Buildings Accessibility Appeal Tribunal

Department

Authority

Remuneration

Purpose:

In accordance with section 23 of the Buildings Accessibility Act, the purpose of the Buildings Accessibility Appeal Tribunal is to hear appeals from aggrieved parties concerning decisions of the Director responsible for buildings accessibility. Appeals must be started by the Tribunal not later than 30 days after receipt of the appeal and must provide its decision, in writing, within 45 days of hearing the appeal.

Structure:

The Buildings Accessibility Appeal Tribunal consists of a chairperson, a vice-chairperson and three other members, one of whom must be a representative of people with disabilities. Public employees of the province are not eligible for appointment to the Tribunal.

Competency Profile:

Members of the Buildings Accessibility Appeal Tribunal collectively possess the core competencies of:

• Architecture/building design at a professional level;
• General knowledge of building standards and codes;
• Personal and/or professional knowledge of barriers faced by people with physical and/or sensory disabilities in accessing buildings and infrastructure normally available to members of the public;
• Leadership and/or governance experience;
• Financial literacy; and
• Legal expertise or experience (asset).

Qualifications:

Members of the Buildings Accessibility Appeal Tribunal meet the following qualifications:

• high ethical standards and integrity
• appreciation of responsibilities to uphold the public interest;
• capable of understanding legal and financial impacts related to the matters before them;
• flexible, responsive and willing to consider others’ opinions;
• capable of a wide perspective on issues;
• ability to listen and work as a team member;
• no direct or indirect conflict of interest; 
• strong analytical skills; and
• a post-secondary degree, diploma, or construction trade certification specializing in building design, universal design, and/or knowledge of the Canadian Standards Association B651 Standard and national building codes would be an asset.

Time Commitments:

The Buildings Accessibility Appeal Tribunal hears complaints under the Buildings Accessibility Act as appeals are filed.  There are normally no regularly scheduled meetings although a meeting may be held at the call of the Chair.  Members of the Appeal Tribunal should be available to meet on demand within a very short time frame (30 days or less).  This may include formal, in-person meetings as well as conference calls.  Tribunal members are also expected to spend additional time reviewing appeal materials and preparing for hearings. 

Term:

Members of the Buildings Accessibility Appeal Tribunal are appointed for a two-year term and are eligible for reappointment. Where the term of a member expires, they continue to be a member until reappointed or replaced. Where a member of the Tribunal resigns or their term of office expires, that member may continue to exercise their powers and perform their duties with regard to a matter before the tribunal in which that member was involved before that resignation or expiry, as if they had not resigned or the term had not expired.