Social accountability
At Holland Bloorview, we stand firm in our commitment to the values of inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and anti-racism (IDEAA). Embracing diversity makes us stronger, more innovative, and helps us better care for the children, youth and families we serve.
As outlined in our strategic plan, our goals include empowering a healthy team and providing care that’s socially accountable.
The collection of sociodemographic data will help us better understand and support the unique social needs of clients and families we serve and to foster a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.
We ask because we care
We ask because we care is aimed at building awareness around our efforts to collect sociodemographic data in order to help us personalize care to each child’s needs. This data collection initiative is led by Ontario Health and required by all hospitals in the province. As part of registration, families are asked for information such as their ethnicity, household income, number of dependents, sex and gender identity, area of residence and preferred language. Information will be seen by the child’s care team and treated with the same level of confidentiality as all other health information.
Click here for a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ). For more information on the actual questions being asked, visit Measuring Health Equity website - Demographic Questions page.
Sociodemographic data collection for applicants
Holland Bloorview’s applicant sociodemographic survey is an optional survey that is part of our online application process. Responses are anonymous and confidential and will help us identify and remove barriers that may be impacting employment opportunities of historically underrepresented equity priority groups. The personal information provided through this questionnaire is collected and accessed following the guidance from the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s “Count me in!” Guide and Ontario’s Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism.
Click here for an FAQ for applicants. Please visit our inclusive recruitment page for more information on our commitment to fostering a workforce that reflects our community.
Sociodemographic data collection for staff
As part of our commitment to fostering a healthy team that reflects the diversity of our community, all staff are asked to participate in a confidential and mandatory employee sociodemographic survey. This ongoing data collection will be used to identify opportunities to advance a representative and inclusive environment for all, as well as increase our ability to recruit and retain employees who identify as being in a marginalized community. Click here to learn more.
In 2025 Holland Bloorview launched its Family Navigation Hub online to increase accessibility to vital information and services related to social needs including stable housing, food security, income support, and childcare. An online presence for the Family Navigation Hub allows the hospital to expand family and staff access to commonly used community resources that address social determinants of health. The hub is also complemented by CommunityCONNECT, monthly virtual sessions dedicated to connecting families with vital community resources. We anticipate that more staff and families will access this resource over the coming months.
The Family Navigation Hub initiative started in 2020 in response to the global pandemic, and the introduction of our in-house social needs screening tool into programs within the hospital . This tool focuses on identifying medical needs that impact a client’s care and recovery . Both are a testament to Holland Bloorview's commitment to agile, inclusive, and socially accountable care.
At Holland Bloorview we aim to provide important client and family information in the languages and formats that are preferred by our community. It is important to us that client and family education, treatment information, and other important details are translated into the different languages most commonly spoken by the users of our hospital.
Important documents available in: Arabic, (Simplified) Chinese, (Traditional) Chinese, English, Spanish, Tamil and Farsi
Clients and families have access to professional interpreter services at no cost when attending appointments at Holland Bloorview.
Our world class Bloorview Research Institute has research projects which focus on intersectional and lived experiences of childhood disability. For more information on research projects that the Bloorview Research Institute is leading or co-creating with community partners, please check out the following.
- Evaluation of a toolkit on workplace disability disclosure discussions for employers and managers
- Enhancing healthy and productive work for racialized youth with non-visible disabilities
- Healthy And Productive Paid work for Youth with disabilities (HAPPY)
- POND Youth Digital Stories
- Discrimination, ableism and racism hurt but inclusion can heal: Listening to the intersectional lived experience of youth with disabilities and co-creating solutions:
- Listening to the Margins (article): Reflecting on Lessons Learned From a National Conference Focused on Establishing a Qualitative Research Platform for Childhood Disability and Race
Bloorview Research Institute Ward Summer Student program
The Bloorview Research Institute’s Ward Summer Student program has two dedicated streams meant to expose the successful candidate to the field of research and pediatric rehabilitation while providing them with a unique mentorship experience.:
- One position for undergraduate and/or college students living with a disability. This position was established to enhance the inclusion of young people with disabilities in pediatric research.
- Two positions for undergraduate and/or college students who are of Indigenous, First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit descent. These positions were established to enhance the inclusion of all young peoples in pediatric research.
EMBARK (Empowering Black Academics, Researchers and Knowledge creators)
The first program of its kind in Canada, EMBARK fills a crucial gap in amplifying diverse Black voices in disability research and aims to address barriers that Black scholars face to set them up for successful academic careers. Continue reading to learn more about Dr. De-Lawrence Lampty, the first scientist to be hired under this program.
