Book a consultation

Guide · Checklist

Entrance and route self-check

Walk the route a visitor takes, from arriving on site to finding a washroom and getting out in an emergency. These questions help you spot barriers before you call in a professional.

PRISM Accessibility Consultants · Reviewed October 2026

How to use this guide

Print this page and walk your arrival route at the time visitors usually come, ideally with a colleague. Answer each question with what you see today, not what the drawings say. Try the route from different points of view: pushing a cart, sitting at the counter or arriving after dark. Better still, walk it with people with disabilities who use your building. For every "no" or "not sure", note the location and take a photo.

A first look, not an audit: This self-check doesn't measure anything or test compliance with CSA B651, the Ontario Building Code or the AODA. Many requirements depend on exact widths, slopes, heights, door forces and contrast, and they apply differently to new and existing buildings. A professional assessment measures these and tells you where you stand.

Parking and drop-off

  • Is there accessible parking, clearly signed, close to the accessible entrance?
  • Are there both wider spaces for people who use wheelchairs and standard-width accessible spaces, with marked access aisles beside them?
  • Are the access aisles kept clear of snow, carts and parked cars?
  • Is there a drop-off area near the entrance where someone can get out of a car or accessible taxi and reach the sidewalk without a curb?
  • Can someone arriving by transit, on foot or by bike follow a step-free route to the entrance?

Exterior path

  • Can someone get from parking, drop-off and the sidewalk to the entrance without using steps?
  • Is the path firm and even, without cracks, gaps, loose gravel or raised edges?
  • Is the path wide enough for a wheelchair user to pass someone walking the other way?
  • Do ramps look gentle rather than steep, with handrails and level places to rest?
  • Are curb ramps and stairs marked with tactile walking surface indicators and a contrasting colour?
  • Is the path clear of overhanging branches, signs or open stair undersides that someone using a white cane might not detect?
  • Is the route well lit after dark, with benches on longer routes?
  • Does someone clear snow and ice from the accessible route first, and quickly?

Entrance and door

  • Is the accessible entrance the main entrance? If not, is it signed from the main entrance and open the same hours?
  • Is there a level area in front of the door, with no step or raised threshold?
  • Is there a power door, and can someone using a wheelchair reach the button without being hit by the door as it opens?
  • Does the power door work today, and stay open long enough to get through at a slow pace?
  • Can a manual door be opened with one hand and little force?
  • Are glass doors and walls marked so people can see them?
  • Can someone who can't hear, or can't speak, use the intercom or buzzer, and can it be reached from a seated position?
  • When a power door or elevator is out of service, is there a notice that explains why, for how long, and what the alternative is?

Lobby and wayfinding

  • From the entrance, can someone find the elevator, washrooms, service counter and exits without asking?
  • Are signs in large, high-contrast text, placed where people can read them standing or seated?
  • Do room signs include raised characters or braille?
  • Is the main route clear of displays, furniture and loose mats?
  • Is the lighting even, without strong glare from windows or shiny floors?
  • Is there seating for people who need to rest or wait?
  • Does the elevator announce floors by sound and display, with buttons someone can reach while seated and identify by touch?

Service counter

  • Is part of the counter low enough for someone seated, with room for their knees underneath?
  • Are the route to the counter and any queue line wide enough for a mobility aid?
  • Is there an assistive listening system, such as a counter hearing loop, and a sign saying so?
  • Can staff communicate in writing, and come around the counter if that works better for someone?
  • Can kiosks and payment terminals be used from a seated position and by someone who is blind?
  • Have staff been trained in accessible customer service, including welcoming service animals and support persons?

Washroom

  • Is there an accessible washroom on the route, signed from the lobby?
  • Can someone using a wheelchair open the door, get in, close the door behind them and turn around?
  • Is there clear space beside the toilet to transfer from a wheelchair, with grab bars?
  • Can someone seated reach and use the sink, soap, paper towels or dryer?
  • Is there an emergency call button, and does someone respond when it's pressed?
  • Is the accessible washroom kept clear, rather than used for storage?
  • Is there a single-user, all-gender washroom that a person and their support person can use together?

Emergency

  • Do fire alarms flash as well as sound, including in washrooms and other places where people may be alone?
  • Are exits signed, and is there a planned way out, or a safe place to wait, for people who can't use stairs?
  • Does the emergency plan say who helps visitors and employees who need assistance, and how?
  • Is emergency information available in accessible formats?
  • Do staff know the plan, and has it been practised?

What to do with your answers

Sort your "no" and "not sure" answers by how much each one stops people. A locked accessible entrance or a blocked route matters more than a missing sign. Some fixes are quick, such as clearing a path, repairing a power door or moving a display. Others need measurement, design and a budget.

Ontario's Building Code and the AODA's Design of Public Spaces Standards mostly apply to new construction, renovations and redeveloped spaces. Existing features may not have to change under those rules, but they can still be barriers, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission expects organizations to find and remove them.

Want certainty? A PRISM accessibility audit measures your site against the standards that apply to it, looks at how people actually use it, and sets priorities by impact, cost and effort. Talk to us about your building.

Sources

See your building the way visitors do.

A PRISM audit walks the full route with you, measures what matters and shows you what to fix first.

Book a consultation

What an audit adds: What to expect from an accessibility audit