Design Needs

The technical requirements within this section are derived from a number of sources including the National Building Code of Canada, CAN/CSA B651 Accessible design for the built environment, ISO/FDIS 21542 Building Construction – Accessibility and usability of the built environment and ISO 23599 – Assistive products for blind and vision-impaired persons – Tactile walking surface indicators. Please refer to these documents for more complete technical requirements.

At time of writing, CNIB is working with the Canadian Standards Association to obtain an accessible version of the latest CSA – B651 standard. Once this is available, in a format that is accessible, these guidelines will be reviewed.

In this section:

• Design Basics
  • Layout
  • Lighting
  • Colour and Brightness
  • Acoustics
• Exteriors and Interiors
  • Paths of Travel
  • Protruding Objects and Other Obstacles
  • Tactile Walking Surface Indicators
  • Stairs
  • Ramps
  • Platform Edges
  • Signage
  • Information and Communications Systems
  • Card, Keypad and Other Security Systems
• Exterior Design Elements
  • Exterior Paths of Travel
  • Street Crossings
  • Transit Facilities
  • Landscaping
  • Maintenance, Snow and Ice removal
  • Building Entrances
  • Exterior Doors
  • Recreational Facilities
• Interior Design Elements
  • Entrance Lobbies
  • Amenities
  • Floor Finishes, Grilles and Mats
  • Service Counters and Kiosks
  • Queuing Systems
  • Interior Circulation
  • Public Telephones
  • Escalators and Moving Walkways
  • Elevators
  • Mirrors, Glazed Screens and Sidelights
  • Doors and Entranceways
  • Specific Interior Rooms and Spaces