The AODA does not yet include standards governing the housing sector. However, the Third Review of the AODA recommends new standards in various sectors, and suggests guidelines for future housing standards. 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 accessible housing. Future AODA housing standards may include some or all of these guidelines and requirements to make people’s homes more accessible. In this article, we explore guidelines in the federal housing standards for accessible service rooms in housing.
Accessible Service Rooms in Housing
Service rooms are spaces, often in multi-unit housing, for services such as:
- Garbage disposal
- Mailboxes
- Mechanical or electrical equipment, including:
- Furnaces
- Humidifiers and dehumidifiers
- Hot water heaters
In a building with more than one (1) floor, the service room should be on the main floor.
Everyone in a building should be able to enter and move through its service room. Therefore, requirements for accessible paths of travel in housing apply to service rooms. Likewise, everyone should be able to reach and use the services in the room. For example, everyone should be able to unlock and open their own mailbox. Therefore, requirements for accessible home controls should apply to all controls in service rooms. However, if a piece of equipment needs to be fixed through a professional service, all residents in the building do not need access to its controls. Nonetheless, residents should be able to perform basic maintenance on these pieces of equipment, such as:
- Change filters on furnaces or humidifiers
- Access shut-off switches for furnaces or hot water heaters
As a result, unless equipment is being fixed, all residents should be able to access its controls.