Advancing Accessibility in Ontario will focus on reducing barriers in the built environment and housing

Ontario Construction News staff writer

Advancing Accessibility in Ontario is a cross-government framework that will focus on breaking down barriers in the built environment with government working with partner ministries and businesses to reduce barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities in the built environment and housing.

Work includes:

• Making buildings safer and more accessible for people with disabilities by increasing harmonization of Ontario’s Building Code with the National Construction Codes. This process is reducing barriers and has resulted in accessibility changes, including new requirements for the design of barrier-free ramps, clearer accessibility requirements in barrier-free washrooms and easier-to-understand requirements for universal washrooms in large buildings and equipment such as grab bars and faucets.
• Investing $1.3 million over two years for the Rick Hansen Foundation to launch the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification program in Ontario to help remove barriers in buildings. An update on the program will be announced shortly.
• Improving access to buildings and places for people with disabilities by working with key partners in architecture, design, and exploring ways to enhance training.  For example:

• • partnering with the Ontario Building Officials Association to enhance its curriculum and training on accessibility to ensure new and existing buildings can be planned and built to be more accessible. 
  • The Royal Architecture Institute of Canada is introducing a new course on accessibility to be available March 2020. Introduction to Successful Accessible Design will analyze the impacts of accessibility in society, the built environment, and the development industry. The course will be offered in English and French, both as a complete university graduate level course and as a continuing education course for practicing professionals.

• Making places of worship more accessible so people can connect with their faith groups by funding Our Doors Are Open – a free guide created by OCAD University that provides practical information on how places of worship can remove physical barriers to accessibility.
• Helping main street businesses earn more customers and employees by providing them with tips on how to become more accessible through funding a free handbook created by the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association called “The Business of Accessibility: How to Make Your Main Street Business Accessibility Smart.”

• Providing $1.4 billion in funding for the 2019-20 school year to help school boards provide safe and healthy learning environments for students, such as installing important accessibility features like elevators and ramps.

As the government moves forward with making Ontario more accessible, upcoming work will include:

• Funding free resources and training materials for the building sector through the EnAbling Change Program to further educate associations and employers about how to improve accessibility in the built environment. 

Many resources are available on a comprehensive one-stop-shop government web page that provides businesses and communities with information to help them be more accessible and inclusive.