CAN-ASC-2.3 - 2. Definitions, symbols, and abbreviations

The following definitions shall apply in this Standard:

Access aisle – refers to an accessible and safe pedestrian space or route used for loading and unloading from vehicle, as well as safe travel to and from designated accessible parking spaces to nearest accessible route / entrance. Access aisles include pavement markings for easy identification and are often shared between accessible parking spaces. 

Access to exit – that part of a means of egress within a floor area that provides access to an exit serving the floor area.

Accessible – any space, feature, element, site, environment or facility that can be used (e.g., located, approached, entered, exited or operated) by people with varying disabilities, with or without the use of mobility aids or assistive devices. Can also refer to services, practices and programs.

Alteration – a change or extension to any matter or thing or to any occupancy regulated by this Standard.

Architrave – the molding around a rectangular opening (such as a door).

Area of refuge – A designated waiting area where a person can safely gather inside the building for a temporary period of time until first responders arrive to assist the person.

Assistive listening system – A system that provides assistive listening and communication enhancement technologies (e.g., hearing loop) to amplify sound for people who are hard or hearing, where information is exchanged and ensures text to text communication system is available for people who are deaf.

Barrier – anything - including anything physical, architectural, technological, or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice - that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.

Braille – a system of touch reading where raised dots are used to represent numbers and letters. Unified English Braille (UEB) is the English Braille standard for Canada and code de braille français uniformisé (CBFU) is the French Braille standard for Canada.

Building – any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.

Building height (in storeys) – the number of storeys contained between the roof and the floor of the first storey.

Cane‑detectable – any object or a change in surface texture that falls within the detection range of a long white cane. 

Candela (cd) – the metric measurement of luminance intensity, equal to the luminous intensity in a given direction, of a source that emits monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 × 1012 Hz and has a radiant intensity in the direction of 1/683 W/sr.

Clear floor space – The amount of unobstructed floor or ground space required to accommodate a single stationary user with a mobility device / aid, such as wheelchairs, scooters, canes, crutches and walkers.  

Communication – includes languages, display of text, Braille, tactile communication, large print, accessible multimedia as well as written, audio, plain-language, human-reader and augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication, including accessible information and communication technology. 

Curb ramp –a short and steep ramp that is cut through a curb to deal with changes in elevation from 13 mm to 200 mm high. Curb ramps can have flared sides, curb returns or a combination of flared sides and curb returns. (See also definition of ramp). 

Disability – Any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication, or sensory impairment — or a functional limitation — whether permanent, temporary, or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.

Dwelling unit – means a building or suite operated as a housekeeping unit, used or intended to be used by one or more persons and usually contains cooking, eating, living, sleeping and sanitary facilities. 

Emergency – an incident or set of incidents, natural or human-caused, that requires responsive actions to protect life, property, the environment, and/or critical systems. 

Evacuation – an emergency response procedure for the movement of people, animals, and/or materials from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas to a safe place. 

Exit – that part of a means of egress, including doorways, that leads from the floor area it serves to a separate building, an open public way, or an exterior open space protected from fire exposure from the building and having access to an open public thoroughfare.

Exterior amenity space – An occupiable space that is outside the building exterior walls. 

Fire-resistance rating – the time in minutes or hours that a material or assembly of materials will withstand the passage of flame and the transmission of heat when exposed to fire under specified conditions of test and performance criteria, or as determined by extension or interpretation of information derived therefrom as prescribed in the applicable Building Code.

Fire separation – a construction assembly that acts as a barrier against the spread of fire.

First storey – the uppermost storey having its floor level not more than 2 m above grade.

Flight – a series of steps between landings. 

Floor area – exterior amenity spaces serving a building and the space on any storey of a building between exterior walls and required firewalls, including the space occupied by interior walls and partitions, but not including exits, vertical service spaces, and their enclosing assemblies.

Forward approach – where a person will make use of a service counter, drinking fountain, or any other usable element of the built environment, by positioning their body or mobility aid directly in front of and facing the element. 

Grab bars – any type of grab bar that is fixed in place (straight, curved, angled, L-Shaped, swing down etc.). 

Glare – refers to bright light reflected from a surface, floor, window or screen. Glare occurs when one part of the environment is much brighter than the general surrounding area, causing annoyance, discomfort or loss in visual performance.

Grade – the lowest of the average levels of finished ground adjoining each exterior wall of a building, except that localized depressions need not be considered in the determination of average levels of finished ground.

Graphic symbol – A visually perceptible figure with a particular meaning used to transmit information independently of language. 

Guard – a protective barrier around openings in floors or at the open sides of stairs, landings, balconies, mezzanines, galleries, raised walkways or other locations to prevent accidental falls from one level to another. Such a barrier may or may not have openings through it.

Hazard – A potentially damaging event or human activity that could cause a structure, obstruction, or barrier (natural or constructed) and risk of emotional/physical damage.

High-hazard industrial occupancy (Group F, Division 1) —an industrial occupancy containing sufficient quantities of highly combustible and flammable or explosive materials which, because of their inherent characteristics, constitute a special fire hazard. 

Illumination – the combined amount and intensity of lighting provided, as measured in lux (lx). 

Incident – A situation that might be or could lead to, a disruption, loss, emergency, or crisis. 

Language – includes spoken and signed languages and other forms of non spoken language. 

Luminance – the intensity of light emitted or reflected in a given direction from the surface element divided by the area of the element in the same direction. 

Luminance contrast – the difference in light reflectance value between adjacent surfaces, calculated using the Michelson Contrast (CM) formula in conformance with CSA B651, “Accessible design for the built environment,” and expressed as a percentage difference.

High luminance contrast – a luminance contrast (CM) that is greater than 60%.

Medium luminance contrast – a luminance contrast (CM) that is between 30% and 60%.

Visual contrast – visual perception between one element of a building and another. 

Note: Visual contrast can be achieved through a difference in luminance (also referred to as luminance contrast). It can also be achieved through luminance contrast if there is adequate lighting for users to perceive the difference in colour. 

Lux – The metric measurement for light intensity or illumination.

Major occupancy —the principal occupancy for which a building or part thereof is used or intended to be used, and shall be deemed to include the subsidiary occupancies that are an integral part of the principal occupancy. The major occupancy classifications used in this Standard are as follows:

A1 – Assembly occupancies intended for the production and viewing of the performing arts
A2 – Assembly occupancies not elsewhere classified in Group A
A3 – Assembly occupancies of the arena type
A4 – Assembly occupancies in which the occupants are gathered in the open air
B1 – Detention occupancies in which persons are under restraint or are incapable of self-preservation because of security measures not under their control
B2 – Treatment occupancies
B3 – Care occupancies
B4 – Home-type care occupancies
C – Residential occupancies
D – Business and personal services occupancies
E – Mercantile occupancies
F1 – High-hazard industrial occupancies
F2 – Medium-hazard industrial occupancies
F3 – Low-hazard industrial occupancies
G1 – High-hazard agricultural occupancies
G2 – Agricultural occupancies not elsewhere classified in Group G
G3 – Greenhouse agricultural occupancies
G4 – Agricultural occupancies with no human occupants

Means of egress – a continuous path of travel provided for the escape of persons from any point in a building or contained open space to a separate building, an open public way, or an exterior open space protected from fire exposure from the building and having access to an open public way. Means of egress includes exits and access to exits.

Mobility Aids (or Devices) – A term used to encompass the variety of assistive devices used by people with mobility / physical types of disabilities, including but not limited to manual and power wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, canes and crutches.

Occupancy – the use or intended use of a building or part thereof for the shelter or support of persons, animals or property.

Occupant evacuation elevator – An elevator that can be used for self-evacuation during a fire emergency.

Passenger pick-up/drop-off zone – designated and signed area used for loading and unloading of passengers into or out of a waiting vehicle. 

Power-operated door (automatic door) – A door with a mechanism that opens the door automatically, upon the activation of electronic sensors, a switch, button or a control. The door also remains in the “open” position for a set period of time to allow safe passage. Power operated doors include automatic doors. 

Public way – a sidewalk, street, highway, town/city square or other open space to which the public has access, as of right or by invitation, expressed or implied. 

Ramp – A sloped surface or inclined plane that provides an accessible connection between changes in ground elevation. (See also definition of curb ramp). 

Reach Range – the limit of which a person can grasp and/or use an item or surface.

Side approach – Where a person will make use of a service counter, drinking fountain, or any other usable element of the built environment, by positioning their body or mobility aid perpendicular to the element. 

Signage – A sign is a means of conveying information about direction, location, safety or form of action and in general should be designed to be clear, concise and consistent. Signage displays text, graphic symbols, tactile, braille, pictorial and digital information. 

Slip resistant – A surface that provides sufficient frictional counterforce to the forces exerted in walking to permit safe ambulation. 

Slope – the ratio of rise to run on an inclined surface. 

Cross-slope – the slope that is perpendicular to the direction of travel, expressed as a ratio of rise to run. 

Running slope – the slope that is parallel to the direction of travel, expressed as a ratio of rise to run. 

Service space – space provided in a building to facilitate or conceal the installation of building service facilities such as chutes, ducts, pipes, shafts or wires. 

Sprinklered – that the building is equipped with a system of automatic sprinklers.

Storey - that portion of a building that is situated between the top of any floor and the top of the floor next above it, and if there is no floor above it, that portion between the top of such floor and the ceiling above it. 

Suite – a single room or series of rooms of complementary use, operated under a single tenancy, and includes dwelling units, individual guest rooms in motels, hotels, boarding houses, rooming houses and dormitories as well as individual stores and individual or complementary rooms for business and personal services occupancies.

Tactile – Describes an object that can be perceived using the sense of touch, and typically provided for users with vision loss. 

Tactile walking surface indicator (TWSI) – a surface, detectable underfoot or by a long white cane, to assist persons with low vision or blindness by alerting or guiding them. There are two types of TWSIs. An TWSI (attention) indicates a warning (raised truncated domes) and a TWSI (directional) indicates a direction indicator (raised elongated bars).

Transfer space – an unobstructed area adjacent to a fixture or furniture allowing the positioning of a mobility aid to enable a person to transfer to the fixture or furniture.

Wayfinding – a term used to describe a variety of means for spatial orientation and finding the way to a destination. Wayfinding design describes a variety of means for helping people find their way, through touch, print, signage, architecture, landscape digital and navigation for example.