Preface This Handbook was developed as a complementary guide to the fifth edition of CSA B651, Accessible design for the built environment, and contains explanatory, informative commentary on the requirements of the Standard. The Standard sets forth requirements for making buildings and other facilities accessible to persons with a range of physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities, including but not limited to mobility impairments, reaching or manipulation disabilities, hearing impairments, and visual impairments. CSA B651 was developed by the Technical Committee on Accessible Design and the contents of the Standard have been reformatted into this Handbook. This Handbook is intended to be used in its entirety and contains both mandatory and informative requirements. This Handbook was developed to include commentary to help organizations and individuals understand how to apply the principles of universal design to achieve accessible environments that can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability. Scope 1.1 Purpose This Standard specifies technical requirements on how to make buildings and the exterior built environment accessible and safely usable by persons with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. Commentary: 1) Temporary buildings and facilities provided for public use should also comply with the technical requirements of this Standard. Such temporary facilities can include teaching spaces, reviewing stands, exhibit areas, bleachers, first-aid facilities, pedestrian passageways around construction sites, as well as temporary accommodations such as shelters. 2) Where public access is permitted during construction, renovation, or maintenance of a facility or an exterior environment, the requirements of this Standard should be respected to provide safe and equitable use for everyone. 3) Some people with disabilities could have requirements beyond the levels addressed in this Standard. 1.2 Application This Standard describes technical requirements that can be used in the design and construction of new facilities or exterior environments, or in modifications to existing facilities. This Standard does not address the application of the technical requirements. The extent to which these requirements have to be applied is the responsibility of other authorities having jurisdiction.