The new draft Toronto Accessibility Design Guidelines (TADG) are now available for public viewing after seven years of collaboration between Human Space and the City of Toronto. Over a dozen agencies including the CNIB, Pegasus, Nucleus Independent Living and Silent Voice Canada also contributed input and feedback to the new guidelines, the last version of which was published in 2004. The TADG will be reviewed in Public Information Sessions on 9 September 2021, and it is opened to a 6-week period to collect public feedback that will inform the finalized document and then be presented to City Council in October.
The guidelines will apply to all renovations and replacements for City facilities and public spaces, regardless of their size or scope. These updated guidelines will meet and exceed requirements already set out by the Ontario Building Code (OBC) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), providing improved design requirements, and / or establishing guidelines that had not been fully covered in the past.
The updated TADG will establish best practices for accessible development based on principles of respect, dignity and inclusion. TADG will include improved guidelines for accessible parking, service counters, signage and wayfinding, washrooms, and other updated requirements covered within several key categories: exterior, interior, systems and controls and maintenance.
Intended to be a living document, TADG will be reviewed at critical intervals and updated to create the best possible guidelines for accessibility as the opportunities and design considerations for diversity, inclusion and equity in the built environment evolve.
Human Space looks forward to learning and integrating your feedback from the Public Consultation session set for 9 September 2021. Learn more here: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/official-plan-guidelines/design-guidelines/toronto-accessibility-design-guidelines/
Find the draft document here: Toronto Accessibility Design Guidelines.