Let's be honest

My previous two posts have probably given you the hint that I'm pretty passionate about accessibility, especially when it comes to accessibility into homes.  But let's be honest about a few things:

1) At the international level, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities does mention the need for accessibility in housing, as part of the CRPD.  The World Health Organization has identified over 1 billion individuals facing the challenges of a disability internationally.  And, the challenges of aging populations are an international concern, not isolated to certain countries.

2) At the federal level, Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2010; we are a signatory country of this convention.  Statistics Canada identified nearly 3 million Canadians with mobility disabilities in their Participation and Activity Limitation survey, which formed part of the 2006 Census.  Statistics Canada has already identified that there are 9.6 million baby boomers according to the 2011 Census, which started becoming seniors in 2011 and will continue until 2031, at a rate of over 1,100 per day (nation wide) for those twenty years.  Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, in their five-part series entitled "Housing for Older Canadians", identified that over 80% of the 55+ demographic wishes to age at home.

3) At the provincial level, Ontario created the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act in 2005, with the primary goal of a fully accessible Ontario by January 1, 2025.  Anyone who has been following the AODA sees that standards have been slow to be created and have brought forward many questions pertaining to interpretation of these standards; enforcement of these standards has also been questionable.  Most concerning to me is the exemption of houses from accessibility legislation.  In section 3.8 of the Ontario Building Code, section 3.8.1.1 exempts most houses from the need to comply to these barrier-free requirements. The only section that offers some barrier-free features in a private dwelling is found in section 3.8.2.1, which deals with buildings taller than three storeys, or larger than 600m2.  Although we live in a province that has a twenty year goal of a fully accessible province, and a province that spends hundreds of millions of dollars yearly on aging at home services, we offer next to nothing in barrier-free housing options, even though the majority of our aging population wishes to age at home, and will need these features as they age.

4) At the municipal level, the City of Ottawa was granted the certification of an age-friendly city by the World Health Organization in 2013.  Ottawa also has an Older Adult Plan, which it hopes will respond to the needs of our aging population.  And Ottawa does offer a portion of it's Affordable Housing inventory with either VisitAble or Barrier-Free units.  So, some things are happening at the municipal level, but much more needs to be done.

As it stands, homes that contain some type of barrier-free features (whether it be VisitAbility, Universal Design, or full accessibility) are isolated mainly to the following areas:
-CoOperative Housing has been offering some of their inventory with barrier-free features for decades (they deserve some praise as being the pioneers when it comes to offering barrier-free options in housing).
-Some provincially funded group homes and other facilities have barrier-free features; this typically handles the "public" aspect of barrier-free requirements.
-Some units in private high-rises and private seniors' facilities have barrier-free features.
-Habitat for Humanity is getting more involved in barrier-free house plans, as part of their projects, especially on an international level.
-Some City of Ottawa affordable housing has VisitAble or barrier-free units in their inventory.
-Some custom homes have been built with barrier-free features (which includes my home in Greely).

So it's not all bad.  I don't want to sound "doom and gloom" but we most certainly can do better for our individuals who need the features now, and the many more who will as our population ages. It's time for consumers to start asking for these features when purchasing new homes, or when renovating your current home, in order to meet your current and future needs.  Not being proactive in your housing options could be problematic.  I highly recommend that you start your research now to avoid being caught off-guard if a crisis comes for yourself, or for someone you love.

Please have a look at my Facebook page entitled "Accessibility and Aging at Home", which I feel will offer information and options for those of you who are interested in this topic.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Accessibility-and-Aging-at-Home/551546931542954