The “Living in Place”© campaign, initiated by the Older Women’s Network housing committee, advocates that our National and Provincial Building Codes be changed to require that all units in new multi-unit residential buildings be entirely universal design, so that anyone of any age or ability can live there – and can continue to live there despite changes wrought by age, illness or trauma.
The OWN Housing Committee founded the Accessible Housing Network, which has quickly grown to over 50 organizational members from across Canada, advocating together for Universal Design in housing.
https://www.accessiblehousingnetwork.org
Lene Andersen’s blog on Living in Place: http://theseatedview.blogspot.ca/2017/10/living-in-place-fighting-to-increase.html
http://theseatedview.blogspot.ca/2018/01/help-create-accessible-housing-in.html
Australia’s new Building Code, “Livable Housing Design Standard”, effective October 2023, mandates that all new housing, of every type, be Universal design (Livable Design”). See:
livable-housing-design-20221219_0.pdf
Video of press conference at Living in Place meeting at Queens Park on Oct. 4, 2017.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxbt83N7zYaVZzBMYTRORkdCR3c/view
CityNews Video about rental market of accessible housing
http://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2017/07/18/video-market-for-accessible-rental-housing-increasingly-tight/
David Lepofsky:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/12/01/lawyer-crusades-against-accessibility-problems-caused-by-inadequate-laws.html
Living in Place Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/livinginplaceON/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf
Example of universal design in San Francisco, CA, in 2011. http://www.universaldesign.com/richardson-apartments/
Richardson Apartments affordable housing complex contains 120 permanent studios for individuals who were formerly homeless.
OWN’S First Universal Design Awards
On November 9, 2016, five leaders were recognized for supporting Accessibility and Universal Design.
The Winners:
1. AccessAbility Advantage
2. Daniels Corporation (Jake Cohen)
3. Houselink Community Homes
4. Tafler Rylett Architects (Cathy Tafler & Doug Rylett)
5. Toronto City Councillor David Shiner
OWN Presentation to Toronto Affordable Housing Committee
Thea Kurdi, a member of Association by Design Professionals for Accessibility, gave a presentation about OWN’s project to promote universal design in all new multi-unit buildings.
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/ah/bgrd/backgroundfile-94585.pdf
OWN made a similar presentation to the City of Toronto’s Disability, Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/di/bgrd/backgroundfile-94715.pdf
The Toronto City Council Executive Committee and the full City Council endorsed the Living in Place campaign.
http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2016.EX17.25
What is Holding Back Progress in Creating Accessible Buildings?
by Thea Kurdi
https://www.universaldesign.com/what-is-holding-back-progress-in-creating-accessible-buildings/
https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/
ARCH Disability Law Centre offers the opportunity to learn more about the UN Optional Protocol and be part of a Canada-wide network advancing the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
