Preface
This is the first edition of CSA B651HB, Accessible design for the built environment — Implementation handbook.
This Handbook was developed as a complementary guide to the fifth edition of CSA B651, Accessible design for the built environment, and contains explanatory, informative commentary on the requirements of the Standard. The Standard sets forth requirements for making buildings and other facilities accessible to persons with a range of physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities, including but not limited to mobility impairments, reaching or manipulation disabilities, hearing impairments, and visual impairments. CSA B651 was developed by the Technical Committee on Accessible Design and the contents of the Standard have been reformatted into this Handbook.
This Handbook is structured as follows:
• Normative clauses are directly reproduced from the CSA B651 Standard. These are requirements that organizations might need to comply with in order to demonstrate conformance with the CSA B651 Standard.
• The informative guidance material to assist users in meeting the normative requirements is provided below the clauses in the text boxes.
The Technical Committee on Accessibility has also produced two related Standards, CSA B651.1, Accessible design for automated banking machines and CAN/CSA-B651.2, Accessible design for self-service interactive devices.
The Technical Committee has also developed other Standards, including • CSA B480, Customer service standard for people with disabilities;
• CSA B659, Inclusive design for an aging population; and
• the ISO adoption, CAN/CSA-ISO IWA 18, Framework for integrated community-based life-long health and care services in aged societies.
How to use this Handbook
This Handbook is intended to be used in its entirety and contains both mandatory and informative requirements. This Handbook was developed to include commentary to help organizations and individuals understand how to apply the principles of universal design to achieve accessible environments that can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability.
Scope
1.1 Purpose
This Standard specifies technical requirements on how to make buildings and the exterior built environment accessible and safely usable by persons with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities.
Commentary:
1) Temporary buildings and facilities provided for public use should also comply with the technical requirements of this Standard. Such temporary facilities can include teaching spaces, reviewing stands, exhibit areas, bleachers, first-aid facilities, pedestrian passageways around construction sites, as well as temporary accommodations such as shelters.
2) Where public access is permitted during construction, renovation, or maintenance of a facility or an exterior environment, the requirements of this Standard should be respected to provide safe and equitable use for everyone.
3) Some people with disabilities could have requirements beyond the levels addressed in this Standard.
1.2 Application
This Standard describes technical requirements that can be used in the design and construction of new facilities or exterior environments, or in modifications to existing facilities. This Standard does not address the application of the technical requirements. The extent to which these requirements have to be applied is the responsibility of other authorities having jurisdiction.
1.3 Dimensions
This Standard contains minimum requirements based on adult dimensions. Dimensions are given in SI (metric) units (typically in millimetres) and, where converted from foot/ pound (imperial) units, have been rounded off with respect to critical dimensions. All dimensions in figures are given in millimetres and are measured to the centreline, unless otherwise specified.
Commentary:
1) When designing for specific individuals, their particular abilities and preferences should be taken into account. For example, some people prefer to transfer to or from a wheeled mobility device towards their preferred side when using toilet facilities.
2) If a facility is primarily to serve children, dimensions and other provisions should be adjusted to make them suitable for children.
1.4 Commentary and figures
Commentary and figures are included for explanatory or illustrative purposes only and are not a mandatory part of the Standard. Figures are not to scale. If there is any difference between the text and figure (where provided), the text shall take precedence.
1.5 Annexes
Annexes A to C provide additional information on topics considered in the Standard. Annex D provides guidance for the design of outdoor trails and beach access routes. Annex E contains references for accessible outdoor recreational environments, to supplement the information and guidance provided in Annex D.
1.6 Terminology
In this Standard, shall is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; should is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and may is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard.
Commentary accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a commentary accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.
Text accompanying tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.
Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application.
1.7 Large print
Consistent with the recommendations of the CSA B651 series of standards, and for ease of reading the information and universal accessibility, this Standard has been printed in a 14 point font size.
