Policy on Making Woodsworth Accessible
Approved by the Board of Directors in 2020 to replace the S4S policy approved at the GMM on November 20, 2006
The Policy on Making Woodsworth Accessible addresses ways that the co-op can be made more accessible to all members, staff, other residents and visitors.
1. The accessible one bedroom apartments 306, 307, and 310 will continue to be allocated to people with mobility impairments.
These units are adapted for the use of a person using a wheelchair, although they do not meet current standards defined in the National Building Code or the Ontario Building Code.
Priority will be given to residents. If no current members or individuals on the external waiting list qualify for these units Woodsworth Management and the Membership Committee shall liaise with community agencies to fill the unit as quickly as possible.
2. Expenditures on common areas accessibility upgrades will be referred to the Board or membership. All future renovations and upgrades to common areas should incorporate Universal Design standards when possible. New barriers should not be created when building new facilities or renovating old ones. This can help offset possible future costs of accommodation requests.1
3. At any member’s written request, the Co-op will install minor safety and accessibility enhancements in any townhouse or medium-rise apartment. These minor assists or safety features shall include, but not be limited to, installation of bathroom safety grab bars, replacement of standard door handles with lever handles.
4. All safety and accessibility changes to a unit are permanent. Members will not be expected to return the unit to its original condition when they move out, nor will the Co-op agree to restore the unit to its previous state for subsequent residents.
1 OHRC handbook “Human Rights and The Duty to Accommodate”: “Housing providers…should use the principles of universal design when they are developing and constructing the physical features of housing, and when they are designing housing policies, programs, and procedures. New barriers should never be created when building new facilities or when renovating old ones. Instead, design plans should incorporate current accessibility standards such as the Canadian Standards Association’s Barrier-Free Design and the Principles of Universal Design.”