The built environment needs to serve the widest range of demographics, including optimizing spaces and travel paths to promote equity and inclusivity for all. We assist our clients to make buildings accessible to everyone.

An accessible built environment is one where an individual can make use of any area and is able, without assistance, to safely approach, enter, move within, and exit from the building/facility. The accessibility of any built environment is based on the entire user experience, regardless of a level of ability or disability of a person using that facility. In an accessible building, all occupants benefit regardless of their physical and mental abilities.

We address building designs to include accessible vehicular access and approach, accessible parking spots, accessible entrances, accessible interior and exterior circulation, barrier-free sanitary facilities, and emergency provisions that take into account needs of persons with disabilities. Proposed designs must meet and exceed the barrier-free requirements of applicable Building Codes (i.e., OBC, BCBC, NBC, etc.) and Standards such as CAN/CSA B651, “Accessible Design for the Built Environment”. Our goal is to provide clients with solution-oriented design guidance that focuses on meeting the intent of accessible designs and accessibility principles (equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive, tolerance to error, low physical effort, providing size and space for approach use).

Our services include consulting in the pre-design and design stages of the project so that the project will incorporate universal design principles and a high level of accessibility. We also conduct building audits which provide a snapshot of current levels of accessibility of a building and provide information and recommendations on areas of improvement.

We have staff certified to conduct the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC).