The Task Group on Accessibility in Dwelling Units (TG-ADU), chaired by Bob Depuis, held its first orientation meeting to review its terms of reference and the operating procedures of the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes (CBHCC). CHBA participates as an Association Stakeholder member.

Staff presented the new accessibility requirements in the 2025 National Building Code (NBC), including expanded objectives applying to all dwelling units, low-cost adaptability measures, and visitability requirements for 0–100% of MURBs as determined by authorities. The CBHCC has since shifted the 2030 visitability requirement to apply to “100% of dwelling units where a barrier-free path of travel is already required to access the unit entrance,” with adoption of the 2025 left to provinces and territories. 

For the 2030 NBC, TG-ADU’s mandate includes:

• Phase 1 (Adaptability): Low-cost requirements for all dwelling units at initial construction to facilitate basic accessibility while minimizing structural or system alterations.
• Phase 2 (Visitability): Requirements for all units with a barrier-free path of travel, emphasizing features that support accessibility inside the unit without major modifications.

The Task Group was advised that new requirements must apply nationally, be enforceable, and include impact analyses, with the goal of harmonizing accessibility standards across Canada. The Task Group began identifying priority areas, with CHBA urging that outstanding items from the previous cycle be resolved before addressing new code change requests. 

Should you have any questions, please contact Jack.Mantyla@chba.ca

The agenda package can be found below.