The Ontario Building Code contains accessibility requirements for new buildings and buildings undergoing extensive renovations. These outline the requirements for public areas such as the space required for entrances and hallways, as well as in-unit requirements such as bathroom counter height and hallway width. There are also guidelines for customer service and communications to tenants. Additional accessibility guidelines may also be outlined at the municipal level. For instance, in Toronto there are accessibility requirements for windows and balconies, as well as mail box access and snow removal considerations. As Ontario’s population ages, increased accessibility modifications will be required, and a province-wide understanding of the current requirements and future needs of Ontarians will ensure residential buildings can accommodate residents for years to come.

Accessible Units

Multiunit residential buildings must include basic accessibility features in at least 15% of units. These units must be spread throughout the building (a variety of floors, etc.), and should include a variety of unit types and sizes where available. Accessible units must provide barrier-free paths of travel and doorways into the kitchen, living room, washroom, and bedroom. Accessible washroom standards include requirements regarding grab bars, signage, doorway widths, and counter heights.

Public Spaces

The public areas of a residential building must conform to several accessibility requirements. These public spaces include entranceways, community rooms, and hallways throughout a building. These measures ensure that residents have adequate space to navigate throughout the public spaces of the building while maneuvering a mobility device, such as a scooter or walker. The length and height of ramps, minimum doorway and hallway widths, and power door operation are among the most commonly implemented accessibility features in public spaces.

Barrier-free access between floors is also required for residential buildings over 3 storeys high, or over 600 square metres in area. This includes elevator access to floors with accessible units.

Visual Fire Safety Devices

Fire alarms and smoke alarms in residential buildings are required to have a visual element to ensure those residents who are hard of hearing are adequately warned of emergency situations. It is required that visual fire and smoke alarms are present on each floor of a building, and within each residential unit of the building. This guideline adheres to the National Fire Protection Association standards.

Customer Service

Under the Ontario Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR), housing providers are required to develop and maintain relevant accessible customer service policies, create a process for responding to complaints, and ensure staff are sufficiently trained in accommodating tenants with disabilities. Housing providers are also meant to allow service animals and support persons to enter and navigate the building. There are also guidelines specifying the notice that must be given to tenants regarding any service disruptions in the building, such as hot water shut offs, elevator maintenance, or restricted access to common areas such as laundry rooms or parking lots.

Communications

The Information and Communication Standard provides 4 requirements for accessible communications for tenants with disabilities. Upon request, housing providers must reasonably provide information in an accessible format (plain language, large font, reading information to the tenant directly, etc.) or with communication supports, such as a sign language interpreter. They must also have a feedback process in place to handle tenant complaints. Emergency and safety information must be provided in an accessible format upon request, including emergency plans, evacuation routes, and information about alarm testing. And finally, websites and web content developed following January 1, 2012 must be accessible in alignment with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Future Accessibility Needs

There are several commonly referred to measures that would make meeting the future accessibility needs of residents as they age and/or develop disabilities a much smoother process. Firstly, technical guidance from accessibility consultants could provide insight to architects to allow accessible building and unit features to be added to a building later, as residents’ needs change over time. Secondly, those residents with disabilities and lived experiences navigating spaces with and without accessibility features could aid in ensuring that a wide range of disabilities are accommodated adequately throughout the building and individual units, through consultation sessions. And lastly, tax deductions for the sale or transfer of land and buildings with plans for prominent accessible features could be used to encourage developers to include accessibility features in their building plans.

Housing Provider and Tenant Responsibilities

Both housing providers and tenants are required to work together to find solutions to accommodation needs when they arise. A tenant must notify the landlord about the disability and clearly outline the accommodations needed, provide explanations of their limitations including medical documentation where needed, and actively participate in discussions with the landlord regarding the accommodations. Housing providers are required to provide modifications to units in a timely fashion, bearing the reasonable costs of the work involved, and maintaining the tenant’s confidentiality throughout the process.

Resources:

• Government of Ontario: Accessibility in Ontario’s Building Code
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act: Guidelines for Accessibility in New Housing
• The Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA): Unlocking the AODA: Obligations of Housing Providers under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act