The Accessibility Standard for Real Property was rescinded on May 13, 2022. It has been replaced by the Directive on the Management of Real Property and its appended Standard on Barrier-Free Access to Real Property.
This standard is effective November 1, 2006.
This standard applies to all departments within the meaning of section 2 of the Financial Administration Act, unless specific acts or regulations override it.
The Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) gives effect to the principle that all individuals should have equal opportunity to have their needs accommodated, consistent with their duties and obligations and to function as members of society, without being hindered in, or prevented from, doing so by discriminatory practices.
The CHRA prohibits discrimination in the provision of goods, services, facilities or accommodation customarily available to the general public and prohibits the adverse differentiation between individuals.
The Treasury Board Policy on the Management of Real Property holds Deputy Heads responsible for providing barrier-free access to, use of and exit from real property in accordance with this standard. This standard establishes minimum requirements for the accessibility of real property to meet the objectives of the policy.
This standard is issued pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, subsections 7(1), 9(1.1), 9(2) and the Federal Real Property and Federal Immovables Act, subsection 16(4).
5.1. In the management of real property, custodians shall at a minimum, provide access to and use of the following:
Total Parking Spaces | Minimum No. of Accessible Spaces | Total Parking Spaces | Minimum No. of Accessible Spaces |
---|---|---|---|
up to 25 | 1 | 151–200 | 6 |
26–50 | 2 | 201–300 | 7 |
51–75 | 3 | 301–400 | 8 |
76–100 | 4 | 401–500 | 9 |
101–150 | 5 | more than 500 | 2% of total |
Accessible parking spaces shall be within a reasonable and safe proximity of the federal facility but may be distributed among distinct parking areas.
5.2. In meeting accessibility requirements for real property, departments shall apply the technical standard found in the publication entitled "Accessible Design For the Built Environment'' (CAN/CSA-B651).
Note: The current version of the CSA technical standard applies to the accessibility requirements of real property acquired (including lease renewal), under construction, or undergoing major refit since the date of publication. It does not apply retroactively to accessibility requirements of existing federal real property prior to the date of its publication.
5.3. For Crown-leased real property outside Canada, custodians shall make best efforts to meet the standard.
5.4. Departments shall adapt residential units to the technical standard when employees or their immediate dependants require accessibility.
5.5. Certain elements of real property may be exempted from the full accessibility requirements unless the intended use requires public access or the job requirements are such that a person with a disability could meet these requirements. Custodians shall establish internal procedures for identifying and seeking the deputy head's approval of full or partial exemptions from the accessibility requirements of this standard. They shall document the rationale for these exemptions and maintain records of all real property that is partially or fully exempted in accordance with this standard.
5.6. If the criteria that justified the exemption change, the custodian shall reassess the real property against this standard to ensure that the exemption is still justified.
5.7. Custodians may allow minor variations from the accessibility requirements of this standard (including the technical standard). However, such variations shall be consistent with the general intent of this standard and shall not affect the general accessibility of a specific property.
5.8. Where the accessibility requirements of this standard will significantly reduce the heritage quality of the property, some deviation from this standard is permitted. In deviating from the standard, custodians shall ensure that the following requirements are met:
Please direct enquiries about this policy instrument to the organizational unit in your department responsible for this subject matter. For interpretation of this policy instrument, the responsible organizational unit should contact: TBS Public Enquiries.