HALIFAX — The Government of Nova Scotia has brought forward amendments that will require any new restaurant, including new establishments opened within existing buildings, to be constructed in complete accordance with the barrier-free requirements contained in the Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations.
The move comes as the current Building Code works to align itself with the Human Rights Tribunal decision that interpreted Section 20 of the Food Safety Regulations to include that washrooms within restaurants are to be accessible to persons in wheelchairs. This will prevent any new restaurant, or any space converted to a restaurant from any other use (even within the same occupancy classification), from not being compliant with this decision.
The amendments will require new restaurants to provide a barrier-free path of travel into the establishment from the exterior of the building and throughout the public portion of the restaurant, including barrier-free access to a washroom facility.
These amendments are expected to come into effect on Sept. 30, 2020.
