Many separate accessibility standards development processes exist in Canada. For example, Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia all have laws that mandate creation of provincial accessibility standards. In addition, the Accessible Canada Act mandates accessibility standards that apply to organizations under federal jurisdiction. However, the government of Canada intends to coordinate federal and provincial accessibility laws. Moreover, the third review of the AODA recommends that the Ontario government should support this aim by aligning its accessibility law, the AODA, with the laws of other provinces and the country. If the governments work together to make these laws more similar, the AODA standards development process may change to align with laws in other places across the country. In this article, we will explore the option of implementing federal standards for accessibility in the built environment in Ontario.
Implementing Federal Standards for Accessibility in the Built Environment in Ontario
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. For example, these improvements include:
- Strengthening the Ontario Building Code and the Design of Public Spaces Standards
- New standards and incentives for retrofitting buildings
- Tax incentives and grants for housing accessibility
- Reforming how infrastructure projects are managed
In addition, the review recommends that future AODA standards should align with existing standards in other parts of the country.
Guidelines of the Federal Standards for Accessibility in the Built Environment
For instance, Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group) have developed standards for accessibility in the built environment. Moreover, these standards include guidelines and technical requirements to make many elements of buildings accessible. For example, these elements include:
- Entrances to accessible buildings
- Paths of travel within buildings
- Floors and carpets
- Assistive listening systems
In addition, the standards include guidelines and technical requirements for accessibility in outdoor features of the built environment, such as:
Moreover, the standards list technical requirements for features of the built environment that can exist both indoors and outdoors, including:
- Signage
- Washrooms, including universal washrooms
- Drinking fountains
- Seating
- Acoustics
- Public telephones
- Parking spaces and pick-up areas
Furthermore, the standards include requirements for accessible Controls, such as:
- Door handles
- Locks
- Window controls
- Light switches
- Electrical outlets
- Faucets on sinks, tubs, or showers
- Thermostats
- Appliances
- Elevator controls
- Fire alarm pull stations
Similarly, the standards require designs removing functional, cognitive, and environmental barriers in buildings. Finally, the standards include requirements for Outdoor furniture and equipment, such as:
- Information kiosks
- Bicycle parking
- Newspaper dispensers, and mail or courier boxes
- Garbage bins, recycling bins, and ashtrays
- Reflecting pools
- Traffic control boxes, hydro transformers, and fire hydrants
Therefore, future AODA standards may include some of these guidelines and requirements to make the built environment more accessible. Alternatively, the AODA may simply require implementation of all these federal standards for accessibility in the Ontario built environment.