Currently, no AODA standards require houses and apartments to be accessible. However, the Third Review of the AODA recommends the creation of standards mandating accessibility in housing. In this article, we will outline the need for accessible housing maintenance. Once more homes include accessible features, those features should operate smoothly. Furthermore, tenants who rely on accessible items or spaces should know how to proceed if these features are not available.
Accessible Housing Maintenance
Like the AODA’s Design of Public Spaces Standards, housing standards could include guidelines for maintaining accessible elements of housing. For instance, standards could require landlords or superintendents of apartment buildings to maintain:
- Ramps
- Elevators
- Automatic doors
Moreover, standards could mandate that aisles and hallways should be free from obstacles.
Similarly, like the AODA’s Customer Service Standards, housing standards could require notification of disruptions to accessible features. For example, owners of housing or apartment complexes could have processes in place to support tenants if an accessible feature they need is not working correctly. For example, a tenant with a print disability may place Braille labels on one washing machine in their apartment building’s shared laundry room. If this machine breaks down, the tenant should know how long the machine will likely be out of order. In addition, if the disruption will last a long time, or the machine cannot be fixed, the tenant should know that they will need to place labels on another machine.
Furthermore, housing standards could mandate that staff maintain public areas in ways that are safe for all tenants. For example, a tenant with environmental sensitivities may alert a landlord to chemicals that will harm them. In this event, the landlord should avoid using any products that include these chemicals, such as:
- Paints
- Cleaning products
New housing standards could mandate that landlords have processes in place to work with tenants who have environmental sensitivities, and ensure their safety at home.
Mandates within AODA standards for accessible housing maintenance would give people more of the supports they need to live in their own homes.