Facility Accessibility Design Standards
DOWNLOAD
You can download the Facility Accessibility Design Standards document.
[
PDF
1.1MB]
RELATED LINKS
Information about the Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Making Kingston more accessible for all.
PDF HELP
The freely available Adobe Reader software can be used to view the PDF documents on the City of Kingston Web site.
[ Download]
The text below is from the Introduction of the Facility Accessibility Design Standards. You can download the complete document using the links at right.
This standard addresses accessibility requirements for the design and construction of new facilities, as well as the retrofit, alteration or addition to existing facilities, owned, leased or operated by the City of Kingston. However, it does not apply to the public right-of-way, which is an issue that will be re-visited and reviewed when the Province passes its built environment regulation. This standard particularly addresses the needs of persons with disabilities, including, but not limited to, persons with a mobility impairment, hearing impairment, visual impairment, cognitive impairment, persons who are deaf-blind and persons with limited stamina and/or dexterity.
This standard is intended to encompass the intent of the Ontario Human Rights Code, in terms of respecting the dignity of persons with disabilities. "The phrase 'respects their dignity' means to act in a manner which recognizes the privacy, confidentiality, comfort, autonomy and self-esteem of persons with disabilities, which maximizes their integration and which promotes full participation in society" (Ontario Human Rights Commission).
This standard incorporates the belief in universal design that recognizes the broad diversity of people who use facilities. Universal design is defined as: "The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design." The universal design philosophy is structured around the seven design principles listed below (refer to Appendix A for further information on the universal design principles and their guidelines).
This standard reflects minimum dimensional criteria required for adult persons. Prior to the design stage of a project, special consideration should be given to the function of the facility and the patrons who will use it. A review and upgrade of this standard may be required in some instances, particularly if a facility is designed primarily for the use of a particular type of user, such as children or older persons.
Where conflicts exist between scoping and/or dimensional requirements of this standard and legislation enacted by the federal or provincial governments, the most accommodating requirements shall apply (i.e. the requirement(s) that will result in the most accommodating environment but never less than the minimum requirements of the current Ontario Building Code).
The Accessibility staff of the City of Kingston shall review and/or update this standard every 3-5 years, to reflect technological advancement and new construction practices, as well as changes to the barrier-free design requirements of various codes and standards such as the Ontario Building Code and the CSA Standard B651 — Accessible Design for the Built Environment.
This standard recognizes the concept of alternate accommodations as a means to encourage new and innovative design ideas and solutions. Departures from particular technical and scoping requirements of this standard by the use of other designs and technologies are encouraged when the alternatives will provide substantially equivalent or greater access to the usability of the element and/or facility. Design departures from information provided and referenced in this standard should be carefully assessed to determine the validity of the application and may require review by a committee appointed for this purpose by the Council of the City of Kingston.
Dimensions used in this standard are in metric units. Nearest imperial equivalent dimensions are in parentheses.
The City of Kingston encourages all users of this standard to provide feedback, as well as to make proposals for changes, additions and/or deletions. A proposed Change Order Form is included in Appendix C of this standard.
