Tenant guide to build standards

Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) is committed to making all communities accessible to tenants with physical disabilities. To make this happen, TCHC uses the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Accessibility Build Standards (TCHCABS). These are technical standards that are mostly used by architects, engineers and construction staff when creating new buildings and renovating existing ones.

The team that created these standards are: TCHC management, staff, and the Responsible Personal Accessibility in Toronto Housing (R-PATH) Committee. R-PATH members brought their expertise of living with disabilities and accessibility to the table, which made the Accessibility Build Standards truly usable by all TCHC tenants now and in the future.

This guide is a lesser detailed version of the complete Tenant Build Standard Guide (PDF).

How to use the web version of the guide

The next section lists the main parts of the TCHC Accessibility Build Standards. You will find a description of the key accessible items in specific areas of a building.

First column

The space. This can be common (public) spaces in the building, such as laundry rooms, mailbox areas, entrances. It also includes tenant apartment unit spaces.

Second column

The key items or components in that space. This may be all you want to know.

Third column

You might want to know more about the specific details of an item. The third column lists the page in the Accessible Build Standards that has this information.

Not every space or component is listed, only the main (key) spaces and key components. Some items are common to many spaces. Those components will repeat themselves. For example, Automatic Door Openers (ADO’s) are common to many spaces.

Only fully accessible apartment unit components are listed. Apartment units are modified to meet the individual tenants’ medical needs. The designs will vary according to those needs and not all components may be included.

If you have more questions about the Tenants’ Guide or The Accessibility Build Standards, contact Cathy Birch, Chair of the R-PATH Committee at cbirch619@msn.com.

Common information

TCHC uses the Accessibility Build Standards to design, build, and modify your communities. In existing buildings, the building structure may not allow the full standards to be used. When that happens, TCHC uses the accessibility requirements of the Ontario Building Code.

The Common Space Standards intent is to ensure physical barriers are removed or not designed. This means tenants with physical disabilities can fully participate in their community and TCHC buildings and offices.

When tenants have medical needs for accessible living spaces, their units can be renovated. This is called a unit modification. Tenants who need their unit modified can go through an application and assessment process. Modifications are done to suit each tenant individually and may not include all accessible components.

The components shown below in the chart are for a fully accessible unit.

You can expect to see the following accessible components in many spaces in your community:

ADO’s are Automatic Door Openers.
Accessible doors are all 42 inches wide.
Knee clearance is open space under a counter or in a cabinet to create leg room for a wheelchair user.
Ramps all have a maximum slope and the design will depend on each individual space.
Accessible Parking spaces all include the transfer space beside it, with room to get from the vehicle to a mobility device, such as a walker, wheelchair or scooter.
Accessible drop-off space - one drop-off for buildings under 150 units and two for buildings with more than 150 units.
Turning Diameter for a wheelchair or scooter to turn around is 7 feet in the TCHC Standards. It is only 5 feet in the Ontario Building Code (OBC).
All direction and wayfinding signage includes Braille and raised lettering to help people who are blind or have low vision.
Accessible outlets are higher on the wall than a regular unit height or in the case of a kitchen are on the front of cabinets as well as on the backsplash wall.

Details

The following table identifies page numbers within the TCHC Accessibility Build Standards where detailed technical requirements can be found for components. Page numbers in bold identify the primary source of information for a component.

# Area	Component	Page in the Build Standards
1. Exterior	Wheel-Trans & Accessible Drop-offs	29, 33-35
	Accessible benches	46-47
	Accessible Picnic Tables	36-37
	Accessible Gardens	38-40
	Accessible Parking	30-32
2. Vestibule	ADO’s including remote ability into the building and from the vestibule to the lobby	59, 70-73
	Accessible intercom height	60
	Turning Diameter	59
	Accessible fob height	59, 163-165
3. Lobby	Turning Diameter	64
	ADO with remote capacity	64, 70-73
	Clear Path of travel to mailboxes	50
	Clear Path of travel to elevators	50
	Clear space of access to/around laundry card refill station	190
	Wayfinding signage	63-64
	Adequate reach for elevator buttons inside and out	163-165
	Accessible elevators large enough to allow Wheelchairs and mobility scooters	55
	Elevators to have vertical and horizontal control/floor buttons	55
4. Laundry rooms	ADO	109-110, 70- 73
	50% of machines should be front loading	109-110
	Minimum one 25 lb washer	110-111
	Accessible folding table with knee clearance	110-111
	Accessible sink with knee clearance	110-111
	Kiosks (pay part of machines) must be at the front, reachable and on card readers	109-111
5. Common space Accessible washrooms	ADO with remote capacity	83-85, 70-73
	Occupied Identifier	83-84
	Accessible door	84-85, 66-69
	Emergency button with panic strip	83-84, 86
	Lock button	N/A
	Raised toilet	77-78
	Grab bars	77-78
	Accessible sink with knee clearance	80-81
	Accessible/reachable: Soap dispenser Paper towel holder Toilet paper holder	80-81, 82
	Turning diameter at door and inside	84
6. Common Space - Accessible Community Rooms	ADO WITH FOB ACCESS.	112-113, 70- 73
	Accessible doors	113-114, 66- 69
	Turning Diameter including doorways	113-114
	Accessible Path of Travel	112, 50
	Accessible outlets	112, 163-165
	Accessible furniture - some chairs should have arms.	N/A
	Accessible ramp to existing stage	113
	Accessible kitchen (listed next)	N/A
	Wayfinding signage	63-64
7. Common Space Accessible Kitchen	ADO if closed to other spaces	70-73
	Accessible doors	66-69
	Turning Diameter	102
	Accessible outlets on front of cabinets	103
	Accessible refrigerator with door clearance 180 degrees	103
	Accessible counter height	104
	Accessible sink with knee clearance	102-103
	Accessible drop-down hardware in a minimum of 1 upper cupboard	103
	Stovetop with accessible knee clearance	102-103
	Side opening wall mounted oven	102-103
	Dishwasher, if applicable to the community, to have clear path of travel around open door	N/A
8. Fully Accessible Unit	ADO with remote access	130, 132, 70-73
	Accessible doors- Unit Bedroom(s) Washroom	130-131
	Accessible hallway	130
	Accessible closets with accordion style doors	142
	Accessible (placed higher on wall) electrical outlets in all rooms	131, 164-165
	Accessible (placed higher on wall) cable and telephone jacks in living room and bedroom(s)	132, 164-165
	Accessible kitchen listed below	N/A
	Accessible washroom listed below	N/A
9. Unit Accessible Kitchen	Accessible sink with knee clearance	138
	Accessible outlets on the front of cabinets	136
	Wall mounted oven-side opening	137
	Ranges with front controls are only used when space is limited by structure	137
	Countertop stove	137
	Drop-down hardware inside upper cupboards as needed	136
	Pull out drawers for lower cupboard storage	137
	Accessible refrigerator with 180 degree door swing	137
10. Unit Accessible Washroom	Accessible door- barn style where possible	139, 141
	Accessible outlets
	Accessible sink with knee clearance	139-141
	Grab bars	77
	Raised toilet	77
	Roll-in shower	141
	Accessible medicine cabinet	140
	Accessible mirror	81