50 signatures reached
To: House of Commons
End housing discrimination against people with disabilities
1) Immediately amend the National Building Code of Canada, making it mandatory that all housing in any way under the jurisdiction of the Government of Canada be universal design;
2) Ensure that the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes and CMHC collaborate on defining in the Building Code what is visitable, adaptable, accessible, barrier-free, and universal design;
3) Ensure that specifications for visitable, adaptable, accessible, barrier-free and universal design for the residential sector be clearly illustrated in the National Building Code,
4) Comply with United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities on accessibility of housing;
5) Disaggregate Statistics Canada data on disability; and
6) Require that any federal funds transferred to provinces, territories, or any other organization for housing fund only universally designed housing.
Why is this important?
20% of Canadians are reported to have a disability, including 200,000 Canadian children;
This is predicted to rise to 25% by 2031;
People of all ages have disabilities of many types;
There is no building code in Canada mandating that housing be made accessible to people with disabilities;
Universal design will accommodate anyone of any age or ability, going beyond mere accessibility, and demonstrating an underlying commitment to including as wide a range of users as possible; and
The Canadian Human Rights Code and Charter of Rights and Freedoms forbid discrimination on the basis of disability.