Winnipeg's Bridgwater neighbourhood (with VisitAble new dwellings); and Universal Design

I'm currently visiting Winnipeg, my first time West of Ontario, in order to see for myself all of the wonderful things that have been accomplished in the Bridgwater neighbourhood (http://www.bridgwaterneighbourhoods.com/).  The Manitoba government imposed a 50% requirement for VisitAbility as the developer of this neighbourhood, which will produce 1,100 VisitAble homes once fully developed in 2021.  As with other international efforts for VisitAble homes, there was initial resistance by the housing industry and low interest or indifference from consumers but a few years of experience have fixed these issues.  What we now see in Bridgwater Lakes, one of the four sections of Bridgwater, is inclusive urban design and beautiful VisitAble homes.  I've had the pleasure of touring quite a few of the show homes on Lake Bend Road and they're stunning, the most impressive ones offering walk-out basements overlooking trails and greenspace.

I have also seen some creativity with the VisitAbility requirement, such as this home at 100 Lake Bend Road by Maric Homes.  Granted, this home is listed at over one million dollars but it is quite the home. The exterior not only looks great but they combined traditional stairs as part of the facade, with the no-step entrance achieved by sloping the driveway up to the front door's entranceway.

This creativity also extends into the home to achieve the requirement for wider doors and hallways, and a powder room that can be accessed by anyone.  But it goes beyond this, into beautiful interior design that incorporates Universal Design features, such as in the kitchen.

Maric Homes has achieved the VisitAbility requirements of the Bridgwater neighbourhood and has exceeded it by building this stunning show home that should finally put an end to the myth that barrier-free design is ugly or institutional-looking.  Please allow me to showcase more Universal Design, this time in this master bathroom in New York.  As this photo shows, the design allows anyone into this space but the result is very impressive.

The facade of a home, its kitchen and its master bathroom are three areas of a home where home buyers choose to sometimes spend extra money for the wow factor, so why not get great value for your money and make these features welcoming for everyone. Not only will it ensure a safer, more welcoming and more practical home, but it will allow you to remain there for as long as you wish. And on the topic of value, you'll be able to sell your home to 100% of potential buyers, regardless of age or level of ability, and that simply makes sense for those of us whose home is our largest investment.

I started off talking about VisitAbility in Winnipeg, which then spilled over into Universal Design...it's all with the goal of encouraging all of you to consider these features for any type of new dwelling to make them more sustainable, by giving you one home for a lifetime of enjoyment.

Now, if I could only convince the developers and home builders in Ottawa to catch up to this innovative home design.  Trust me, it hasn't been easy, I've been trying for years. Please reach out to me by email at gervais.roger.p@gmail.com if you have any questions. As a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, and as someone who has worked with adults with various disabilities since September 1994, I'm very passionate about barrier-free design for new dwellings because it's simply the right thing to do.

VisitAbility: Why not?

I've been having trouble figuring out why the housing industry and landlords aren't embracing VisitAbility for their new dwellings.  Some of the current myths are that it's expensive, ugly/institutional, too difficult to accomplish, that there will be snow or rain penetration, or that there isn't any demand for it.  All of these myths have been proven to be false by the many research documents (both domestic and international) that have studied these concerns.  I think that indifference toward designing dwellings for everyone is the main reason...why change what's been working incredibly well for builders and landlords for decades?

Here are some reasons to consider VisitAbility:

1) The most obvious for me is the ability to sell or rent your dwellings to 100% of the population.  That's just good business sense, especially when the economy slows down and there's surplus inventory.  Landlords are often concerned about vacancy rates yet VisitAbility would decrease the number of vacant units seeing as anyone could live there.

2) VisitAbility excludes no one from visiting or living in these dwellings; everyone is welcome.  With 9.6 million baby boomers in Canada, the need for VisitAbility will only increase as they become seniors (On average, there are no less than 1,100 baby boomers that become seniors every day in Canada...that's enough to fill two NHL rinks every month.  Please don't tell me that there isn't a need for homes that are designed for all stages of our lives).

3) Young families also benefit from these features because of strollers, wagons and other "baby gear".

4) Canada is spending billions of dollars per year on medical care because seniors have fallen in their homes, and stairs are a significant contributing factor to these falls and injuries.  Some seniors cannot return to their homes after these falls (due to architectural barriers in the homes, or due to the severity of their injuries) and must be prematurely admitted into chronic care and nursing homes. This has a significant financial impact on our social safety net, in addition to the psychological/emotional impact to the individual involved, and their families.

5) Human rights legislation has primacy over all others in Canada so a lack of barrier-free design will inevitably become grounds for discrimination complaints to commissions/tribunals.  Whether it be the Canadian human rights, or those found in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations), the requirement to stop creating new barriers, and to remove existing ones, will inevitably strain our already over-burdened legal system with these complaints.  Putting an end to discrimination on the grounds of disability isn't only a human right but it's simply the right thing to do.

6) The ability to remain in our current homes and neighbourhoods for our entire lives has a sustainability benefit when we speak of our environmental concerns, let alone an emotional benefit that is rather significant.

7) And finally, it decreases the number of work related injuries for moving and delivery company employees, decreases response times for emergency services during critical calls, and makes a home much more practical to live in.

VisitAbility simply requires:

A) One no-step entrance (preferably with landscape sloping, not ramping, to guarantee a stronger resale value).

B) Wider doors and hallways.

C) At least a powder room on that level that can be accessed by someone needing a mobility device.

It's very simple to implement during the design stage of a home, it's cost-effective, and has very clear benefits for all, so why is it such a burden for builders and landlords to even consider it?  We have many lessons to learn from nations that have already removed these barriers in new homes, such as the United Kingdom.

By the way, the Province of Ontario now requires VisitAbility in 15% of units for buildings taller than three storeys or with a building area greater than 600m2...so it's already started.   It would be wise to consider becoming a leader in this next trend in new housing by acting on it now.

Resources:

Please watch this brief video entitled "What Are VisitAble Homes?" at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0i2xQ4_rbI

You may also wish to visit visitablehousingcanada.com for further information.

VisitAbility...it's happening!

Please allow me to share a few points that highlight the fact that VisitAbility is not simply a concept, it is in fact already happening in some key areas:

A - Winnipeg already has Canada's first VisitAble neighbourhood (the Bridgwater project in Waverley West), which will have 1,100 VisitAble homes once the project is fully developed in 2021 (hundreds of VisitAble homes already).

http://visitablehousingcanada.com/

B - The City of Ottawa has already approved four affordable housing projects with 100% VisitAbility (here's an article about the most recently approved Longfields project  http://nblo.gs/12OdCn).  I also attended the Open House of the OCISO affordable housing project that contains VisitAble units on February 6th, which is in addition to the four projects that I mentioned http://ocisonph.com/rentals/property/7/

C - The first private investment property in Ottawa to include VisitAbility is already completed.

 https://www.smore.com/ug7q7-28-millford-ave-ottawa-on-k2g-1c2

D - The Ontario Building Code now requires 15% of suites to be VisitAble in buildings taller than three storeys or 600m2, as of January 1, 2015. 

http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page10547.aspx

E - My comments about VisitAbility and Aging in Place to the AODA Review (last year) made it into page 49 of the Final Report, which was publicly released on February 13th. 

https://www.ontario.ca/document/legislative-review-accessibility-ontarians-disabilities-act

F - The City Of Ottawa Accessibility Design Standards will be adding VisitAbility standards (going beyond simply being in their RFPs); I was one of the guests at the consultative review that was held on January 27th, for the update later this year.

G - Our national VisitAbility Project received federal funding through the Social Development Partnerships Program, Disability Component.  Other federal interest in VisitAbility is also found with the National Building Code's Use and Egress Committee, and the CSA Group standard reference where legislative framework for VisitAbility is being reviewed (with reference to VisitAbility standards from CSA B651 that have been in place for years).

Yes, it's happening, and the majority of the housing industry needs to catch up.  Selling or renting your inventory to 100% of the population, regardless of age or level of ability, should make sense for your business.  

No Step Entrance - Homes that are welcoming to All

VisitAbility is three basic features of barrier-free design that creates a home that is welcoming to all. Within these three features (one no step entrance, wider doors and hallways, and a washroom or powder room that can be accessed by someone requiring a mobility device), the one feature that seems to create some confusion and concern is the no step entrance.  Please allow me to show some photos that will hopefully clarify how to best accomplish this.  

Let me begin with site preparation, using Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada's first VisitAble neighbourhood, Bridgwater) as my example.

As you can see on this first illustration, the importance of proper site preparation is crucial during the planning stage of a new build.  The consultants involved in the Bridgwater project clearly had a good understanding of what was required.

Let's move on to the next feature that is important in a no step entrance, the inset foundation.

Many home builders and developers choose an 8 foot foundation depth so there might be a concern for the basement height if an inset foundation is selected.  One solution to this concern would be to consider open web joists, which allow you to conceal plumbing, electrical and mechanical ducts within the open spaces of these types of joists.  One example of an open-web joist can be found at: http://www.openjoisttriforce.com/. Their site also includes a downloadable Spec Guide that contains the 1 hour fire detail.  The advantage of the inset foundation is that it lowers the height of your entrance, which allows landscape sloping (rather than ramping) up to your main entrance. Having a covered entrance, as my next photo illustrates, does remove the concern of rain or snow near your main entrance.

And finally, the landscape sloping (typically 1:20, so 20 feet/units horizontal for every foot/unit vertical) is the final aspect of a successful no step entrance.  The advantage of a gradual slope is that it allows for a gentle approach to your main entrance, and has the added benefit of drawing water away from your foundation.  If you wish to see other photos of landscape sloping, please go to: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.551551521542495.1073741826.551546931542954&type=1

The end result is that your home is welcoming to all, safer for the occupants, and has a strong resale value because it can be sold to 100% of the population, regardless of age or level of ability. If you would like to learn more about VisitAbility, please go to visitablehousingcanada.com.  You may also wish to send me an email at gervais.roger.p@gmail.com.

Dispelling the myth of water penetration concerns for a no-step entrance

I've heard time and again the water penetration concerns when a no-step entrance is designed for a home.  Here's a picture of my front door in Ottawa, Canada.  As you can see, a covered entrance and gentle sloping away from the landing is all that's needed to avoid concerns about rain and snow.  Our 36" door has the lowest wheelchair sill on the market and after over five years, we have never had such an issue.  It's about proper planning during the design stage of a new build to prevent these types of issues, which the housing industry can easily address given their experience with other snow and water concerns.  It's time to stop the excuses and move forward with homes that are  more practical and welcoming for all, regardless of age or ability.  It benefits young families, seniors, individuals with mobility challenges, moving and delivery companies, paramedics, and it allows you to sell or rent your homes to 100% of the population.  VisitAbility is not some fad, it's the next trend in new housing that should be on the radar of developers and home builders in Canada.  It's already happening in Winnipeg so it's time to catch up (visitablehousingcanada.com).   

Ontario needs to stop exempting homes from barrier-free design standards and move forward with VisitAbility in a portion of new homes (15% to 20% to coincide with the aging population).

Ontario will be increasing requirements for barrier-free design features in 15% of apartments, condominiums, and a number of other multi-unit dwellings as of January 1, 2015 in buildings taller than three storeys or 600 meters square in footprint (Group C Major Occupancy in the Ontario Building Code, section 3.8.2.1).  These multi-unit dwellings are the only type of housing that contain any type of barrier-free design consideration for the needs of individuals with mobility challenges; all homes continue to be exempt in our building code (see 3.8.1.1).  The unfortunate consequence is that the majority of the housing industry continues to build homes that contain architectural barriers, which makes them completely impractical for a growing number of Ontarians.  It seems illogical to continue with building practices that exclude a portion of families, baby boomers and anyone else needing more practical homes.  One example of an innovative housing solution is called VisitAbility, which has three basic features: one zero-step entrance, wider doors and hallways, and a main floor powder room or bathroom that can be used by someone who requires a mobility aid/device.  This simple concept is already available in hundreds of homes in Winnipeg, which will increase to 1,100 homes once the Bridgwater neighbourhood is fully developed in 2021.

The brilliance of VisitAbility is that it’s simple to implement and cost-effective, due to the fact that it only requires minor design changes during the planning stage of a new build.  Although this term may not be familiar to most of you, VisitAbility has been extremely successful in certain parts of the United States since its beginning in 1987, as a result of the efforts of individuals like Eleanor Smith at concretechange.org.  One community near Chicago (Bolingbrook, Illinois) mandated VisitAbility for all new homes in 2003 with their VisitAbility Ordinance and now boasts nearly 4,000 of these homes (at an additional cost of $500 to $800 per home for these basic features).  These are homes with full basements, not the slab on grade design that is found in the 22,000 VisitAble homes in Tucson and Pima County, Arizona.  Whether in Winnipeg, Bolingbrook or Tucson, these communities have proven that cost effective options already exist to address the housing needs of a growing number of Ontarians by simply moving forward with more modern techniques in new home design.  The most obvious benefit is that these homes can be occupied by 100% of prospective home buyers, regardless of age or level of ability.

The majority of the housing industry has not been supportive of barrier-free design in homes, possibly because homes are the last area of new construction that is not required to comply with barrier-free design requirements in Ontario.  The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, as well as upcoming improvements to the Ontario Building Code, will inevitably change these current practices, albeit too slowly in my opinion.  We must stop building homes that exclude a growing number of Ontarians from entering or living in them, simply because we lack the initiative to replicate best practices from neighbourhoods like Bridgwater in Winnipeg.  Research has clearly proven that VisitAbility is cost effective and would offer housing options not currently available to far too many individuals.  When will we finally get the hint that change is urgently needed, and that VisitAbility is a reasonable solution to our changing housing needs as we age?

Please visit visitablehousingcanada.com for more information about our national VisitAbility Project currently being promoted by six task forces nation-wide: Ottawa, Kitchener-Waterloo, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Richmond and Victoria.  If you would like to learn more about VisitAbility in Ottawa, please join us for our monthly meetings of the Ottawa VisitAbility Task Force at 100 Constellation Crescent.

My background: I have twenty years of experience (and counting) in assisting adults with physical and developmental challenges in Ottawa.  I’m also the coordinator of the Ottawa VisitAbility Task Force, and I also consult on barrier-free design for homes as a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (the first and only CAPS in Eastern Ontario).  I have a home in Greely that has a number of Universal Design features, as well as an attached in-law suite, so I practice what I promote.  Barrier-free design is a subject that I am extremely passionate about and I’m always willing to discuss with anyone who may have questions.  I also created a Facebook page entitled “Accessibility and Aging at Home” containing many albums, including many photos of beautiful universal design.  These photos dispel the myth that barrier-free design is ugly or institutional looking, which is very important to me.  An excellent example would be found on our promotional video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0i2xQ4_rbI

Ontario Human Rights Commission article, and comments

There is an interesting article from the Ontario Human Rights Commission that discusses their submission regarding the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and changes that are proposed to make the AODA more effective, and compliant to the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Here is the link to this article:
http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/ohrc-submission-regarding-accessibility-ontarians-disabilities-act-aoda-2013-2014-legislative-review
This blog will discuss some quotes from this article.

"Disability is consistently the most frequent ground of discrimination cited in over 50% of applications to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario."  This first quote should hopefully draw attention to the fact that we need to be doing far better at meeting the needs of our citizens with disabilities.   Whether it be the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the AODA, the Human Rights Commission, or other obligations that pertain to our nation, we need to start taking all of this more seriously if we claim to be a country that values the basic rights of every citizen.

"In its 2009 submission on the first AODA legislative review, the OHRC called for better harmonization between the AODA and the Ontario Human Rights Code as well as other laws including the Ontario Building Code Regulation.[2] The first AODA review report released in 2010,[3] and the government’s response,[4] both recognize the need to look at options for harmonizing legislation."  This second quote clearly shows that there is a lack of action.  The first submission was five years ago yet harmonization of legislation is still very slow to conform.  This clearly shows the level of commitment by our elected officials, which is very little.

"As stated in past submissions,[9] the OHRC also recommends that AODA regulations should adopt the following accessibility-related human rights principles to help guide overall interpretation of the standards:

• Design universally / inclusively
• Create no new barriers
• Identify and remove existing barriers
• Favour integration over segregation
• Provide interim or next best measures where ideal or full accommodation is not (yet) feasible
• Achieve results progressively to the maximum of available resources, and at the same time
• Consider and accommodate individual needs short of undue hardship by exploring solutions through a cooperative process that maximizes confidentiality and respect." Create no new barriers...our National Building Code still exempts houses from barrier-free design requirements in section 3.8.1.1 so we are still creating barriers by continuing with our outdated construction techniques.  VisitAbility in new housing would offer a cost-effective solution to this goal of not creating new barriers in homes, where we spend the greatest portion of each day.  It would also decrease the number of deaths and serious injuries that happen nation wide because of the poor design of our homes.  Here's a brief video which introduces VisitAbility, as well as its benefits to all individuals, regardless of age or ability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0i2xQ4_rbI&list=FLMgvym8hKEjWuxmnGNvR3Tg&index=4

"The weakest aspect of the regulated standards to date is that very few require removal of existing barriers. The standards mostly focus on preventing new barriers going forward, which is necessary, but also inadequate to make Ontario accessible by 2025." With homes being exempt from barrier-free requirements, removing barriers in homes is also not deemed to be a priority, even with our significant challenges surrounding our aging population.  How can we support their right to age in their own homes, safely, if we continue to ignore the danger in some of these homes?  We don't even regulate our renovation sector, so even if an individual chooses to be proactive and look into barrier-free features, what training or oversight is there in place for the bad apples in the renovation sector?  Some renovation companies are very capable and offer best practices, even though homes are exempt from barrier-free requirements, but this is not a standard requirement in this sector.

"The OHRC recommends that the government find more ways to give the AODA broader public profile and support including through promotion, education and training, including with professional and trade schools, accreditation institutions and associations."  Yes, please do so as soon as possible.  Media exposure would be great.  If the general public is not aware, then they won't know that current obligations exist.  This education program should also extend to Home Builder Associations nation wide, and discussions on barrier removal in the housing industry should be a priority item.

"The OHRC recommends that the government begin seeking public input on other priority areas for new regulated standards under the AODA.

In no particular order of priority, new regulated standards might be considered for areas such as:

• Air quality standards of the type proposed by the former Built Environment Standards Development Committee in 2009 to address the needs of persons with environmental disabilities[21]
• Captioning and descriptive video standards for movie theatres and movie distributors operating in Ontario
• Accessibility standards for the education system, health care services and residential housing (as recommended by the AODA Alliance)
• Accessibility standards to facilitate participation in sporting and leisure activities
• Standards for accessible elections including: accessible constituency offices and meeting rooms and polling stations and returning offices; internet and telephone voting; accessible all candidate debates[22]
• Standards for psychological health and safety in the workplace[23]
• Other elements for potential standards proposed by the former Built Environment Standards Development Committee such as building maintenance, contrast, colour, glare, acoustics, lighting, furniture placement, workplace offices, cafeterias, libraries, courtrooms, stages, balconies, terraces, porches, mailboxes, amusement parks, fitness rooms, etc." I strongly agree with new standards for residential housing.  I have made suggestions to the AODA reviewer to consider VisitAbility as a minimum barrier-free design standard for new housing. Ample research proves that it is cost-effective and easy to implement if done properly during the planning stage of a new build. 

"The development of new standards should always be mindful to avoid creating new barriers or falling below minimum gains already achieved. New standards should make clear significant progress over the status quo. Standards should represent the current best-known practices and specifications, which inevitably will evolve, improve and need to be revisited and revised on a regular basis. This on the other hand should not become an excuse to avoid developing new standards into regulation in the first place."  Well said.

My experience in advocating for change is that very few developers and home builders care about VisitAbility or any other form of accessibility features for homes, and some actively resist them.  Part of it stems from fear that it is expensive or ugly, but my Facebook page shows a number of albums with photos and documents that suggest otherwise.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.551553554875625.1073741827.551546931542954&type=3

We need to move toward a more inclusive design approach in new housing, which will require a cultural shift in existing biases and myths.  Education is key.  Here is the website for the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, and their national VisitAbility Project, if anyone would like to learn more.  I'm the coordinator for the Ottawa VisitAbility Task Force so please don't hesitate to forward any questions. I would be happy to forward information if your are interested.

http://visitablehousingcanada.com/