The Ontario Building Code | Areas Requiring Barrier-Free Path of Travel
3.8.2.1. Areas Requiring Barrier-Free Path of Travel
(1) Except as permitted by Sentence (3), a barrier-freepath of travel from the entrances required by Sentences 3.8.1.2.(1) and (3) to be barrier-free shall be provided,
(a) throughout the entrance storey,
(b) except as permitted by Sentence (2), to and throughout all normally occupied floor areasand rooftop amenity spaces, and
(c) throughout all normally occupied floor areas and rooftop amenity spaces that,
(i) are exempt from the application of Clause (b), and
(ii) are served by a passenger elevator, escalator, inclined moving walk, or other platform equipped passenger elevating device.
(2) A barrier-free path of travel described in Clause (1)(b) is not required to extend,
(a) to floor areas or portions of floor areas containing a Group B, Division 2 or 3 occupancy that are not required by Article 3.5.2.1. to be connected by a ramp or served by an elevator,
(b) to Group C or Group D occupancies that are in floor areasin a building that,
(i) is three or fewer storeys in building height, and
(ii) has a building area not exceeding 600 m2,
(c) to Group F, Division 2 or 3 occupancies that are not required by Sentence 3.8.2.2.(1) to be served by an elevator,
(d) to portions of restaurants and licensed beverage establishments where the same amenities and uses are provided on other floor areas that have a barrier-free path of travel, or
(e) to portions of child care facilities that have all entrance doors at floor levels that do not have a barrier-free path of travel.
(3) A barrier-free path of travel described in Sentence (1) is not required to extend,
(a) into service rooms,
(b) into elevator machine rooms,
(c) into janitors’ rooms,
(d) into service spaces,
(e) into crawl spaces,
(f) into attic or roof spaces,
(g) into high hazard industrial occupancies,
(h) to portions of a floor area with fixed seats in an assembly occupancy where these portions are not part of the barrier-freepath of travel to,
(i) spaces designated for wheelchair use,
(ii) seats designated foradaptable seating, or
(iii) spaces for the storage of wheelchairs and mobility assistive devices,
(i) to suitesof residential occupancy that are in storeys other than the entrance storeyand that have all entrance doors at floor levels that are not required to have a barrier-free path of travel,
(j) except as required by Sentence (5), on the inside of a suite of residential occupancy, or
(k) to portions of a floor area that are not at the same level as the entry level, provided amenities and uses provided on any raised or sunken level are accessible on the entry level by means of a barrier-freepath of travel.
(4) In an assembly occupancy with fixed seats, the minimum number of spaces designated for wheelchair use and the minimum number of fixed seats designated for adaptable seating shall conform to Table 3.8.2.1.
Table 3.8.2.1.
Designated Wheelchair Spaces and Adaptable Seating
Forming Part of Sentence 3.8.2.1.(4)
| Item | Column 1 Number of Fixed Seats in Seating Area | Column 2 Minimum Number of Spaces Designated for Wheelchairs | Column 3 Minimum Number of Fixed Seats Designated for Adaptable Seating |
| 1. | Up to 20 | 2 | 1 |
| 2. | 21 to 40 | 2 | 2 |
| 3. | 41 to 60 | 2 | 3 |
| 4. | 61 to 80 | 2 | 4 |
| 5. | 81 to 100 | 3 | 5 |
| 6. | Over 100 | 3% of the seating capacity | The greater of 5 seats or 5% of the aisle seating capacity |
(5) In a Group C major occupancy apartment building, not less than 15% of all suitesof residential occupancy shall be provided with a barrier-free path of travel from the suite entrance door into the following rooms and spaces that shall be located at the same level as the barrier-freepath of travel:
(a) at least one bedroom,
(b) at least one bathroom conforming to Sentence (6),
(c) a kitchen or kitchen space, and
(d) a living room or space.
(6) Bathrooms required by Clause (5)(b) shall,
(a) contain a lavatory,
(b) contain a water closet,
(c) contain a bathtub or a shower,
(d) have wall reinforcement installed in conformance with Sentence 3.3.4.9.(1), and
(e) be designed to permit a wheelchair to turn in an open space not less than 1 500 mm in diameter.
(7) The number of suites described in Sentence (5) having 1, 2 or 3 or more bedrooms shall be in proportion to the number of suitesof residential occupancy having 1, 2 or 3 or more bedrooms in the remainder of the building.
(8) The suites described in Sentence (5) shall be distributed among storeys that are required by Article 3.8.2.1. to have a barrier-free path of travel, having regard to the height of the suite above grade.