Accessibility Renovations near you

An occupational therapist's assessment comes before any drawings. The therapist records how the person transfers to and from the chair, bed, toilet and shower, how far they can reach while seated, their strength and endurance, and the size and turning needs of their wheelchair or walker, then writes recommendations that the designer and contractor turn into a plan. When the condition is progressive, ask the therapist to plan for the equipment the person is likely to use later, so a doorway or shower isn't rebuilt twice.

For design details, CMHC points to Canada's national standard on accessible dwellings, CSA B652:23, which sets requirements and recommendations for designing, building and modifying homes for people with physical, sensory or cognitive disabilities. Ask whether your designer works from it.

A curbless shower is the most technical part of most accessibility projects. For water to stay in the shower without a curb, the shower floor has to sit lower than the rest of the bathroom or the whole room has to slope toward the drain, which often means recessing the subfloor between the joists or, on a slab, cutting and repouring concrete. Any change to joists needs a design by a qualified person, and the waterproofing has to extend well beyond the shower because water will reach more of the floor. Ontario's Home and Vehicle Modification Program lists a wet room built on universal design principles as an alternative to conventional bathing and toileting designs.

These three kinds of work overlap, so it helps to know which fits your situation. Accessibility renovations respond to a specific disability that exists now, often for a wheelchair user of any age, and usually change the structure: doorways, floors, bathrooms, kitchens and entrances. Aging-in-place renovations anticipate the gradual changes that come with getting older, with an emphasis on preventing falls, better lighting and keeping options open. Accessibility equipment covers products installed within the existing layout, such as grab bars, stair lifts and lever hardware, and is often the right first step while a larger renovation is planned.

The federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit, claimed on line 31285, covers renovations that let a qualifying individual get into the home or be mobile or functional in it, or that reduce their risk of harm; our accessibility equipment page explains who qualifies. Two conditions matter when planning: the dwelling must be owned by the qualifying individual, or owned by the family member claiming the credit who lives there with them, and the Canada Revenue Agency allows an expense that also qualifies as a medical expense to be claimed under both credits.

Ontario's Home and Vehicle Modification Program serves permanent Ontario residents with a disability that impedes mobility and substantially restricts activities of daily living, within a household income threshold. It lists ramps, lifts, door widening and rearranging bathrooms or kitchens among eligible modifications, and its service coordinator approves expenditures and may assess the home. In Quebec, the Société d'habitation du Québec's home adaptation program, the PAD, helps owners adapt the home of a person with a significant and persistent disability so they can get in and out and reach essential rooms such as the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. Apply before signing a contract, since each program has its own approval steps.