Accessibility

Building for accessibility is an important part of being an inclusive city. Over 15% of Vancouver residents have some form of physical disability or mobility restriction. This includes people using wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and strollers. When you add their accompanying family and friends, approximately 50% of Vancouver residents are affected by poor access to buildings.

Trout Lake Community Centre is a fully accessible facility with an elevator located by the Lakewood Room. The accessibility of a building depends on the entrance, door widths, and door handles of the building.

Entrance ramps

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 860 mm. Existing door widths can sometimes be increased by using swing away hinges, 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.

Trans-inclusive Awareness Campaign

One of the Park Board’s priorities is to make community facilities more friendly, safe, and open to everyone—including transgender and gender variant people. The campaign highlights the faces and stories of our trans/transgender/gender variant communities. Materials designed to strengthen the Board’s commitment to “parks and recreation for all” include: educational posters, brochures, postcards.

The campaign is a continuation of the Park Board’s trans-inclusive initiative and ongoing programming.

Trout Lake Community Centre has a gender neutral washroom located by the rink and has trans-inclusive signage posted in the facility.

More information of the Park Board’s initiative can be found here.