Equitable Access to Comprehensive Elementary Music Education in Ontario: A Critical Policy Analysis AbstractIn Ontario, Canada, music has been a mandated subject for students in grades 1-8 since 1998. However, despite the existence of provincial policies designed to promote equitable access—including curriculum mandates, ministry directives, and local board initiatives—significant disparities persist. In 2024, People for Education reported that over half of Ontario’s elementary schools lacked access to a dedicated music teacher. In this study, I examine the extent to which current music curriculum and policy documents in Ontario operationalize, specify, or omit equitable access. Drawing on critical policy theory and equity literacy, I employ a cross-referential matrix to analyze the music strands of the Ontario Elementary Arts Curriculum (2009), Ministry memoranda (PM119 on Equity and Inclusive Education, 2013), and district equity plans (TDSB Equity and Access Plan, 2025). The analysis focuses on three domains: structural access (staffing, funding, specialist vs. generalist roles), pedagogical access (CRRP, anti-oppressive), and accountability mechanisms (monitoring, transparency in reporting)—to identify gaps and describe patterns in policy language that undermine stated intentions for equity of access to comprehensive elementary music education in Ontario. The poster project and lighting talk will illustrate key findings and actionable recommendations to strengthen policy research, design, and implementation, and to contribute to wider discourse on equitable access to music education within a global context. Keywords: accountability; equity and access; music education; policy development; policy implementation