It was a friendly debate Wednesday night as four of Toronto’s five leading mayoral candidates discussed ways to tackle accessibility problems in public transit, community housing and local jobs.

TVO’s Steve Paikin moderated the debate, which included Olivia Chow, David Soknacki, Karen Stintz and John Tory. Notably absent was Mayor Rob Ford, who will return from two months of addiction treatment at a Muskoka-area rehabilitation facility on June 30.

The night’s questions mostly revolved around transit. Candidates unanimously agreed on the need for a reduced TTC fare for people on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

“Reducing fares would cost the TTC about $6 million a year. I’m willing to move towards that,” Chow told the crowd gathered at Metro Hall.

Tory listed off cities — “Calgary, New York, Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal, Chicago” — that have all reduced transit costs for disabled people.

“They’ve all found a way to do this. We need to commit ourselves to doing exactly the same thing,” Tory said.

More Wheel-Trans buses, added seating at bus shelters, more elevators and wheelchair-friendly streetcars were floated as possible solutions. Chow said her Scarborough LRT plan would leave money for these improvements.

“We can’t put in a billion into the Scarborough subway because we can build above-ground service faster, and some of that money can come to buy Wheel-Trans buses,” she said.

Tory rebutted, saying Chow’s rejection of the Scarborough subway discounts financial offers for the subway from the provincial and federal governments.

“I believe the Scarborough subway will be a good investment,” Tory insisted.

Throughout the two-hour debate, candidates largely agreed on ways to make Toronto more disability-friendly. On affordable housing, they agreed to set a higher bar for the Toronto Community Housing Corporation.

“Right now, (TCHC) is the worst landlord in the city,” Stintz said. “We’ve had too much. Scandal after scandal after scandal, and nothing undermines the public conscience more.”

Tory and Chow attacked Councillor Doug Ford’s recent comments about the Griffin Centre, a residential home for young people with disabilities, which Ford said “ruined” the Etobicoke neighbourhood after it moved in. He has defended his comments, saying the neighbourhood has “turned into an absolute nightmare.”

Asked how he would make Toronto more inclusive, Tory said: “I won’t do what we’ve seen done, which is to inflame the situation . . . I’m talking about group homes, of how they somehow ruin communities. That’s what I won’t do.”

Chow was more direct in her jab, saying the city should have an anti-discrimination policy for instances such as “when Doug Ford makes comments about the Griffin Centre.”

Candidates agreed to push for “plain language” communications coming out of city hall, a benefit for those with learning disabilities.

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“I think there are many citizens who would make use of plain language who do not have a disability,” Tory said.

Chow agreed. “It’s a no brainer,” she said.

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