Make your business accessible to people with disabilities
Whether you run a restaurant, store, clinic, hotel or office, we look at a customer's whole route, from the sidewalk to the washroom. You get the list of obstacles, the possible solutions, a quote and the grant programs worth checking.
What usually gets in the way.
Restaurants and cafés
A step at the entrance, a heavy door, a washroom in the basement or too narrow, cluttered aisles.
Stores
A two-door vestibule, a high threshold, a checkout counter that's too high.
Clinics and offices
Heavy interior doors, a washroom that isn't adapted, a preference for touchless access.
Hotels and tourist venues
Entrance, accessible rooms and bathrooms, signage.
How we remove these obstacles.
Route assessment
From the parking lot or the sidewalk to the service area and the washroom, with photos and measurements.
Work plan by priority
Whatever blocks the entrance first, then the rest. Useful when the budget or the grant has a cap.
Grant application documents
A detailed quote and the documents the program asks for, ready to attach to your application.
Work and commissioning
One contractor coordinates it all: ramp, automatic door, washroom and counter.
Done by the rules.
- Section 3.8 of the Code de construction du Québec (Quebec Construction Code), on barrier-free design, applies to new buildings and alterations, with exceptions for certain alterations. Québec does not require existing buildings to be brought up to standard across the board: we check what applies to your work.
- Beyond the law, an accessible business is open to more customers: wheelchair users, seniors, parents with strollers, delivery workers.
- REFEXCO (RBQ licence: 5683-0334-01) installs the door openers and coordinates the job. The electrical supply is handled by an electrical contractor who is a member of the CMEQ, and the plumbing by a contractor who is a member of the CMMTQ.
Programs that can cover part of the cost.
Status and conditions come from official sites. No amount is guaranteed: the program confirms eligibility.
Open · Businesses located in the Montréal agglomeration (agglomeration by-law RCG 17-011).
Programme d'aide à l'accessibilité des commerces (PAAC) – Subvention pour l'accessibilité universelle aux commerces
City of Montréal (Service du développement économique)
Official source (opens in a new tab)Status to be confirmed · Commercial establishments on Westminster Avenue (zones MA-1, MA-3, MA-4, MA-5, MB-1 and MB-2).
Financial assistance program for the revitalization of commercial facades and signs and the accessibility to businesses for persons with disabilities (accessibility works component)
Town of Montreal West
Official source (opens in a new tab)Open · Tourism establishments anywhere in Québec.
Programme d'accessibilité des établissements touristiques (PAET) 2024-2027
Ministère du Tourisme du Québec, with program management entrusted to Kéroul
Official source (opens in a new tab)Open · All of Québec, except Indian reserves.
Programme d'adaptation de domicile (PAD) – Volet I, Option 1 – Accompagnement professionnel
Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ), with partner municipalities and regional county municipalities (MRCs)
Official source (opens in a new tab)Open · All of Québec, except Indian reserves.
Programme d'adaptation de domicile (PAD) – Volet I, Option 2 – Besoins et travaux autodéterminés
Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ)
Official source (opens in a new tab)Open · Targeted areas only: the downtown area and the Cap-de-la-Madeleine area (Schedule I of the by-law).
Programme d'accessibilité universelle des établissements de commerce et de services de Trois-Rivières
City of Trois-Rivières (Direction de l'aménagement et du développement)
Official source (opens in a new tab)
Frequently asked questions
Does my business have to be accessible to people with disabilities?
For a new building or an alteration, section 3.8 of the Code de construction du Québec sets barrier-free design requirements, with exceptions for certain alterations. Québec does not require an existing building to be upgraded when no work is being done. REFEXCO checks what applies to your project.
How do I make my restaurant accessible to people with disabilities?
We start with the entrance (step, door), then the washroom and the path between the tables. An on-site assessment gives you the list of work by priority, the quote and the grant programs to check.
Are there accessibility grants for businesses in Québec?
Yes, some municipal, provincial and federal programs fund part of the cost of accessibility work. Whether they're open, their amounts and their conditions change: REFEXCO's grants tool shows the verified status of each one.
Who can do accessibility renovations for people with disabilities?
A contractor who holds the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) licence for the work involved. REFEXCO (RBQ licence: 5683-0334-01) is a general contractor and holds the doors subcategory, which covers power door operators. Electrical work is handled by a CMEQ member and plumbing by a CMMTQ member.
Services that go with it.
Have your business assessed.
We come and look at your customers' route, note the obstacles and give you a work plan, with the grants worth checking.