CAN-ASC-2.11 Accessible-Ready Modular and Prefabricated Housing: Notice of intent

This notice of intent informs the public and other standards development organizations of our intention to develop or adopt a new standard. This is to avoid duplication in the development of accessibility standards. The notice also defines the scope of the standard that we propose, defines the need for the project, and provides the period of time during which we invite the public to send us their comments about this standard.

Standards development organization

Accessibility Standards Canada

Contact information

Info.Accessibility.Standards-Normes.Accessibilite.Info@canada.gc.ca

320, St-Joseph Boulevard, Suite 246
Gatineau, QC  K1A 0H3
Telephone: 1-833-854-7628

Work program

Accessibility Standards Canada’s work program includes a list of all its in-progress and completed standards. For more information, please refer to the Accessibility Standards Canada Work Program.

Designation number

CAN-ASC-2.11

Standard type

National Standard of Canada – Domestic

Standard development activity

New Standard

ICS codes

• 91.040.030 - Residential buildings
• 11.180 - Aids for disabled or handicapped persons
• 91.060 - Elements of Buildings

Comment period start date

2026-02-10

Comment period end date

2026-03-03

Scope

The purpose of CAN-ASC-2.11 is to develop a standard that goes above mandatory minimum technical specifications and produces equity-based technical requirements. 

There are common areas where people with disabilities may experience barriers to accessibility in modular or prefabricated housing. These areas within the modular or prefabricated housing include, but are not limited to:

• entrances
• interior and exterior paths of travel
• washrooms
• storage areas
• mechanical and electrical spaces
• kitchens
• bedrooms
• multi-use rooms
• laundry areas
• utility rooms
• stairs
• means of emergency egress (exit)

To address these barriers, this standard will first have to define what a modular and prefabricated housing are by setting clear design guidelines for both types of housing. The standard will then establish technical requirements to support the design and construction of accessible-ready modular and prefabricated housing, including but not limited to:

• Design for accessible-ready
• Clearances and areas
• Parking and garages
• Interior
• Operating controls
• Stairs
• Interior vertical paths of travel
• Structure
• Emergencies

This standard will align with relevant technical requirements found in other Accessibility Standards Canada standards. These include:

• CAN-ASC-2.8: Accessible-Ready Housing
• CAN-ASC-2.10: Accessible-Ready Small Homes

Project need

The Accessible Canada Act has a goal to create a barrier free Canada by 2040. To inform the development of the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), between June 2016 and February 2017, the Government of Canada conducted extensive consultations with Canadians. These consultations included participation and input from interested parties, including 6,000 Canadians and 90 organizations and identified barriers to accessibility for Canadians with disabilities in seven key areas. Following the consultations, the ACA was created and came into force in June 2019 and includes these seven priority areas to address the barriers identified during the consultations. Accessibility Standards Canada was created under the ACA and has a mandate to contribute to the realization of a barrier free Canada through: 

• the development of standards to prevent, identify, and remove these barriers to accessibility for Canadians with disabilities in the seven priority areas in the ACA; and,
• the recommendation of these standards to the minister for regulatory adoption

The strategic need for this standard aligns with the Built Environment priority area identified in the ACA and is intended to remove barriers in housing. This strategic need has also been confirmed with the Governor in Council appointed Board of Directors, who are primarily people with disabilities and who have approved the development of this standard.

In addition to these identified needs, Accessibility Standards Canada’s standards are developed following the principle of “nothing without us”. This means that Accessibility Standards Canada’s standards are developed with research that has been led by people with disabilities or lived experience and participation of people with disabilities on our technical committees which contribute to the development of equity-based requirements that take into account the needs and perspectives of people with disabilities. This also means that the public review process for this standard will be accessible, allowing even more people with disabilities to be part of the standards development process.