Summary

The City is committed to developing age-friendly infrastructure and has developed Accessibility Design Standards that respond to the needs of older adults. These standards are intended to be mandatory for all new construction and the redevelopment of existing facilities, owned, leased or operated by the City of Ottawa. They are intended to be applied to the greatest extent possible for retrofit, alterations or additions to existing facilities owned, leased or operated by the City of Ottawa. In addition, the standards are encouraged to be implemented by other sectors and organizations within Ottawa and are recognized as addressing the needs of diverse users, with or without disabilities, to ensure inclusive environments for all.In addition to developing these standards, the City is committed to a barrier retrofit program that has made accessibility improvements at over 250 City sites, & facilities to remove barriers to accessibility. The program identifies barriers to accessibility through a barrier audit program and assigns resources to the retro-fit and installation of accessible amenities, such as accessible ramps & stairs, guards and handrails, rest areas, washrooms, lighting, signage and way-finding systems, etc.

Website: http://www.ottawa.ca

Age-friendly practice in detail (click to expand):