Canada is funding a two-city study of its accessible-ready housing standard, a voluntary design framework intended to make homes easier to adapt as residents’ accessibility needs change over time.
Accessibility Standards Canada is funding the project, led by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, or UN-Habitat. The agency’s project record says researchers will work in two Canadian cities but does not identify either location. The study will assess how the national standard relates to local planning and building conditions, including other government standards and policies.
The project record describes a review of barriers and opportunities. Its announcement lists regulations, construction practices, technical needs and costs among the factors to be examined. The research will also consider approaches used in other countries. A federal contribution database lists the agreement at C$449,952, covering Sept. 9, 2026, through March 31, 2029.
Accessibility Standards Canada published CAN/ASC-2.8:2025 – Accessible-Ready Housing on May 29, 2025, and the Standards Council of Canada approved it as a National Standard of Canada. The framework sets design provisions intended to make later modifications easier, including structural preparation for lifts or grab bars and routes designed for mobility equipment.
The standard says a home designed to meet it may not be accessible as built. It is voluntary unless a law or regulation requires its use in a particular setting. Accessibility Standards Canada describes the aim as reducing barriers to later home adaptations for people with disabilities and people whose needs change over time.
Accessibility Standards Canada’s announcement says planned outputs include practical guidance and a design compendium featuring housing prototypes and case studies. The agency says UN-Habitat plans to share the research through its networks and at WUF14, the forum’s 14th session, in Mexico City. UN-Habitat has scheduled the forum for July 31-Aug. 4, 2028.
