Canadians with disabilities make up the largest potential market of consumers, clients, employees and homeowners, with an annual buying power of $25 billion.
In North America, Boomers, who represent 84 million people, have $3 trillion in buying power; within this group, people over age 55 have at least one permanent disability, many of which are invisible to the eye.
Many value-seeking companies in the corporate real estate and design industry, however, largely ignore people with a disability and are not effectively responding to the opportunities within this materially new and significant market.
Canadian markets have not been given key data points or accurate demographic and economic data. Most Canadians envision people with disabilities as being significantly disabled in mechanized wheelchairs, not as the wealthy and well-educated 22 per cent of the population, which is the reality.
Experts in inclusive and accessible design have not effectively educated the marketplace about their expertise and how this adds value to all designs, builds, renovations and upgrade projects across the country.
The solutions are not to be found in provincial or federal laws and regulations. Nor are the solutions embedded in the low caliber building codes across Canada. Unqualified accessibility auditors, providing national accessible building awards, with no return on investment, will also not satisfy the systemic and strategic approach required.
Success resides among professionals working in the commercial real estate and design community, partnering with experts who can bring their scientific knowledge of ergonomics and human factors design to various projects—to create buildings for all humans, no matter the ability, age, size, gender, language or culture.
But the real estate industry rarely taps into this science. Canada currently lags behind its European, U.K., Irish, Australian and U.S. counterparts in ensuring building designs place human beings front and centre.
The Canadian population over age 52 is now proportionally higher as of 2018, at 35.5 per cent. This group cannot access offices, commercial towers, recreational and sports facilities, arts and entertainment venues and public spaces. In fact, a growing percentage can no longer access their own homes. The same goes for people with disabilities of all ages.
The science about human end-users must be applied at all phases of inclusive design, aging-in-place and LEED or other green projects. There is no need to cobble together building code standards or inclusive design guidelines; they already exist.
Incorporating human factors design into all projects, right from the start, will increase the value of this hidden, yet strong, disability purchasing market that extends to real estate, while allowing all Canadians to access every facet of the built environment, equally and inclusively.
Jane Sleeth is principal consultant with Optimal Performance Consultants Inc. Established as a national firm in 1990, Jane and her team of Ergonomic/Human Factors Design experts bring the science of the human end-user to all design, build, renovation and upgrade projects, working closely with commercial architects and commercial real estate companies and commercial real estate project managers. Jane and her team can be reached at J.Sleeth@OptimalPerformance.ca
