how far you scrolled, what you click or tap, text you select or copy on our public pages, links you follow to other sites, whether you printed a page, errors the page hit, and how fast it loaded.
  • •Session recordings: a replay of how the page was used, with every form and input field blanked out before it leaves your device (see Third-Party Analytics below).
  • •Return visits: a random first-party identifier so we can tell a returning browser from a new one, how many times it has visited, when it first came, and the first page and referring site of that first visit.
  • •IP address: recorded by our analytics provider when your browser connects to it, used for approximate location and to separate people from automated traffic. We never look it up with an outside service.
  • •What we never collect: anything you type into a form, private roadmap or wait-clock links, intake answers, your name, or your contact details — unless you send them to us yourself.

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

How We Use Stories (Your Choice)

At submission, you can choose whether we may:

  • (a)Use your story internally for advocacy analysis only
  • (b)Publish it anonymously on the site
  • (c)Contact you for clarification or follow-up
  • (d)Share anonymised excerpts with journalists or policymakers

You can change your choices later or request deletion by contacting us. Attributed (non-anonymous) use of your story always requires separate, explicit consent.

  • •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

Important: When you sign a petition, your name, postal code, and message will be shared with government officials. This is the intended purpose of that feature. The email drafting tool opens a pre-composed email in your local email application. End The Wait Ontario does not receive, store, or transmit the content of emails you send to government officials through this tool.

Cookie Policy

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

Essential Cookies

Required for the Site to function properly. These cannot be disabled.

Analytics Cookies

Help us understand how visitors interact with our Site. We use Google Analytics (operated by Google LLC, United States) with anonymized IP addresses. Google processes this data under its standard data processing terms, which ensure comparable privacy protections. You can opt out of analytics cookies.

Preference Cookies

Remember your preferences (e.g., cookie consent choice) for future visits.

Layout Tests (A/B Tests)

We sometimes show two versions of the same page layout to learn which one helps families find help faster. Your browser is placed in a test group using a random code, never a cookie. Until you accept analytics, the code is kept only for your current visit and is deleted when you close your browser. If you accept analytics, the code is saved in your browser so your group stays the same on later visits. The code is never linked to your name or contact details, and every version of a page shows the same facts and numbers. If you decline analytics, you are left out of all tests and always see the standard page.

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. Story submissions may include health-related information (autism diagnosis, service wait times), which is treated as sensitive personal information under PIPEDA with enhanced access controls
  • •Analytics data: 26 months (Google Analytics retention)
  • •PostHog analytics: session recordings are kept for 30 days; events and the anonymous browser profile they belong to are kept for as long as PostHog's plan retention allows, or until you ask us to delete them.
  • •First-party records: daily totals only, kept indefinitely. We copy day-level counts from our hosting provider's reporting (requests per organisation or network, per country, per page, per bot class) so the record outlives Vercel's 30-day window. Those counts contain no IP address and no visitor identifier. We retired our own per-request logging database in August 2026 and have not rebuilt it. See Server-Side Analytics below.
  • •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

How to Exercise Your Rights

To make a data subject access request (DSAR), correction, or deletion request, contact us using either method below. We will acknowledge your request within 5 business days and respond substantively within 30 calendar days.

  • •Contact form: Privacy request form
  • •Direct URL: endthewaitontario.com/contact (select “Privacy Request” as inquiry type)

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.

Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that poses a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as required under PIPEDA. We will also take reasonable steps to mitigate the effects of the breach.

Server-Side Analytics

Our own servers do not log individual page requests. We previously logged each request — IP address, a visitor identifier, page path, referring page and browser details — to our own database. That database was retired in August 2026 and those records no longer exist. What we keep on our own side since 16 September 2026 is a daily aggregate copy of our hosting provider's reporting: for each day, how many requests came from each organisation or internet provider, each country, each page, and each class of automated crawler. That copy has no IP addresses and no visitor identifiers in it, and cannot be tied to a person.

One thing that a shorter notice would gloss over: this does not mean no IP address of yours is recorded anywhere. When the analytics code in your browser sends an event to PostHog, PostHog records the IP address that connection came from. Our own server does not send it — the connection does — but the result is that IP addresses associated with visits are held in our PostHog account, and an IP address can be personal information. This is described in full under Third-Party Analytics below. If you select “Essential Only” on the cookie banner, that analytics code does not run and no such event, and therefore no IP address, is created.

How we understand our audience now

Our hosting provider, Vercel, necessarily processes every request in order to deliver this site to you, and produces aggregate reporting from it. We read that reporting. It tells us things like “450 requests came from a university network” or “this page was requested 900 times yesterday”.

  • •What we can see: the organisation or internet provider a request came from, the page requested, the approximate country and region, the referring site, and whether the request came from an automated crawler.
  • •What we cannot see: who you are. This reporting is aggregated and we do not receive individual IP addresses through it, cannot single out one visitor, and cannot follow you from one visit to the next.
  • •Why we look at it: to understand whether our published advocacy material is reaching the public institutions it concerns, to see which pages families actually use, and to distinguish real readers from the automated crawlers that make up most of our traffic.
  • •Retention: Vercel holds the underlying reporting for a limited window (currently 30 days) under their privacy policy. We keep the day-level totals described above indefinitely, because the question “did the institutions this material concerns read it, and when” matters for longer than 30 days.

Your choices

  • •Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control: we do not act on theDNT: 1 header or the Global Privacy Control (Sec-GPC: 1) signal. Between 9 and 16 September 2026 we did; that stopped on 16 September 2026. Neither signal carries legal force for a non-commercial Ontario site, and honouring them silently made a small share of visits invisible to the measurement this policy describes. The way to opt out is the cookie banner, below, and it works for every visitor from every country.
  • •Cookie choice: selecting “Essential Only” on our cookie banner stops the browser-side analytics described in the next section from capturing anything. It cannot switch off our hosting provider's own request handling, because that is how the page reaches you at all.
  • •Deletion: our own servers hold no record of your individual visit, only day-level totals that cannot be tied to you. The analytics record in our PostHog account can be deleted on request: tell us the dates you visited and, if you can, the identifier your browser holds (in your browser's local storage under a key beginning ph_). If you have contacted us, subscribed to the newsletter, or submitted a form, that information is separate and you can request its deletion through our contact form by selecting “Privacy Request”. We answer within 30 days.

Third-Party Analytics and Performance Monitoring

In addition to any analytics mentioned above, we use Vercel Analytics and Vercel Speed Insights (operated by Vercel Inc., United States) to collect anonymized page view data and Core Web Vitals performance metrics. This data helps us monitor site performance and does not include personally identifiable information.

We also use Microsoft Clarity (operated by Microsoft Corporation, United States) to collect anonymized behavioral data including heatmaps and aggregated session recordings. Clarity helps us understand how visitors interact with the site to improve usability. Clarity does not collect personally identifiable information. You can opt out of Clarity by selecting “Essential Only” on our cookie consent banner, or by visiting Microsoft's privacy statement.

We use PostHog (operated by PostHog, Inc., United States) for product analytics, and since 16 September 2026 we run it at its full capability rather than a minimised one. In your browser PostHog records: every page you open and how you got there; what you click or tap, including the visible text of the element; text you copy or select on our public pages; rapid repeated clicks and clicks that do nothing (signs a page is broken); where on the page people click and scroll (heatmaps); JavaScript errors; how fast the page and its resources loaded; the device and browser details listed under “Information Collected Automatically”; and a session recording of the visit. In that recording every form and input field is blanked out on your device before anything is sent, so what you type is never recorded, and pages that hold a family's private roadmap, wait clock or meeting request are excluded from click and copy capture entirely. If you select “Essential Only”, PostHog does not capture at all.

PostHog keeps an anonymous profile for your browser so that a return visit is recognised as the same browser. It is a random identifier stored in a first-party cookie and in your browser's local storage for up to one year. It is written by default for most visitors, which Canadian privacy law permits for measurement that is disclosed and can be refused; the one way to refuse is to select “Essential Only” on the cookie banner, after which PostHog does not run at all. This is the same for every visitor, wherever you are; we do not apply a different default for the UK, EU or EEA. We never attach your name, email or any other contact detail to that profile, and we do not attach an organisation label to it. PostHog may also show you a short optional survey; answering is voluntary.

To be accurate about one point that a shorter notice would gloss over: when your browser sends an event to PostHog, PostHog records the IP address that connection came from, along with approximate location derived from it. An IP address can be personal information, so we do not claim this processing is anonymous. We use it to tell real visitors from automated traffic and to report in aggregate which kinds of organisation our published material reaches — for example “a provincial government network” — never to identify you. We do not look up your IP address with any outside service. If you select “Essential Only”, the analytics code does not run and no event, and therefore no IP address, is created. Session recordings are kept for 30 days. You can learn more at PostHog's privacy policy.

Newsletter Subscriptions

If you choose to subscribe to our monthly email digest, we collect your email address and a hashed identifier (used solely to detect duplicate signups and prevent abuse). We use a double opt-in confirmation flow: after you submit the form, we send a confirmation email containing a unique link, and your subscription is only finalized when you click that link.

We comply with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Every newsletter we send includes our identification, our mailing address, and a working unsubscribe link valid for at least 60 days. Unsubscribe requests are processed within 10 business days, and unsubscribed addresses are added to a permanent suppression list and never re-contacted without fresh, express consent. You can also email us directly at the address listed in our Contact Us section to request unsubscription, access, correction, or deletion of any subscriber records we hold about you.

Subscriber records include: the email address, the date and time of consent, the source page and module of the signup, the consent text shown to you at signup (versioned), and the consent method used (double opt-in). We retain this information for as long as you remain subscribed, plus a minimum of three years thereafter to comply with CASL record-keeping requirements. We do not share, sell, rent, or otherwise disclose subscriber information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Takedown and Corrections

If you believe content on this site is inaccurate, violates your privacy, or is defamatory, contact us with the URL and details of your concern. We will acknowledge your request within 5 business days and may remove or redact content while we assess.

For story withdrawal requests: you may request removal of your submitted story at any time by using our contact form. We will remove or anonymise the content within 10 business days. Note that content already shared with government officials or published in reports prior to your withdrawal request cannot be retroactively recalled.

See also our Corrections and Accuracy Policy for our data verification methodology and correction process.

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:

End The Wait Ontario

Privacy inquiries: Contact form (select “Privacy Request”)

General contact: Contact Form

We aim to respond to privacy inquiries within 5 business days.

Privacy Resources

For more information about your privacy rights in Canada:

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

Terms of Use

Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using the End The Wait Ontario website.

Last updated: April 16, 2026 | Effective: November 1, 2025

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
  • •A non-commercial platform that does not generate revenue, accept paid advertising, offer consulting services, or charge for any content or tools
  • •Not affiliated with any for-profit entity

This platform is maintained entirely through volunteer effort and community support. References to other organizations on our website are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation.

Important Disclaimers

Not Legal Advice

The information on this website is provided for general educational and advocacy purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. The application of Charter rights, human rights legislation, and international conventions to specific circumstances requires individualized legal analysis. For legal advice specific to your situation, consult a qualified lawyer. Nothing on this website should be construed as a guarantee of any specific legal outcome.

Not Medical Advice

Information about autism, therapies, and interventions is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Every child is unique. Consult qualified healthcare professionals to determine appropriate interventions for your child's specific needs.

Advocacy Content

This website presents advocacy arguments and positions based on publicly available data and legal frameworks. We distinguish between verified facts (with citations) and our advocacy positions. Statistics are current as of the dates cited and may change. Case law summaries are simplified for public understanding.

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

Moderation & Safety Rules

  • • Do not name specific frontline staff, educators, or clinicians.
  • • Do not make unverifiable allegations of criminal misconduct.
  • • Do not provide medical or legal advice.
  • • We reserve the right to anonymize or redact any submission to protect privacy.

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 anonymously in connection with our advocacy mission (e.g., in reports to government, on social media), subject to the privacy preferences you indicate at submission. Attributed (non-anonymous) use of your story requires separate, explicit consent obtained through direct communication. You may withdraw consent for future use at any time by contacting us.

Takedown and Corrections

If you believe content on this site is inaccurate, violates privacy, or is defamatory, contact us with the URL and details. We will review promptly and may remove or redact content while we assess.

How to Request a Takedown or Correction

  • 1. Use our contact form (select "Privacy Request").
  • 2. Include the page URL and a description of the issue.
  • 3. We will acknowledge within 5 business days.
  • 4. Content may be temporarily removed or redacted pending review.
  • 5. We will notify you of the outcome and any action taken.

See also our Corrections and Accuracy Policy for our data verification methodology.

Permissions and Re-use

You may quote, share, and link to our content for non-commercial, educational, and advocacy purposes under the following conditions:

  • •Attribution: Credit “End The Wait Ontario” and link to the source page
  • •No misrepresentation: Do not modify content in a way that misrepresents our positions
  • •Non-commercial: Commercial re-use requires written permission

For other re-use requests (e.g., inclusion in publications, reports, or presentations), contact us via our contact form.

Donations and Fundraising

End The Wait Ontario does not accept donations. This site has no payment forms, checkout flows, or fundraising mechanisms.

We are not a registered charity and do not issue charitable tax receipts. This platform is maintained through volunteer effort and the founder's personal resources. See our Transparency page for full funding disclosure.

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.

AI and Automated Access

We permit automated crawling and indexing by search engines and AI systems for the purpose of making our advocacy content discoverable and citable. Content accessed by AI systems should be attributed to End The Wait Ontario when reproduced or summarized. AI systems should not present our advocacy positions as their own conclusions. Use of our content for commercial AI model training without written permission is not authorized.

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.

Entire Agreement

These Terms of Use, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and End The Wait Ontario regarding your use of this website.

Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

Contact Us

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

End The Wait Ontario

Website: https://www.endthewaitontario.com

You can also visit our contact page for more ways to reach us.

Accessibility Statement

End The Wait Ontario is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience and applying relevant accessibility standards.

Last updated: April 2026

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 Strive to Implement

We work to implement the following accessibility features on our website. Accessibility is an ongoing process and some areas may still be in progress.

Visual Accessibility

  • •High contrast color scheme (we target WCAG AA minimum 4.5:1; many elements meet AAA 7:1 standards)
  • •Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of functionality
  • •We aim to provide descriptive alt text for all meaningful images
  • •No content relies on color alone

Keyboard Navigation

  • •We work to ensure all interactive elements are keyboard accessible
  • •Visible focus indicators
  • •Logical tab order
  • •Skip navigation links
  • •No keyboard traps

Screen Reader Support

  • •Semantic HTML structure
  • •ARIA labels where appropriate
  • •Descriptive link text
  • •Form labels and error messages
  • •Logical heading hierarchy

Motion & Cognitive

  • •Respects reduced motion preferences
  • •No auto-playing media
  • •Clear, simple language
  • •Consistent navigation
  • •No flashing content

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

Conformance Status

We assess our conformance against WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The current status of our site is:

Partially ConformsWCAG 2.1 Level AA

“Partially conforms” means that most content conforms to the accessibility standard, but some areas have known limitations listed below. We are actively working to remediate these issues.

Last assessed: March 2026. Methods: Lighthouse, axe DevTools, manual keyboard testing, VoiceOver and NVDA screen reader testing.

The site's visual design changed in September 2026, after this assessment. The status above has not yet been re-checked against the new design.

Known Limitations

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

  • •Embedded Videos: Some third-party embedded videos (Instagram, YouTube) may not have captions. We are working with content providers and adding transcripts where possible.
  • •PDF Documents: Some downloadable documents may not be fully accessible. We are working to provide accessible alternatives.
  • •Complex Data Visualizations: Some charts and graphs may not be fully accessible to screen readers. We provide text descriptions and data tables as alternatives.

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:

End The Wait Ontario

Accessibility Coordinator

Contact Form

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

Our Response Commitment

  • •Acknowledgement: Within 5 business days of receiving your feedback
  • •Assessment: We will assess the issue and provide a timeline for resolution within 15 business days
  • •Critical barriers: Issues that prevent access to core functionality will be prioritised for immediate remediation

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

Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies we use, why we use them, and how you can control them on End The Wait Ontario.

Last updated: September 16, 2026

This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which describes how we handle personal information more broadly.

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site remember your preferences and understand how you use it. We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our Site.

Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies

Required for the Site to function properly. These cannot be disabled.

  • •Cookie consent preference: Remembers your cookie choice so we do not ask again (365 days)
  • •Security tokens: Protect against spam and abuse on forms

We used to describe a visitor ID (vid) cookie here. It was retired in April 2026 and the server-side records it belonged to were retired in August 2026, so it is no longer set or used. If your browser still holds one from before then, it does nothing — you can delete it freely. See the Server-Side Analytics section of our Privacy Policy.

Analytics Cookies

Help us understand how visitors interact with our Site so we can improve our advocacy resources. Google Analytics and PostHog cookies are written by default, which Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA Principle 4.3) permits for measurement of this kind where we tell you it happens and you can switch it off — this page is that notice, and “Essential Only” is that switch. The same default applies to every visitor from every country; since 16 September 2026 we no longer act on the Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control browser signals and no longer apply a separate opt-in default for the UK, EU or EEA. Two of the services below — Vercel and Google — still load in a cookieless mode if you choose “Essential Only”, so we describe each one's behaviour separately rather than implying the banner switches all of them off.

  • •Google Analytics (operated by Google LLC, United States): Collects page view and interaction data. Google states that it does not log or store IP addresses for Google Analytics 4 properties. It starts in consent-granted mode for most visitors, and in Google's consent-denied mode — script still loaded, no analytics cookies written — only if you select “Essential Only”.
  • •Vercel Analytics & Speed Insights (operated by Vercel Inc., United States): Collects aggregated page view data and Core Web Vitals performance metrics. Vercel Analytics is cookieless and does not build a profile of you. It runs for all visitors, including those who select “Essential Only”, because it sets no cookies.
  • •Microsoft Clarity (operated by Microsoft Corporation, United States): Collects anonymised behavioural data including heatmaps and aggregated session recordings. No personally identifiable information is collected. You can opt out via Microsoft's privacy statement.
  • •PostHog (operated by PostHog, Inc., United States): full product analytics — page views, clicks and the text on what you clicked, copied and selected text on public pages, scroll and engaged time, heatmaps, errors, load speed, device and browser details, and session recordings with every form and input field blanked out before it leaves your device. It runs only in your browser. Since 16 September 2026 it stores a random first-party identifier (cookie ph_…_posthog plus local storage, up to one year) by default so a returning browser is recognised. “Essential Only” stops it capturing entirely, and that is the only switch. Our server previously sent PostHog a page-request record containing your IP address; that was removed in August 2026 and no longer happens. See PostHog's privacy policy.

Preference Cookies

Remember your preferences (e.g., dark mode, cookie consent choice) for future visits. These are stored locally on your device.

Layout Tests (A/B Tests)

We sometimes show two versions of the same page layout to learn which one helps families find help faster. Your browser is placed in a test group using a random code stored in your browser, never a cookie (before you accept analytics it lives in session storage and is deleted when you close the browser; after you accept, it is kept in local storage under etwo_ab_seed so your group stays the same). The code is never linked to your name or contact details, and every version of a page shows the same facts and numbers. If you decline analytics, you are excluded from all tests and always see the standard page.

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

Your Choices

When you first visit our site, a cookie banner gives you three options:

  • •Accept All: Confirms the default: essential and analytics cookies stay on
  • •Essential Only: Switches off analytics cookies — including the Google Analytics cookies that are on by default — and stops Microsoft Clarity and PostHog capturing in your browser at all. Your choice is remembered and outranks every default. Cookieless measurement by Vercel and Google still runs. We keep no server-side log of your visit either way
  • •Cookie Policy: Review this page before deciding

You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Note that blocking essential cookies may affect site functionality.

Your cookie preference is stored for 365 days, after which we will ask again.

Cross-border Data Processing

Our analytics providers (Google, Vercel, Microsoft, PostHog) process data in the United States. Clarity waits for you to accept before it runs; PostHog writes its identifier by default except where described above and blanks every form field on your device before a recording is sent; Vercel is cookieless for everyone; and Google Analytics writes cookies by default except where described above. We previously sent server-side page-request records containing your IP address to PostHog and to our own database; both were retired in August 2026 and neither happens now. These providers operate under their respective privacy policies and data processing agreements.

Cookie Retention Periods

  • •Cookie consent preference: 365 days
  • •Google Analytics data: 26 months
  • •PostHog identifier cookie: 365 days; PostHog session recordings: 30 days; other PostHog data: see the Privacy Policy
  • •Preference cookies (e.g., dark mode): until cleared by user

Questions About Cookies

If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact us or use our contact form.

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Site resources

  1. Independent, parent-led, non-partisan policy advocacy and public-interest information. Content is informational and is not legal or medical advice. Sources, methods, and correction routes remain available on every evidence-bearing page.

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