Rhonda Solomon

Research and Professional Interests

My dissertation considers accessibility of public toilet spaces in North American cities through a critical disability studies lens. I explore how the lack of public washrooms designed to accommodate the specific toileting needs of children with severe permanent disabilities impacts disabled children and their families. The purpose of my research is to counter the acute lack of planning and policymaking with regards to public toilet provision for people with disabilities.

My doctoral research also examines barriers to equitable transportation access across and amongst disability groups, with a particular focus on inequities in mobility for neurodivergent people.

Honours and Awards

• Connaught PhDs for Public Impact Fellowship (2024)
• SSHRC Doctoral Award (2023)
  • Title of research proposal: “Lying on a restroom floor: Disabled childhoods with no place to go”        
• School of Cities Fellowship (2021)

Presentations

• Panel Organizer and Moderator (January 24, 2023)
  • “Disability in the City: Inclusive Public Toilets as a Humanizing Feature of the Urban Realm.”
  • Hosted by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Centre for Global Disability Studies.
• CBC Radio. (November 22, 2023). Discussion of public toilet provision in city centres.
• AMI Media. (November 29, 2022). Discussion of public toilet provision for people with disabilities.   

Social Media Profile

• LinkedIn