Skip to content
Menu
  • English Selected
  • Français

 

Header secondary

  • Sign up for eNews
  • Donate

Header

  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Our Programs
    • Leadership Team
    • Board Members and Committees
    • Donors
    • Annual Reports
    • 2021-23 Strategic Plan
    • FAQ
    • Work With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Champion's Circle
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • About Rick
    • About Rick
    • Rick's Story
    • Man In Motion World Tour
      • Man In Motion World Tour
      • The Dream
      • Tour Timeline
      • Tour Gallery
      • Tour Team
      • 35th Anniversary
    • Rick’s Work and Vision
    • A Conversation with Rick
    • Awards & Honours
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Get Involved
    • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Legacy Giving
    • Fundraise
    • Help make Canada accessible
    • Everyone Everywhere
    • National AccessAbility Week
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Become Accessible
    • Become Accessible
    • Rating & Certification 
      • Rating & Certification 
      • Rating Request Form
      • RHFAC FAQ
      • RHFAC v3.0
    • Accessibility Training and Education
      • Professional Training
      • Accessibility Training and Education
      • Tuition Grants
    • APN 2023 Conference
    • Accessibility Resources
    • Accessibility Professional Network
      • Accessibility Professional Network
      • FAQ: Accessibility Professional Network
      • Login
      • RHFAC Professional Directory
    • Post an Accessibility Job
    • Accessibility Advisory Services
    • Buildings Without Barriers Challenge
    • Leaders in Accessibility
    • B.C. Accessibility Grants
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Schools & Communities
    • Schools and Communities
    • Create an Inclusive School Year
      • Start with Awareness
      • Concentrate on Kindness 
      • Boldly Take Action
    • Resource Library
    • Ambassador Presentations
      • Ambassador Presentations
      • Book a Presentation
      • About Our Ambassadors
    • Difference Maker Awards
      • Difference Maker Awards
      • Difference Maker Winners
    • Supplementary Resources
    • Our Partners
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • News & Stories
    • News & Stories
    • Blog
    • Media Centre
    • Newsletter
    • Disability Reports
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Search

Breadcrumb

  1. Rick Hansen Foundation
  2. News & Stories
  3. Blog
  4. Currently selected New CSA Standard for Accessible Housing
Couple at their kitchen counter which is at an accessible height. There is an iPad on the counter. The man has grey hair and is standing next to his wife who has short brown hair and is using a wheelchair.

New CSA Standard for Accessible Housing

Katie Kirker By Katie Kirker On February 16, 2023 Access & Inclusion

Twenty-four per cent of Canadians identify as having a disability related to mobility, vision or hearing and nearly half say they spend time with or help someone who has one or more of these disabilities, according to the Angus Reid Institute (ARI). Each of these individuals needs to be able to use their homes to their full extent, independently.

CSA Group has worked with Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and accessibility collaborators to develop an important new standard called CSA/ASC B652, Accessible dwellings. This standard was funded by Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC) and Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC).

What is CSA/ASC B652, Accessible Dwellings?

The CSA/ASC B652, Accessible Dwellings standard can be used in the design and construction for new homes, or in renovations of existing homes to help make a space increasingly accessible.

Alex Leblanc, Vice Chair on the accessibility technical subcommittee that works on developing CSA/ASC B652, is a person with lived experience and understands the challenges of accessible design in housing.

“The impact is going to be massive,” Leblanc explained. “It’s a great tool and is something our population needs right now. It will help create understanding in the industry of what the needs are and how to address them.”

Samantha Ryan, C.E.T., Principal of ABE Factors Inc. and an RHFAC Professional, is the Chair of the new CSA B652 Accessible Dwellings technical subcommittee and is excited about the potential that this standard will have on the community.

“It blows my mind that not everyone is provided with an opportunity I’ve otherwise taken for granted, the ability to feel comfortable and navigate my own home. To enter each room of a house, to cook a meal safely, to enter a bathroom, to take a shower, to tuck your kid in at night – these should all be basic rights to everyone,” Ryan explained. “For that reason alone, if the adoption of CSA/ASC B652 helps grant people the opportunity to establish a meaningful home life, that’s something I think each of our committee members would be proud of.”

Samantha Ryan who is in front of a white background. Samantha has long dark hair and is wearing a dress with flowers on it.
Samantha Ryan

What is included in the new standard?

Elements in the new standard that can be used in accessible home design include area allowances for rooms and spaces, having access to all levels (indoor or outdoor) and best practices for features that address the placement of controls on home electronics and appliances, (e.g., light switches and thermostats), faucets, among others.

“I’m a 37-year-old who needs a service dog and a powered wheelchair to enter a space independently, and being able to get into a space is huge,” Leblanc said. “It is great to be able to use my voice to help create something that will impact so many, including those who live with a disability.”

The standard operates on the principles of Universal Design which is designing livable environments so that people can access, understand, and use their home to the greatest extent possible, regardless of their age, size, or ability.

“For me, CSA/ASC B652, Accessible dwellings is a steppingstone, people have finally screamed loud enough and are starting to be heard. We need a technical standard that covers private accessible housing and it’s finally here. Homes are very unique to the individual or family that lives within them, and therefore there’s a need for greater flexibility and adaptation, but also affordability,” Ryan said. “My hope is for people with disabilities to have the same opportunities as everyone else when looking for a home in whichever neighbourhood or area they choose.”

Version 4.0 of the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification TM (RHFAC) rating survey, which is due to be released in 2024, will align with this new standard with regards to multi-unit residential units. Kevin Ng, Acting Director of RHFAC and Johnathan Marriott, Director of the Accessibility Advisory Program at The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) were both a part of the technical subcommittee that helped provide input into the new standard and will aid in aligning RHFAC to it. Brad McCannell, VP of Access and Inclusion at RHF, also provided input through his role on the Accessibility Standards Canada Board.

“The release of the new accessible dwellings standard is a positive move forward towards recognizing the basic housing needs of people of all ages and abilities,” said McCannell. “There is no greater need than housing that supports aging in place solutions, intergenerational living and enables people with disabilities to fully participate in their communities. The Rick Hansen Foundation looks forward to supporting this outstanding initiative as we update our Accessibility Certification program to help identify and remove fundamental barriers.”

Brad McCannell who has short, light-coloured hair and is wearing a blue button up shirt and a dark sports coat. He is in front of a grey pillar and is using a wheelchair.
Brad McCannell

Updates to existing standard, CSA/ASC B651

In addition, CSA Group and Accessibility Standards Canada have collaborated to make updates to the existing standard, CSA/ASC B651, Accessible design for the built environment. Updates include tactile direction indicator positioning, controls for power assisted doors, and water bottle filling stations, among many others.

Version 4.0 of the RHFAC rating survey will continue to align with the updates to CSA/ASC B651 along with updates to national accessibility legislation.

--

Learn more about the new Accessible Dwellings standard and the importance of creating accessible homes across Canada at the "Setting a New Standard for Accessible Housing” session at the upcoming Accessibility Professional Network Conference #APN2023: Building Together on March 1st and 2nd. Visit www.RickHansen.com/APN2023 and CSA Group.

Related articles

The Art of Fighting Back
Three people who are using wheelchairs having a conversation at a conference.
More than a Conference: 4 Takeaways from #APN2023
Sherry Hastinga, who has chin-length brown hair and brown eyes. She is wearing a beige blazer and standing in front of a cream-coloured wall.
Sherry Hastings is Excited to Create Accessible Buildings as an RHFAC Professional
Michelle who has long blonde hair. Blue background. White text reads "You can make a big difference to so many people."
Michelle Mahoney Finds New Opportunities Through RHFAC Training

About the Author

Katie Kirker is currently working as the assistant on the marketing and communications team. She has previously worked as a journalist reporting on policy. She is excited to bring that experience to the RHF team.

Back to top

Next Story

5 Tips for Teaching High School Students about Disability Inclusion
Rebecca Blissett By Rebecca Blissett
Read More

Stay in Touch

Receive Foundation emails to stay up-to-date on our impact and programs.

Contact Us

1-800-213-2131
info@rickhansen.com

Rick Hansen Foundation
300-3820 Cessna Drive
Richmond, BC
Canada V7B 0A2

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Imagine Canada

The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under license by the Rick Hansen Foundation.

About Us - EN

  • About Us
  • Our Programs
  • Leadership Team
  • Board Members and Committees
  • Donors
  • Annual Reports
  • 2021-23 Strategic Plan
  • FAQ
  • Work With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Champion's Circle

About Rick - EN

  • About Rick
  • Rick's Story
  • Man In Motion World Tour
    • Man In Motion World Tour
    • The Dream
    • Tour Timeline
    • Tour Gallery
    • Tour Team
    • 35th Anniversary
  • Rick’s Work and Vision
  • A Conversation with Rick
  • Awards & Honours

Get Involved - EN

  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Legacy Giving
  • Fundraise
  • Help make Canada accessible
  • Everyone Everywhere
  • National AccessAbility Week

Become Accessible - EN

  • Become Accessible
  • Rating & Certification 
    • Rating & Certification 
    • Rating Request Form
    • RHFAC FAQ
    • RHFAC v3.0
  • Accessibility Training and Education
    • Professional Training
    • Accessibility Training and Education
    • Tuition Grants
  • APN 2023 Conference
  • Accessibility Resources
  • Accessibility Professional Network
    • Accessibility Professional Network
    • FAQ: Accessibility Professional Network
    • Login
    • RHFAC Professional Directory
  • Post an Accessibility Job
  • Accessibility Advisory Services
  • Buildings Without Barriers Challenge
  • Leaders in Accessibility
  • B.C. Accessibility Grants

Schools & Communities - EN

  • Schools and Communities
  • Create an Inclusive School Year
    • Start with Awareness
    • Concentrate on Kindness 
    • Boldly Take Action
  • Resource Library
  • Ambassador Presentations
    • Ambassador Presentations
    • Book a Presentation
    • About Our Ambassadors
  • Difference Maker Awards
    • Difference Maker Awards
    • Difference Maker Winners
  • Supplementary Resources
  • Our Partners

News & Stories - EN

  • News & Stories
  • Blog
  • Media Centre
  • Newsletter
  • Disability Reports

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ethical Reporting Policy
  • Complaints Policy
  • Imagine Canada Certification
  • Accessibility Commitment
  • Diversity and Inclusion
Imagine Canada

The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under license by the Rick Hansen Foundation.

Charitable Registration Number: 10765 9427 RR 0001 © 2023 Rick Hansen Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Back to Top
Hero

Our programs and initiatives work to create an accessible and inclusive world where people with disabilities can live to their full potential. 

Learn more
Hero

When Rick set out to wheel around the world in 1985, he had three missions: to raise awareness about the potential of people with disabilities, create accessible and inclusive communities, and find a cure.

Read more
Hero

Receive updates from RHF on the impact we’re making for people with disabilities across Canada.

Subscribe
Hero

Have your site rated and certified for meaningful access for people with physical disabilities. Make your community more welcoming and inclusive for all!

Get Started
Hero

Receive free educational resources that teach youth about the importance of access and inclusion.  

Learn more
Hero

Browse the latest stories about access and inclusion from Rick and our team of bloggers. 

Read our Blog