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Nova Scotia’s Multiple Listing Service added new fields on Wednesday that are intended to provide more information for potential buyers about a home’s accessibility and adaptability for people with mobility needs.
The Nova Scotia Association of Realtors became the first Canadian multiple listing service to compel users to input information about a home’s accessibility.
The new fields include measurements for door and hallway widths, bathroom dimensions, turning radius of kitchens and bathrooms and types of entries into the property. Realtors also have the option to add other special features of the home.
“With the most common barriers people with mobility issues face being in the built environment, NSAR worked with several key partners to look at how we could make a difference in searching for an adaptable home,” NSAR MLS Director Bonnie Wigg said in a statement.
The organization noted that 27 percent of Canadians live with a disability compared with nearly 38 percent of Nova Scotians.
NSAR added the fields after receiving input from the groups Atlantic Accessibility, Canadian Real Estate Association, Rick Hansen Foundation, Nova Scotia Community College and members of the disability community.
“Everyone’s definition of an accessible home is different, so adding more information to listings will enable people to determine if a home is adaptable for them,” Wigg said.
The organization’s 2,100 members received training in the spring instructing them on how to take property measurements of the relevant features.
“NSAR recognizes the support of the Province of Nova Scotia,” NSAR President Andrew Gilroy said in a statement. “We are pleased to work in partnership with the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage to deliver this project which will benefit all Nova Scotians.”
