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32 | OCTOBER 2018 Inclusive Design PHOTOGRAPHY BY SL~DESIGN Raising awareness about accessibility and all-inclusive design by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI W hile a great deal of emphasis has been placed on the lifecycle of a building, increasing attention is now slowly being paid to the lifecycle of its tenants. Latest statistics show that for the first time ever seniors made up a bigger share of Canada's population (16.9 percent) than children (16.6 percent). This presents a challenge for those in a sector where there is the growing awareness about a need for building accessibility . . . but perhaps not in the way we once knew. "The desire for more-inclusive built environments has grown across Canada in recent years. Across the country we're seeing regulatory changes, demands from an aging population, and a recognition that inclusion and participation support civic and economic growth," explains Jesse Klimitz, director of Human Space, Quadrangle's design consulting branch that focuses on inclusion, wellness, and advocacy. "In the residential sector this has manifested as a desire for flexible and adaptable housing with inclusive amenities that allow for aging in place and continued civic engagement." Klimitz adds that workplaces are now also recognizing these benefits and are searching for commercial properties that can offer a sense of place and positively contribute to an occupant's experience and well-being. "Take for example Cadillac Fairview's TD Centre in Toronto. This was the first building in North America to achieve the WELL Core and Shell Gold Certification, providing enhanced air qual- ity, improved indoor lighting, promotion of activity, and artwork upgrades." While the industry is trying to come to terms with what exactly accessibility truly means, the design community also faces challenges in understanding how to incorporate inclusive approaches into every aspect of design. "Inclusive design is not a rigid or technical set of requirements. Rather it is a lens for examining our intentions and processes to 'get better' at creating design solutions that benefit all of us," explains Klimitz. "One way to overcome such challenges is to create tools for recognizing potential barriers that someone other than ourselves might expe- rience and to seek out input from diverse user groups to help shape the design." Brad McCannell, VP, access and inclusion, at the Rick Hansen Foundation agrees that he is seeing a shift in attitude. "Attitudinal barriers, or preconceived notions of what people with disabilities are capable of, have always been the biggest barrier facing people with disabilities as a community. More people are seeing the barriers that have long been obvious to people with disabilities, and starting to understand the issues, just by watching their families age," says McCannell. He adds that this shift is also reflected in government. "For the first time in its history Canada has a Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. Federal Everyone Welcome accessibility legislation is only months away, and now the building industry is recognizing some of the opportunities improving accessibility will bring." However, understanding what accessibility means of course is key. "One of the biggest challenges facing anyone interested in providing a universally accessible environment is first figuring out what 'access' means. Access for who? People with mobility disabilities? People who have low vision? People who are hard of hearing? We need common measuring tools and a consistent voice when speaking about changes to the built environment." The Rick Hansen Foundation has identified a major block to removing barriers in the built environment with a solution that measures a building or site's level of meaningful access, delivered by a trained accessibility assessor. Building owners or managers receive a rating score and can choose to certify their building under the RHF Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) program. While the concept may be somewhat new to the construction sector, there are a few great examples of accessible or all-inclusive buildings. These include the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), The Abilities Centre in Whitby, Ontario, Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, and The SAP Labs building in Vancouver – all these projects go beyond installing ramps and elevators, and instead look at the finer details to help make buildings more welcoming to people with disabilities and their families. Thea Kurdi from DesignABLE Environments and an affiliate member of the RAIC agrees that the concept of universal design is still in its infancy for the archi- tecture, design, and construction sector, but adds that it is simply about making better, more inclusive choices. "The human experience is a lifetime of changing needs and abilities, and is something that needs to be considered at the master planning and feasibility stage of any project. When we talk about accessibility and disabilities, we need to take a big picture approach. For example, we also need to consider temporary disabilities," says Kurdi. Mary Neilans, business development consultant at AccessAbility Advantage, says that adjusting the educational model for those who enter the sector would better inform the community at large. "Landscape designers, architects, electri- cians, mechanical consultants, they all need to be learning about inclusive design early on. It isn't so much about standards changing, which of course is important, it is actually about a change in attitude. When societal attitudes change, systemic change comes about," says Neilans. She also believes that a change in language is required. "We need to look at it as universal and inclusive design rather than accessible design. Well-designed products, services and environments using universal design principles not only serve the needs of people with disabilities, but are more broadly useful and ben- efit everyone. The majority of people who identify as disabled do not use mobility devices – they might have what's often referred to as 'invisible' disabilities. People with low vision, who are hard of hearing, or who have learning, mental health- related, or developmental disabilities – these individuals might benefit more from matte finishes, noise reduction, open floor plans, high contrast and tactile wayfinding systems, or visual emergency alarms," says Neilans. Having the end-users involved in the design process will prevent a lot of mis- takes in the long run. Having recently returned from the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification training in Vancouver, Neilans says she is seeing some positive changes happening within the sector. Over at Infrastructure Ontario (IO) the team has been working collaboratively to identify and implement solutions that respect the dignity and independence of all individuals. IO incorporates accessibility compliance to the Ontario Building Code, and IO/OPS Barrier Free Guidelines, where possible. "Every new construction and major renovation project is required to meet mini- mum accessible design requirements, in accordance with Ontario's accessibility legislation," says Sean Liddle at IO. One great example is the Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletes' Village that was designed to be a barrier-free environment for residents and visitors. Accessible design features included tactile strips at all stairs, ramps and grade changes as well as tonal contrast for doors and frames throughout, fully accessible washrooms with roll-in showers, grab bars and transition seats in public facilities, visual signal devices in addition to audible signals for the fire alarm system, comprehensive signage and wayfinding, oversized doorways, corridors and elevators, and tactile installations for people with vision impairment. One architecture and interior design firm that is renowned for its commitment to all-inclusive design is Bortolotto. The team works extensively with Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) on many accessibility projects in which higher than average standards are required. Bortolotto is also working with OCAD University in Toronto which, like many other post-secondary institutions, has developed Facility Accessibility Design Standards (FADS). These standards apply to all newly constructed and/or renovated OCAD University-owned, leased or operated

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