Canadians living with disabilities are often excluded during the design of public facilities, however, a new crop of barrier-free projects is championing their lived experience from the outset with flexible lay-outs and sensory-conscious spaces.
A recent panel discussion hosted by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) showcased how accessibility in real estate is shifting beyond code compliance to a more dignified approach—one that consults people with disabilities and incorporates universal design principles, clinical research, and third-party certifications.
Nearly eight million Canadians have a disability, according to the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability by Statistics Canada. Of this group, the majority have experienced barriers navigating indoor and outdoor public spaces. As the senior population rapidly increases, even more people with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities will encounter facilities that are fraught with accessibility challenges.
Inclusive screening takes flight
Airports are a prime example. In 2025, 19.4 million passengers traveled through the Calgary Airport—an increase of 500,000 since 2024.
“As passenger volumes grow and disability becomes an increasingly common part of the traveler experience, accessibility is both a matter of dignity and an often overlooked opportunity to create better outcomes, for our guests, businesses, and the broader travel ecosystem,” said Caitlin Thomas, accessibility programs coordinator at Calgary Airports. “When it comes to design, it’s about more than just physical spaces; it’s about an experience across a journey, especially in an airport environment.”
Security screening is often the most stressful stage of a passenger’s journey, so the airport created an inclusive screening facility that reduces sensory stimuli and fosters a calm, flexible and predictable experience.
Instead of focusing solely on the needs of specific disability groups, the design team used a barrier-first approach to target obstacles that can impede everyone. A partnership with the University of Laval’s Inclusive Airport Study, in collaboration with architecture firm DIALOG, captured volunteer feedback through simulated tours of domestic departure and international arrival passenger flows.
As a result, advisors with a diverse range of lived experience offered unique perspectives that directly inspired design outcomes, such as a dedicated accessibility entrance, tactile and braille signage at e-gates, lighting and material finishes that minimize glare and visual noise, acoustic features that support a quieter environment, and spaces to pause away from the main flow of travellers.
To boost awareness of invisible disabilities, signage was also integrated into the screening queue entrance for the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, which allows people to voluntarily share their disability without making it immediately apparent.
“Designing for dignity means an accessible design that creates an ecosystem that flexes to the different needs, preferences, and comfort levels of travelers,” said Thomas. “It takes into consideration not only the operational needs, but the guest-centric programs and services that create that seamless experience in the built environment.”
Inclusion-led design embraces new vision
Workplaces are another environment where people confront physical and cognitive barriers daily. The Canadian National Institute for the Blind’s (CNIB) forthcoming Toronto office, located at 121 King Street West, is empowering occupants and challenging the status quo.
“What we really wanted to do was not design for the people that will use the space, but with the people, so every decision was tested against lived experience,” explained David Demers, executive director of operations and accessibility at CNIB Quebec.
That approach extends to the interiors that are treated as functional tools, rather than merely decorative choices. A palette of Canadiana tones—amber, maroon, slate blue, pine green and taupe—was presented to individuals with low vision and colour blindness so they could trial various levels of contrast to ensure the aesthetic was effective for the widest range of users.
Deafblind Community Services, a partner organization, further inspired a high-contrast green wall in the skills development room to support ASL training. Since wayfinding plays a critical role, colour contrast extends across adjoining surfaces, from doors and floors to elevators, furniture and fixtures to help distinguish boundaries, while low-pattern carpeting offers subtle directional contrast without creating visual clutter.
Lighting and in-floor tactile strips will help guide people from the reception area to elevators that have appropriate Braille signage and fully accessible panels. In tandem, perforated sound dampeners reduce noise transfer across areas, while the layout itself offers natural break points, helping to buffer sound between spaces.
The design also considers guide dog owners and people using mobility devices, with features such as an outdoor covered grass area, lower benches, accessible counter heights and increased circulation space.
Once move-in ready, the space will blend accessibility with thoughtful design while serving a broad range of users. Besides CNIB staff, it will host community workshops and events, and meetings with partners and stakeholders that represent different disability groups. The downtown location, chosen for its strong public transit connections, will further make the facility easier to access.
“It’s also going to help serve as a beacon for outreach,” said Demers. “The result will be a workplace where inclusion is designed in from the start and not added on. That’s what is really at the core of what we’re doing.”
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