December 27, 2013
On December 27, 2013, Ontario Regulation 368/13 was filed to amend the new 2012 Building Code, O.Reg. 332/12.
The effective date of the amendment is January 1, 2015.
The amended requirements will substantially enhance accessibility in newly constructed buildings and existing buildings that are to be extensively renovated. They maintain Ontario’s leadership role in requirements for barrier-free design.
In 2005, the government committed to the development of five accessibility standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. These amendments to the Building Code work together with the Design of Public Spaces standard, introduced in 2013, to finalize the government’s commitment to an accessibility standard for the built environment.
Five accessibility standards are already in regulation under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act: Customer Service, Information and Communications, Employment, Transportation, and Design of Public Spaces. For more information on Accessibility Standards, please visit www.ontario.ca/AccessOn.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is working with the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario to develop updated Building Code appendix notes and educational resource material to provide clarity and guidance to the building and design industry, the disability community and the public.
For more information on the new requirements, please visit the Building Code website at www.ontario.ca/buildingcode.
The text of the amending regulation and the complete 2012 Building Code will be available on www.e-laws.gov.on.ca.
