Bookstore Accessibility Guide

  • Something Sophie became aware of a few years ago, as bookstores rushed to become more “inclusive”, was that disability is so often excluded in their shelving and visible promotions.

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    Below is a list of independent and chain bookstores, and their accessibility information. Each has been personally visited by Sophie or a community member. Something that became apparent early on is that even if a place is not wheelchair accessible and has no prominent disability titles (especially due to being secondhand), their variety of titles and lower prices make them financially accessible, at least.

    For that reason, there is not a typical rating or star system. Bookstores exist to spread knowledge and stories, and to share collective dreams of a better world. Some do this by keeping prices low, some do this by curating displays of books that promote diverse voices.

    However, there are biases and motivations for beginning this project, so a list of all stores that have a labeled “Disability” section will be highlighted because they shouldn’t be as rare or hard to find as they are.

    A few notes:

    Sick Stories is currently based in Tkaronto/Toronto and therefore bookstores here will be listed first, broken up roughly by neighbourhood. Once Toronto/Tkaronto is completed, this project will slow down. Each visit will be dated with a month and year of visit. We will update changing information as and when it’s available.

    If there are any towns/cities/bookstores you would like to contribute to, please get in touch.

    Each store should be visited just as a browsing customer - whether that looks like turning up, calling ahead, ordering online, or requesting information about specific books.

This project is unfinanced and undertaken sporadically.
If you want to and can, consider supporting it with a donation so we can visit more bookstores and financially compensate people in different cities to contribute to the guide!

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Tkaronto/Toronto

  • Type Books - 2887 Dundas St W Toronto, ON M6P 1Y9

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: An independent bookstore for all with contemporary titles and hidden gems
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - New
    Disability titles prominently displayed - Yes! When we visited, there a display at the front featuring titles by Disabled authors, especially BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ (most likely for Disability Pride month)
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Two minutes from bus stop Keele & Dundas bus stop
    What else do they sell - Puzzles, stationary, magazines, greeting cards

    Pandemonium - 2920 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6P 1Y8

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Used books & vinyls
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - Used, mostly under $15
    Disability titles prominently displayed - No
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - A few minutes from Keele & Dundas bus stop
    What else do they sell - Vinyls

    Moonbeam Books - 327 Jane St, Toronto, ON M6S 3Z3

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Children’s Books
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - New (children’s and YA books)
    Disability titles prominently displayed - A few throughout the stacks, and facing outwards. All titles organized by genre and age group
    Wide walkways - Yes, lots of strollers at time of visiting
    Transit accessible     - One minute away from Jane & Annette bus stop
    What else do they sell - Toys, stickers, and they do board game rentals, fun!

    She Said Boom - 393 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2N1

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Books and records
    Step-free access - No, two steps up but all one level inside. All the record displays are at standing browsing height
    New or used - Used, mostly under $12
    Disability titles prominently displayed - No
    Wide walkways - Not really
    Transit accessible - Yes, on the 504 line and close to 505 & 506 streetcars
    What else do they sell - Records

    A Good Read - 341 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M8

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Affordable books for all audiences
    Step-free access - No, one step up, but an internal ramp between the front and back section
    New or used - Both. Used vary in price, they also have a rare used book selection
    Disability titles prominently displayed - No
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes, on the 504 line and close to 505 & 506 streetcars
    What else do they sell - puzzles, shirts, mugs. They have a prominent graphic novel section too!

    Another Story Bookshop - 315 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M6

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Independent bookstore promoting inclusivity
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - New
    Disability titles prominently displayed - Yes! A whole Disability Rights section
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes, right outside the 504 stop (at the time of visiting there was also construction there)
    What else do they sell - Buttons, stickers, a whole graphic novel section!

  • Doug Miller Books - 650 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G 1K9

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Used books
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - used under $12
    Disability titles prominently displayed - no
    Wide walkways - not really, but I visited once when a power wheelchair user was there. He got to the middle of the store to pay just fine and the store folk were very chill with accommodating him
    Transit accessible - Sandwiched between Christie and Bathurst stations, though Christie is not wheelchair accessible
    What else do they sell - Just more books!

    A Different Booklist - 779 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5S 0B7

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: BIPOC-owned and focused bookstore
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - New. They have a good reduced section too where there are some (free) ARCs included!
    Disability titles prominently displayed - no
    Wide walkways - Medium sized
    Transit accessible - Yes, just by the 511 streetcar at Bathurst & Lennox, plus just south of Bloor and Bathurst station.
    What else do they sell - Not much, but they’re a prominent bookstore for hosting and supporting literary events

    Caversham Booksellers - 98 Harbord St, Toronto, ON M5S 1G6

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Mental health books
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - New
    Disability titles prominently displayed - Yes, mostly mental health and neurodivergence non-fiction
    Wide walkways - Wide enough
    Transit accessible - Yes, a few mins from 510 Spadina streetcar
    What else do they sell - Some self-help card decks

    Bakka-Phoenix - 84 Harbord St, Toronto, ON M5S 1G5

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Sci-fi & Fantasy
    Step-free access - no, one step inside
    New or used - New
    Disability titles prominently displayed - not obvious, but classics and big names within sci-fi & fantasy mixed into the stacks.
    Wide walkways - yes
    Transit accessible - Close to 510 Spadina streetcar
    What else do they sell - Not much

    BMV - 471 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X9

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Used books
    Step-free access - only to the front section with new books. One step up to the rest of the ground floor for literary, biography, and cook sections, and flight(s) of stairs to other sections
    New or used - Mixed. Some are secondhand, some are publisher backstock and overstock, and others are new. All besides the new books are discounted from their cover price.
    Disability titles prominently displayed - no, but can depend on the changing stock. Have found some good stuff before
    Wide walkways - not really
    Transit accessible - Yes, in between Spadina and Bathurst stations
    What else do they sell - CDs, DVDs, blu-ray, vinyl records

    Seekers Books - 509 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1Y2

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Used bookstore
    Step-free access - nooo, down a flight of steps
    New or used - used mostly under $12
    Disability titles prominently displayed - absolutely not
    Wide walkways - no
    Transit accessible - yes, 2 mins to Bathurst station
    What else do they sell - nothing

  • Flying Books - 784 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1C6

    Visited August 2023

    Theme: Rotating selection of books, also a book publisher and writing school
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - New
    Disability titles prominently displayed - Subtly and not for certain (I got my copy of True Biz here in March and it wasn’t there again by August)
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes - on the 506 streetcar route - right in between Crawford and Ossington stops
    What else do they sell - writing classes :)

    Sellers & Newel - 672 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1B9

    Visited Augst 2023

    Theme: Used books with a good music selection
    Step-free access - Yes, via a stopgap ramp which isn’t great for all access needs
    New or used - used, with some pretty fun deals like a mystery bag of 10 books for $10
    Disability titles prominently displayed - no
    Wide walkways - no not really but you could make it work with a mobility aid
    Transit accessible - Yes, on the 506 streetcar just east of Grace street!
    What else do they sell - Nothing, but they keep their horror books in a coffin, put on events, and rent out their books for TV shows.

    Little Ghosts - 930 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1W3

    Visited August 2023

    Theme: Horror bookstore (queer owned!)
    Step-free access - Yes, little lip on the door though
    New or used - New, all horror titles including some of their own!
    Disability titles prominently displayed - There weren’t subcategories and we don’t know the genre well enough so going to say no.
    Wide walkways - Oh-ho yes! Whole floor is open in the middle
    Transit accessible - Yep! Just east of the 505 Dundas & Grace stop
    What else do they sell - Coffee, t-shirts, candles. They’re also a publisher!

    Good Egg - 156 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2L5

    Visited August 2023

    Theme: Books about food and cooking.
    Step-free access - No, two pretty big steps up
    New or used - New
    Disability titles prominently displayed - No, tried to look for Crip Kitchen but didn’t obviously see.
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes, just a minute or two north of the 505 Dundas & Denison streetcar stop
    What else do they sell - Lots of kitchenware of all kinds.

    Gallery 78 Arts - 197 ½, Baldwin St, Toronto, ON M5T 1M1

    Visited August 2023

    Theme: Esoteric books
    Step-free access - yes but via stopgap
    New or used - used? I think?
    Disability titles prominently displayed - no
    Wide walkways - yes
    Transit accessible - I mean it’s in the heart of Kensington Market so a little iffy, but close enough to 510, 505, and 506 streetcars
    What else do they sell - Coffee

    The Beguiling - 319 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1S2

    Visited August 2023

    Theme: Comics and graphic novels
    Step-free access - Yes, and at the time of writing (August 2023) masks are still required!
    New or used - New, comics out front for 50¢ though!
    Disability titles prominently displayed - Not displayed but mixed in (most shelving is just A-Z or by publisher)
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes, just east of the 506 College & Augusta streetcar stop
    What else do they sell - nothing really, but they are a major player at TCAF and have specialized things like comic sleeves

    She Said Boom - 378 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1S6

    Visited August 2023

    Theme: Used books and records
    Step-free access - no, one step
    New or used - Used mostly under $12
    Disability titles prominently displayed - no
    Wide walkways - Passable but have to go around the perimeter to get to the other side because of records in the middle. Records are at adult standing height.
    Transit accessible - Yes, right outside the 506 College & Borden streetcar stop
    What else do they sell - Vinyls

    Balfour Books - 468 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1A1

    Visited August 2023

    Theme: Secondhand books
    Step-free access - No, one step up
    New or used - used, most under $15 and good mix between literary, classics, and contemporary genres
    Disability titles prominently displayed - no
    Wide walkways - not really, a lot of book stacks to be careful of.
    Transit accessible - yes, right at the 506 and 511 College & Bathurst streetcar stops.
    What else do they sell - Nothing really

  • Mables Fables - 662 Mt Pleasant Rd, Toronto, ON M4S 2N3

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Children’s books
    Step-free access - To the ground floor, but there’s also a flight of stairs to the second floor
    New or used - new Disability titles prominently displayed - no, but upstairs a few were facing out and included among selections of titles championing 2SLGBTQ+ and BIPOC voices. Categories were largely divided by age range and genre.
    Wide walkways - Yes, but a little narrow on the corners
    Transit accessible - A ten-minute walk from Eglinton station. The two times I’ve been to the store in person, this is the route Google has given me, but they may be a Mt Pleasant bus I’m unaware of.
    What else do they sell - toys, puzzles

    BMV Books - Yonge & Eglinton 2289 Yonge Street Eglinton, Toronto, ON M4P 2C6

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Books, Music, and Video
    Step-free access - no, one step inside, and a flight of stairs to the upstairs
    New or used - used, some new titles that are marked down. They get a lot of backstock from publishers.
    Disability titles prominently displayed - no, but books were ordered by genres and various non-fiction categories
    Wide walkways - no
    Transit accessible - yes, just a couple of minutes north of Eglinton station
    What else do they sell? - blu-ray, records, graphic novels & comics

    Indigo - 2300 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4P 1E4

    Visited July 2023

    Theme: Pick-me-girl vibes
    Step-free access - yes, via the mall entrance inside. I couldn’t find an elevator between the ground floor and upper floor though, so it’s either hidden or you need to leave the store and use the mall’s elevators
    New or used - New
    Disability titles prominently displayed - Yes, this store actually does quite well with displaying disability titles. They have a “Disabled Voices” shelf with up to five highlighted titles, displayed on a shelf with highlighted Black, LGBTQ+, Indigenous, Asian, and Latinx Voices. Although most of these other distinctions have a larger shelving section, most disability-related titles are squirreled away with Community & Culture general titles or filed under authors' other identity markers. Care Work by Leah Lakshmi-Pipezna Samarsinha, for example, is with LGBTQ+ Voices.
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes, just a few minutes north from Eglinton station
    What else do they sell - What don’t they sell?

  • Glad Day Bookshop - 499 Church St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2C6

    Visited September 2023

    Theme: LGBTQ+ Bookstore, bar, and events space
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - New
    Disability titles prominently displayed - No
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes, one block east of Wellesley station
    What else do they sell - Lots of events. To be honest, when we visited, and judging from their social media, it seems like they’re a lot more focused on events than books right now. Which, fair enough. Glad the LGBTQ+ literary community has a space place to go.

    Indigo - 55 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M4W 1A5

    Visited September 2023

    Theme: Let’s-be-best-friends
    Step-free access - Yes. The store is over 3 floors but they have an elevator tucked round the corner towards the Bay Street side.
    New or used - New
    Disability titles prominently displayed - No
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes, two minutes from Bay subway station
    What else do they sell - so, so much

    ABC Book Store - 662 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2A6

    Visited September 2023

    Theme: Used books
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - Used, hardcovers under $15, paperback under $10
    Disability titles prominently displayed - No
    Wide walkways - No
    Transit accessible - Yes, a few minutes north of Wellesley subway station
    What else do they sell - CDs & DVDs

  • Book City - 348 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1N8

    Visited September 2023

    Theme: Discounted and publisher backstock books
    Step-free access - Yes, steep lip though
    New or used - New
    Disability titles prominently displayed - Some popular ones and memoirs scattered throughout
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes, one minute from Chester subway station
    What else do they sell - Stationary

    Re: Reading - 548 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1P8

    Visited September 2023

    Theme: Affordable used books
    Step-free access - No, two steps in
    New or used - Used mostly under $15
    Disability titles prominently displayed - No, they have health and self-help sections though (proceed with caution)
    Wide walkways - Not particularly
    Transit accessible - Yes, in between Chester & Pape subway stations
    What else do they sell - just books!

    The Scribe Bookstore - 375 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1P1

    Visited September 2023

    Theme: Used, rare books.
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - Used. Front room is cheaper, back room starts at $300 copies. Whole store gives colonial literary vibes.
    Disability titles prominently displayed - No
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes, directly opposite Chester subway station
    What else do they sell - nothing

    Circus Books & Music - 866 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4J 1L7

    Visited September 2023

    Theme: Books and Music
    Step-free access - Yes
    New or used - Used under $15
    Disability titles prominently displayed - No
    Wide walkways - Yes
    Transit accessible - Yes, just a minute or two from Donlands subway station
    What else do they sell - Records (vinyl bins are at adult standing height)

  • Stay tuned as we visit more neighbourhoods around the city!