Close to 87 per cent of Canadians believe there should be accessible housing for everyone, according to a newly released national accessibility study by the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF). Yet most multi-residential buildings don’t anticipate the needs of an aging population, which comes with more disabilities.

Nearly two-thirds of Canadians have a disability or live with or take care of a family member with a disability. A report from Statistics Canada, released last year, found that between 2017 and 2022 the disability rate among seniors increased to 40 per cent. “You’re only temporarily able-bodied,” says Brad McCannell, vice president of access and inclusion at RHF and a wheelchair user for 40-plus years. “Everyone will join our community sooner or later, so how do we accommodate that as condo boards and owners?”

McCannell, who is also a member of the Accessibility Standards Canada Board, urges condos to make a concerted effort to get both seniors and people with disabilities on their boards. “There is nothing like the lived experience,” he says. “Get that direct input and it will allow you to anticipate the needs going forward.”

Older condos often face greater challenges when it comes to adapting their property for long-term use, says Kirsten Dale, property manager with MCRS Property Management. She finds the needs associated with aging in place can be complex, but if well supported, residents can comfortably remain in their homes for as long as possible. “When my firm begins working with a new community, we encourage residents to speak up often and early to express their wants and needs as this feedback helps us to plan for their long-term enjoyment of their investment,” she says. “Our residents learn quickly that as they age and their needs change, their homes can evolve right along with them.”

Solutions can partly come from disability awareness training, which may include hiring knowledgeable consultants, as well as group-based simulation activities that support team-building among boards. “Borrow a walker or wheelchair and try to navigate the common areas of your community,” suggests Dale. “Or put on a blindfold and try to find your way down to the refuse chute room in your hallway from your unit entrance. The ways you could help those with accessibility challenges will become clear very quickly.”

Condo lawyer Sonja Hodis, of Hodis Law, suggests that corporations think proactively and address accessibility issues during renovations and when reviews of the common elements are undertaken. “Just as they look at their common elements from a reserve fund study perspective, they need to look at them periodically from the perspective of accessibility,” she says. “Disability-related needs and accessibility are not just an age-related issue. Anyone could require accommodations to be able to equally access common elements. Condos need to ask themselves if their premises are accessible and, if not, what can be done to make them so.”

Sometimes government funding becomes available for accessibility projects. Dale says this funding can greatly assist in offsetting the cost of what would otherwise be an added expense to the community.

While planning, McCannell says a first step is understanding how every site is different. “If you are reactive to aging-in-place solutions, you’ll always be behind,” he adds. “The important thing is to get ahead of the needs of the community and understand there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Every single building will have unique tenants, owners and features.”

Such an approach will give residents greater control over their future independence; yet sometimes there are situations where owners or residents, despite their age, can no longer live on their own for their own safety or the safety of others. Hodis says it is important that property managers have current and up-to-date emergency contact lists, including names of powers of attorney and estate trustees. “A lot of condos don’t know who to contact if something happened to a resident or if there are issues with the unit and the resident is incapable of dealing with them,” she says.

From a legal perspective, she also cautions that condos are not long-term care facilities. She has seen people move elderly family members into a condo and then rely on condo staff, management and board members to take care of the individuals who cannot live independently. “This is outside the scope of what the role of the condo corporation is,” she says. Condos have to be careful that they don’t overstep that boundary and take on responsibilities and liabilities that they shouldn’t.”

While many seniors are generally quite capable as far as accessibility is concerned, Dale adds that sharing information with a community about the range of non-medical assisted living services can help them plan and prepare.

Easy-to-achieve solutions and fixes that require more pre-planning

Before undertaking accessibility projects, Dale points out four categories to consider: physical, cognitive, auditory and visual. For instance, when replacing signage, could condos consider adding alternative languages or braille for the visually impaired? During fire system upgrades, could there be additional strobes or sensors incorporated for the hearing impaired?

Through his extensive consulting on universal design, McCannell says managers should regularly inspect the property for mobility hazards to remediate. More specifically, replacing conventional door closers with delayed action, low-resistance closers will hold doors open for up to 30 seconds. “All those doors become much simpler to operate and move through and, in many cases, safer,” he says. “We’ve had lots of reports of people being knocked-off their canes or crutches by these doors and it’s completely unnecessary.”

Other quick fixes can be woven into day-today maintenance. Losing depth perception— the way eyes perceive the distance between two objects—is one of the first signs of aging. This can pose a problem in common areas such as hallways with light-coloured floors, walls and ceilings. Using contrast will help, for example, painting baseboards a different colour to create a parallax effect.

The mailroom is another area of concern. When renovating, condos can add extra post boxes at an accessible height and remove sharp corners from 90-degree counters so people who bruise easily don’t bump their hips. The same goes for corridors, where removing 90-degree corners can help reduce collision hazards for residents with hearing loss.

Intercoms, which are typically installed for standing users, can be lowered during a renovation to accommodate visitors, and when looking at fitness centres through an adaptable lens, light levels should create flat, even illumination, rather than shadows, glare and pools of light. Turned-up HVAC systems can raise noise levels of the gym that hearing aids may amplify. Equipment designed for able-bodied people can be supplemented with a broader range of equipment or upgraded. For example, replacing the step on treadmills with a ramp to mitigate tripping hazards. In these crowded spaces, without an appropriate turning radius, walkers may be tricky to navigate and falling can cause incident reports.

Pet ownership is another convoluted issue. In Vancouver, some condos have implemented a designated pet-relief area serviced by a weekly cleaning professional. Owners are fined if they use other areas. “Everyone says you should pick-up after your dog, but what if you can’t bend over?,” says McCannell. “Do you have to get rid of it? Maybe that means charging an extra $5 for a suite with a dog to have that service.”

Parking garages are going to become an increasing problem as more people need spaces designated for disabilities. Gaining access to this common element requires dexterity. A proximity card can replace the act of inserting cards and pushing buttons.

Building better condos and the future of aging in place

Some features that commonly impede people with disabilities aren’t the most expensive to upgrade. Others are costlier when retrofitting compared to incorporating into brand-new condos.

As it stands, the minimum accessibility requirements for condos in the Ontario Building Code (OBC) are quite dismal, says Vanessa Tantalo, an interior designer and principal at Tanolo Tech Integration, which provides building code and accessibility consulting. “I have heard of owners purchasing barrier-free units and not realizing what they are actually getting in terms of accessibility,” she says. “Developers have an opportunity to go beyond but most unfortunately don’t, either due to cost or lack of understanding of how to do so.”

Codes are often a decade behind the real needs of a community, adds McCannell. Recent updates to B.C.’s building code require all units in new condos to be adaptable to meet the needs of people with disabilities. However, that update has been delayed until 2027.

“That’s the third time it’s been kicked down the road, but it doesn’t change the need for it today,” McCannell warns. “On new construction the cost is about 4 per cent. As a retrofit, it’s around 40 per cent.”

In Ontario, new updates to the OBC come into effect January 1, 2025, and include a requirement that all doors with self-closers have a power door operator (for example, entrance doors to suites or rooms served by a public corridor or a corridor used by the public) and that all pedestrian entrances to a barrier-free storey be barrier-free and connect to a barrier-free exterior path of travel.

Although these updates are part of the code’s most substantial overhaul since its introduction in 1975, little has improved in this new version when it comes to accessibility. Tanolo suggests looking beyond code requirements at the Accessibility Designed Program from The Daniels Corporation, with features such as lowered concierge desks, accessible sink details in kitchens and bathrooms, pull-out shelves at the oven, and waste chutes with automatic door openers. CSA has model code standards for accessibility, specifically for dwellings and common areas, including reception and amenity spaces. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has also published a universal design guide for designers, builders and developers of multi-unit residential buildings.

The RHF Accessibility Certification, which launched in 2017 for both new and existing multi-residential buildings, rates everything from wayfinding and interior circulation to sanitary facilities. The whole system was recently updated to include a neurodiverse section. Buildings that complete the rating gain access to other incentive programs. So far, 81 multiunit residential sites across Canada (rented and owned) have achieved certification. The program itself offers three levels of training for boards and professionals who wish to learn more and deep dive into resources.

As someone who has conducted many RHF ratings, McCannell wishes developers would rethink their approach. “What we really want is the infrastructure of the home to anticipate the user,” he says. In the bathroom, without affecting the footprint, features can include a wall hanging sink with a removable vanity underneath, or a roll-under sink in the kitchen.

As people age, they require more power outlets in their bedrooms for CPAP machines, electric hospital-style beds and charging scooters. McCannell estimates that adding an extra circuit will cost the builder about $30 at the time of construction compared to thousands after the fact. “Right now, my mom has a power bar in the bedroom with eight extension cords,” he says. “Not only is that a fire hazard but a tripping hazard.”

As well, room controls, such as light switches and security panels, should be lowered by six inches, while outlets, traditionally located close to the floor, should move up six inches to prevent people from having to bend over.

During construction, adding backing to walls and ceilings will allow for future grab bars and lifts where needed. “Right now, you can go to the store and buy a grab bar but you have to bolt it in where the studs are,” he says. “We’re getting all kinds of reports about people falling because they’re reaching for the grab bar and it’s not in the right place.”

These are just a few simple features that can be part of new condo design in a cost-effective way. In the future, smart home proponents envision rapid technological advancements will play a greater role in the evolution of aging in place.

Andy Rittenhouse, specifications manager with Somfy Systems, a smart home solutions company, has witnessed a growing demand for technology that enhances the comfort and well-being of aging residents in condos. There’s a strong focus on increasing accessibility but also promoting health, safety and autonomy.

“We’re seeing increased interest in a range of smart technologies: voice-activated systems, automated lighting that adjusts to individual needs, and temperature control systems designed for both ease of use and energy efficiency,” he says.

Other key innovations for the future of aging in place include automated shade systems that help maintain a consistent circadian rhythm, which if left unbalanced can exacerbate conditions such as dementia. He also envisions window systems that automatically adjust based on light levels, temperature, and even the time of day. These systems, integrated with voice-activated controls or smart home assistants, would make it easier for seniors to manage their environment without physical effort. Common areas could see innovations like personalized lighting systems that adjust intensity and colour temperature to suit residents’ needs, creating more inviting and health-focused communal spaces.

While building features play a role in future adaptability, so does the surrounding neighbourhood. “Aging in place also means remaining close to your community and family,” says Quinn Samardzic, director of sales and marketing for Mattamy Homes’ GTA Urban Division. This includes built-in retail services and locational attributes like connectivity to everyday needs and transit systems.

She says condo developments should also reflect amenities that downsizers once enjoyed during their single-family home years, such as a community garden, a space that mirrors a garage workshop and large dining rooms for hosting big holiday celebrations.

Aging-in-place design can encompass many details. When it comes to adapting living spaces and creating physical accessibility, McCannell advises condos to refrain from labelling barriers. “Older adults hate being labeled disabled,” he says. “Don’t stick a little sign on the lower mailbox saying this is only for older adults or people with disabilities. People can have multiple disabilities and be in complete denial about them. You want to make it accessible, but people will figure it out on their own.”