The AODA has standards for the design of public spaces, but no standards for accessibility in other built environments. However, the Third Review of the AODA recommends improvements to all standards and laws governing buildings and public spaces. In addition, the review recommends that future AODA standards should align with existing standards in other parts of the country. For instance, Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group) have developed federal standards for accessibility in the built environment. Future AODA standards may include some or all of these guidelines and requirements to make buildings more accessible. In this article, we explore guidelines in the federal built environment standards for accessible paths of travel within buildings.
Accessible Paths of Travel within Buildings
The standards list technical requirements for the width of a path of travel inside a building. For example, people should be able to move through buildings with their:
- Assistive devices, such as:
- Walkers
- Crutches
- White canes
- Service animals
Moreover, paths of travel in indoor open areas, such as shopping malls or transit terminals, should have tactile direction indicators to support wayfinding. Tactile direction indicators are sections of floor made of small rectangles pointing to a possible direction of travel. For example, direction indicators should show people the direction they should travel to reach important destinations, such as:
- Information kiosks
- Registration desks
- Stairs
- Elevators
- Service doors
- Store entrances
The standards list measurements for tactile direction indicators, including:
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Distance between rectangles
- Clear floor space on either side of the indicators
Tactile direction indicators should have good colour contrast with the floor around them. Similarly, walls at the end of a hallway should have good colour contrast with the floor and with other walls.
Accessible paths of travel should not include gratings.
Travel Between Levels
Likewise, the standards reference technical requirements for elevators and platform lifts in buildings with more than one (1) floor.
However, some people may find stairs the most accessible way to move through a building. For example, some people may find a shorter route with stairs less tiring than a longer route to and from the elevator. As a result, the standards list technical requirements for stairs. For example, each step in a flight should be the same height and depth. In addition, stair risers should be closed, not open. Stairs should also:
- Be slip-resistant
- Have handrails on both sides
Moreover, stairs should have tactile attention indicators at the top. Tactile attention indicators are sections of floor made of small domes that alert people to the change in level. The standards list measurements for these indicators, such as:
- Dome height
- Dome area
- Distance between domes
Doors
Furthermore, the standards list technical requirements for doors, including doors inside buildings. These requirements govern elements such as:
- Colour contrast between doors, doorframes, and their backgrounds
- Width
- Areas for people to move safely as the door opens
- Multiple doors close together
- Door closers
- Power-assisted doors
- Door handles
For example, lever door handles are more accessible for many people than doorknobs.