Accessible City

李东

Improving  city-wide  accessibility  is  an

ongoing priority that benefits everyone in the community. Get to know what the City is doing to accommodate and improve accessibility in Vancouver.

Entrance ramps （斜坡）

Many older buildings in Vancouver are inaccessible because of just two or three stairs at the entrance. A short ramp or raised section of sidewalk can replace stairs， making the building entrance accessible.

Ramps and elevated sidewalks should be at a maximum angle of 10% and include at least one handrail. The City may consider steeper ramps， if they are short in length.

New buildings should always avoid adding stairs and include ramps at the entrance.

Door widths

The minimum door width to accommodate wheelchairs is 860mm. Existing door widths can sometimes be increased by using swing away hinges （鉸链）， however some remodelling of the door frame may be required.

Door handles

Lever-operated   door   handles   are  the

standard accessible door handle in North America. These door handles are easy to use with only one hand and do not require any tight grasping， or wrist twisting.

Accessible Street Design

The Accessible Street Design manual （手册） provides City standards on making streets and sidewalks accessible to all pedestrians， including people with mobility and visual impairments， and people using wheelchairs.

Walking accessibility

Increasing the walkability and accessibility of Vancouvers streets and sidewalks is a City priority. It is important that all residents are able to participate fully in the community， regardless of ability.

Sidewalk curb ramps

Curb ramps on street corners create access for people using wheelchairs， walkers， and strollers.

Recognizing the importance of sidewalk accessibility early on， the City has been installing over 200 curb ramps per year since the 1960s.

There are curb ramps on more than 95% of sidewalk curbs in the downtown core.

Request a curb ramp

Many existing curb ramps in Vancouver were installed because someone asked for them. Let us know if you see a sidewalk that you think needs one.

Our engineers prioritize curb ramp requests to areas with a high level of pedestrian traffic， including：

Collector and arterial roads

Bus routes

Schools

Community centres

Shopping areas

Accessible public transit （交通运输系统）

Transit is a critical service for people with accessibility challenges. A universally accessible transit system provides mobility that lets every resident meet their needs and fully participate in city life.

Metro Vancouver was the first in Canada to adopt a policy offering fully accessible transit services.

TransLink has made significant achievements toward their goal of 100% accessible transit. All conventional buses， community shuttles， SkyTrain and Canada Line vehicles， SeaBus， and West Coast Express trains are fully accessible to people of all abilities.

How we support accessible transit

Providing fully accessible transit vehicles is only part of an accessible transit system.

It is our responsibility to ensure that people of all abilities can access the transit stops so that they can use transit services.

We are working toward the goal of a fully accessible transit system by ensuring：

All transit waiting and boarding areas are improved for accessible transit vehicle operation

An accessible public realm including clear unobstructed （沒有障碍的） sidewalks， smooth surfaces， curb ramps， and audible signals at pedestrian crossings

Adapted and integrated programs

The Vancouver Park Board offers many adapted and integrated recreational activities for children， youth， adults， and seniors with disabilities.

Ask about equipment including：

Aquatic lifts， water wheelchairs， and beach entries at pools

Ice sleds at rinks

Water wheelchairs and Mobi-Mats at selected beaches

Attendant policy

Free admission is provided to the attendant of any person with a disability who requires support to participate in our programs.

Support is defined as assistance of a physical， psychological， emotional， intellectual， or sensory nature， which is necessary to ensure that the person with a disability is able to fully participate.

The participant may be required to pay the relevant admission fee.