Overview
The information below discusses who the Design of Public Spaces Standard applies to and the requirements of the Standard.
Who the Standard Applies to
The Standard must be followed by:
- the Ontario Government and Legislative Assembly
- all designated public sector organizations, which include municipalities, universities, colleges, hospitals, school boards and public transportation organizations
- private businesses and not-for-profit organizations that have one or more employees in Ontario
Scope of the Standard
The Standard requires organizations to incorporate accessibility when:
- Building new public spaces, or
- Making planned significant alterations to existing public spaces.
Organizations are not required to retrofit public spaces to meet the requirements.
Accessibility for elements related to buildings, for example, building entrances, washrooms and barrier-free paths of travel, are not addressed in this Standard. They are addressed through Ontario’s Building Code.
If an organization has entered into a contract on or before December 31, 2012 to build a new or make planned significant alterations to an existing public space, and the contract does not meet the requirements of the Standard, the requirements do not have to be met in honouring the contract.
Recreational Trails and Beach Access Routes
The requirements for recreational trails and beach access routes apply to all organizations.
Consultation requirements for recreational trails
When building new recreational trails, or making planned significant alterations to existing ones, organizations must consult with the public and people with disabilities to help determine particular trail features that affect the intended experience of the trail.
Municipalities must also consult with their accessibility advisory committee, if one has been established.
Features an organization must consult on include the trail’s slope, the need for and location of ramps on the trail, and the need for, location of, and design of rest areas, passing areas, viewing areas, amenities and other features on the trail.
Organizations and municipalities do not need to consult about beach access routes.
Technical requirements
When building new or making planned significant alterations to existing recreational trails and beach access routes, organizations must follow certain technical requirements, including:
- Minimum width and height clearance measurements
- Surface characteristics
Outdoor Public Use Eating Areas
When building new or making planned significant alterations to existing outdoor public eating areas, organizations, except small organizations, must make sure:
- At least 20 per cent of new tables added, and no fewer than one of the newtables, are accessible to people using mobility aids, such as wheelchairs,
- The ground surface leading to and under the accessible tables is level, firm,and stable to accommodate mobility aids, and
- Enough clear space around the accessible tables is provided so people using a mobility aid can approach the tables.
Outdoor Play Spaces
The requirements apply to outdoor play spaces containing:
- Play equipment, such as swings, and/or
- Play features such as logs, rocks, sand or water
All organizations except small organizations must meet the following requirements when building new or making planned significant alterations to existing outdoor play spaces.
Consultation Requirements
Organizations must consult with the public and people with disabilities.
Municipalities must also consult with their municipal accessibility advisory committee, where one has been established.
Accessibility in design requirements
Organizations must:
- Incorporate accessible play space features for children and their caregiverswith various disabilities.
- Make sure there is enough room for children and their caregivers with various disabilities to move through, in and around the play space, and
- Make sure the ground surface is firm, stable and able to absorb the shock of a fall to help prevent injuries.
Exterior Paths of Travel
The Standard includes certain technical requirements when organizations except small organizations build new or make planned significant alterations to existing exterior paths of travel.
The Standard does not apply to paths of travel that are regulated by Ontario’s Building Code.
Accessible Parking
The standard includes requirements for both public off-street and on-street accessible parking spaces when building new or making planned significant alterations to existing parking spaces.
Obtaining Services
The Standard includes requirements for making service counters, fixed queuing guides and waiting areas accessible to people with disabilities.
These elements can be located both inside and outside of buildings and are not covered by Ontario’s Building Code.
Maintenance Planning
All organizations (except small organizations) have a requirement under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation for multi-year accessibility plans.
Organizations must make sure that their multi-year accessibility plans include:
- Procedures for preventative and emergency maintenance of the accessible parts of their public spaces, such as frequency of inspecting sidewalks for cracks
- Procedures for handling temporary disruptions when an accessible part of their public spaces is not useable, such as putting up a sign explaining the disruption and outlining an alternative