3. Prepare for your mediation

Mediation is important. You should be well-prepared for .

What you want

You can ask the Respondent for a number of things, including money.

If you're asking for money, you might want to ask the Respondent for:

General damages is money you get for damage to your dignity, feelings, and self-respect from being discriminated against. General damages are usually between $1,000 and $30,000, but the amount can be higher or lower depending on the facts of your case.
Special damages is money you get to replace the money you lost or spent because you were discriminated against. For example, you might have lost income from a job if you were fired. Or you might have spent money to move to a new home.

If you're asking for things other than money, you might want to ask the Respondent to:

give you back your job or your apartment
make employees attend human rights training
change their policies
donate to a charity

There may be other things you'd like the Respondent to do. Before your mediation, it's a good idea to get legal advice from a lawyer about what you can ask the Respondent to do.

Organize your documents and evidence

Documents and evidence can include things like:

letters from your landlord, employer, doctor, other service provider
pictures or videos
copies of the organization's policies, brochures, or other official documents
copies of any employment contracts or your rental lease

You get to explain your side of the case to the HRTO member who is in charge of the mediation. Make notes about what you want to say.

There are no witnesses at a mediation. But list any witnesses you know and write down what you think they'd say at a hearing.

Language and accessibility

You can ask the HRTO for accommodations if you need the HRTO to do something so there will not be any barriers for you at the mediation. For example, you might need:

a language interpreter
an in-person mediation because of a or other reason related to your human rights
to start late or end early because you have to take care of a child

There is no time limit to ask for an but it is helpful to ask as soon as possible.

Changing the date

If you need to change the date of your mediation, fill out a Request for an Order During Proceedings form (Form 10) and send it to the HRTO within 14 days of getting a Notice of Mediation.

You can send the form by:

email: HRTO.Registrar@ontario.ca
mail:
Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
15 Grosvenor Street, Ground Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 2G6

You must give the HRTO other dates in the form. It helps if the Respondent agrees to the other dates.

The HRTO will try to schedule the mediation on a new date that works for both you and the Respondent. If they cannot find a date that works for you and the Respondent, they will choose any date.