In our last article, we outlined the lack of guidelines within the Ontario Building Code (the Code) for full accessibility in houses and apartments. However, the Code, and other building standards in Ontario cities, include guidelines which could improve the accessibility of new housing. In this article, we will explore how these guidelines could apply to living spaces.
Guidelines for Accessibility in New Housing
The Ontario Building Code’s requirements mandating accessibility in hotel rooms could also apply to new houses and apartments. For example, the Code requires that at least ten percent (10%) of rooms in new hotels are barrier-free. In other words, guests can not only reach their rooms, but have enough space to move around using assistive devices. Therefore, guidelines for new houses and apartments could create similar barrier-free living space, rather than only offering basic accessibility features. In a new apartment building, a certain percentage of the apartments with basic accessibility could be completely barrier-free. Likewise, a certain percentage of the houses in a subdivision could also be built without barriers.
For instance, some new apartments or houses could have barrier-free paths of travel within kitchens, balconies, bedrooms, and bathrooms. Barrier-free bathrooms should include:
- Space for people in mobility devices to turn around, including when the bathroom door is open
- Accessible bathroom fixtures, including:
- Sinks
- Toilets
- tubs or showers
The Code provides further detailed guidelines for accessible hotel bathroom fixtures. These guidelines could apply to bathrooms in barrier-free dwellings.
Likewise, the Code provides guidelines for accessible doors and switches in hotel rooms. Guests must be able to open doors independently. They must also be able to use control switches for features like lights or thermostats. Guests must be able to reach these features from a wheelchair or scooter and operate them with a closed fist. The Code’s measurements for all of these features could also apply to doors and switches in accessible dwellings.
Other Accessible Housing Features
Moreover, new AODA standards for housing could also follow the example of some Ontario cities that have developed municipal guidelines for accessible housing features. For instance, Toronto, Brantford, and London have guidelines for the creation of accessible windows, balconies, porches, and terraces. Likewise, Toronto and Brantford outline more accessibility guidelines for residential kitchens. Similarly, Toronto’s guidelines include additional provisions for accessible mail boxes and snow removal. AODA standards in housing could ensure that all other cities could benefit from these guidelines.
Building for Accessibility in the Future
In addition, housing standards could mandate that living spaces should be built in ways that allow accessible features to be easily added later. For example, someone who gains a disability as they age may need an elevator in their home. AODA standards in housing could offer technical guidance to help architects design dwellings that can meet home-owners’ changing needs.
Moreover, these standards could mandate that housing designers consult with people who have lived experience with disabilities, during the design stage. The AODA’s Design of Public Spaces Standards contain a comparable guideline for building outdoor play spaces. Under this guideline, designers consult the public, including people with disabilities, to learn what local children’s and caregivers’ accessibility needs are. Similarly, architects could consult people with lived experience of, or other expertise in, accessibility barriers in housing. This knowledge would help architects and other housing designers to build housing that people with a wide variety of abilities can access.
Finally, housing standards could include tax deductions for the sale or land transfer of buildings or subdivisions offering accessible housing. These deductions would encourage developers to include new accessible housing in the apartments or subdivisions they build.