Accessible design standards will remove barriers at the design stage for all City of Waterloo facilities

City of Waterloo has launched new Facility Accessibility Design Standards, establishing a consistent approach to accessible facility design that considers barriers before they’re built.

The new standards help make City-owned buildings and outdoor spaces more accessible and usable for people with disabilities. They provide consistent accessibility requirements for the planning, design, construction and renovation of municipal facilities and spaces. The standards go beyond minimum Ontario Building Code requirements where appropriate and incorporate accessibility and universal design considerations from the beginning of a project - representing a shift in design for public spaces, from correcting barriers after construction to preventing them through design.

“The standards address accessibility from a user-experience perspective,” said Heather Liddycoat, Director, Facilities Design and Management Services. Use of a facility considers: approaches and entrances; interior routes; washrooms; signage and wayfinding; service areas; amenities; outdoor spaces and other building features. “The key is to identify and prevent barriers before they are built, reducing the need for costly modifications or retrofits later.”

The standards, based on an initial document from the City of London, were developed over a three-year period through collaboration with the City’s Facility Design and Management Services team, the City’s Accessibility Advocate, and the Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC). Accessible design in buildings benefits everyone, creating safer, more usable, and inclusive spaces for people of all abilities and stages of life.

“The work supports the City’s broader commitment to creating welcoming municipal spaces where people with disabilities can participate more fully in community life with greater independence, dignity and choice,” said City of Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe.

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