Make buildings more accessible • YouBetcha

Current Status

Status: Not Started

The government has yet to take concrete steps toward increasing funding for the Enabling Accessibility Fund or integrating barrier-free designs into national housing catalogues and building initiatives.

Background

The promise emerged amid growing calls for improved accessibility in Canada's built environment, reflecting the needs of an aging population and persons with disabilities who face persistent barriers in workplaces and housing. Fulfilling it would require targeted financial boosts to the Enabling Accessibility Fund, a federal program that supports accessibility projects, alongside regulatory or policy changes to embed barrier-free standards in housing design catalogues used by builders and developers across the country. This aligns with broader federal commitments under the Accessible Canada Act, which aims to create a barrier-free nation by identifying, removing and preventing accessibility barriers in key areas like the built environment [7]. Such measures would ensure new constructions accommodate diverse needs, from mobility aids to sensory adaptations, promoting inclusive communities.

Evidence

The Accessible Canada Act, assented to in 2019, established a framework for developing accessibility standards but did not include specific funding increases for programs like the Enabling Accessibility Fund [7]. In the years following, Accessibility Standards Canada developed various standards related to the built environment, including CAN-ASC-2.1 for outdoor spaces, CAN-ASC-2.2 for emergency egress, and CAN-ASC-2.3 for accessibility in federally regulated entities [1]. These standards addressed elements such as paths, parking, and signage, but they originated from pre-2026 efforts and did not involve direct government action on funding or housing catalogues.

By 2023, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) published guidance on universal design, emphasizing features like accessible entrances, circulation spaces, and adaptable kitchens in multi-unit residential buildings [3]. This guide promoted social inclusion through barrier-free designs, yet it remained advisory and did not mandate incorporation into national housing catalogues or building efforts.

In 2023, Private Member's Bill C-356, the Building Homes Not Bureaucracy Act, was introduced at first reading, focusing on national housing targets and infrastructure funding but without provisions for accessibility enhancements or barrier-free designs [5]. Similarly, Government Bill C-4, the Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act, reached third reading around the same period, addressing tax and pollution pricing but omitting accessibility funding or design integrations [6].

Accessibility Standards Canada continued updating standards, releasing CAN/ASC-2.8:2025 for accessible-ready housing, which outlined criteria for dwellings adaptable to various disabilities [1]. However, this standard was developed under the existing Accessible Canada Act framework and did not reflect new funding allocations or policy integrations by the government sworn in after the most recent election.

The Department of Justice's Accessibility Plan highlighted barriers in the built environment, such as mobility and environmental issues, and committed to general improvements, but it did not detail concrete funding increases or specific actions on housing catalogues [4]. Additional standards like CSA/ASC B651 for accessible design and CSA/ASC B652 for accessible dwellings were part of ongoing research grants, yet these were not tied to enhanced Enabling Accessibility Fund resources [1].

Guidance on built environments for travel journeys, including outdoor spaces and terminals, emphasized accessible parking and paths but served as voluntary references without enforceable funding or design mandates [2]. Amendments to the Accessible Canada Act and related regulations, such as the Accessible Canada Regulations in 2021, focused on reporting and planning rather than direct financial or design interventions [8].

As of early 2026, no records indicate that the current government, sworn in after the 2025 election, has allocated additional funds to the Enabling Accessibility Fund or mandated barrier-free designs in housing catalogues. Previous administrations advanced standards development, but these efforts stalled without follow-through on the promise's financial and integrative components.

Assessment

The absence of any documented increases in funding for the Enabling Accessibility Fund leaves workplaces without the promised enhancements to accessibility, as federal sources show no budgetary allocations or project implementations under the current government. Standards like those from Accessibility Standards Canada and CMHC guidance exist, but they predate the current administration and lack the force of policy integration into national housing efforts, meaning new constructions continue without guaranteed barrier-free features.

This inaction persists despite the foundational Accessible Canada Act, which calls for proactive barrier removal, yet the government has not built on that law with the specific measures outlined in the promise. Without tangible steps such as funding boosts or catalogue updates, the commitment remains unaddressed, sidelining Canadians who rely on accessible buildings for full participation in society.

The pattern of developing standards without enforcing them through funding or regulations underscores a gap between aspiration and execution, leaving the promise's goals unmet as of March 2026.

Current Status

Background

Evidence

Assessment

Sources