About the program

The Home and Vehicle Modification Program provides home or vehicle modifications to eligible individuals and families to enable children and adults, including seniors, with disabilities that restrict mobility to continue living safely in their homes, participate in their communities and avoid job loss.

The program is intended to serve individuals and families most in need of assistance. Applicants to the Home and Vehicle Modification Program must first access any other sources of available public or private funding before being considered eligible. Applicants with a household income of over $38,000 may be required to contribute towards the cost of the requested home and/or vehicle modification(s).

Eligibility

To apply for the program, you must be all of the following:

  • a permanent Ontario resident
  • a person with a household income that does not exceed the established threshold
  • a person with a disability that impedes mobility and results in substantial restriction in activities of daily living (for example, personal care and/or accessing medical care or community services)

Applicants must also meet other eligibility criteria identified in the Home and Vehicle Modification Program Guidelines.

The program’s service coordinator is responsible for determining whether or not an applicant meets the eligibility criteria, approving expenditures that comply with program guidelines and ensuring that services are delivered according to the program policies.

How to apply

Please visit the March of Dimes website to learn more about eligibility and how to apply.

Program features

Funding provided through the Home and Vehicle Modification Program may be used for the following services:

  • assessment completed after application to the Home and Vehicle Modification Program
  • design schematics and professional fees of contractors, architects or other professionals needed to plan construction or installation of the approved modification(s)
  • the equipment (these must be eligible items) and supplies needed for the approved modification(s), and the cost of any warranties
  • the installation of any equipment, or the approved structural alteration of the home and/or vehicle, including labour
  • training on the use of equipment, provided by the contractor/ supplier/ vendor or the Service Coordinator

Home modifications

Eligible home modifications include:

  • ramps
  • inside and outside platform lifts, stairway lifts and lifting/ transferring devices, including necessary structural changes
  • the paving of an access path between the client’s home and mode of transportation if needed to facilitate the movement of a wheelchair
  • elevating devices
  • widening of doors and/or replacement of conventional doors by sliding or folding doors
  • rearrangement of bathrooms to permit safe use
  • rearrangement and lowering or raising of kitchen equipment and cupboards
  • a deck if it is an integral part of an access ramp or lift
  • disability features for major appliances where the modification allows a person to safely use the appliance
    • note: If a specialized adapted appliance is only sold as a whole item, the Program will fund the difference between the cost of the appliance and the market value of a similar non-specialized appliance)
  • environmental controls may be provided as appropriate. These include remote control or mechanical devices to operate appliances; switch lights and computers on or off; facilitate the use of a telephone; or to open, close and lock doors
  • modifications to a child’s play area
  • wet room with universal design principles instead of conventional bathing/toileting designs
  • other items as approved from time to time by the ministry, or as amended in the Service Contract

Vehicle/garage and carport modifications

Eligible vehicle/garage and carport modifications include:

  • transferable equipment such as hand controls, foot controls, lifts, safety devices, etc. that should be fully convertible — if possible — to any type of vehicle so that they can be transferred when the applicant changes vehicles
  • communication devices such as car phones, when necessary to ensure the safety of the person with a disability. Considerations should include:
    • the severity of the disability
    • whether the person drives alone
    • the area in which the vehicle is usually driven
  • specialized seating and related accessories required for transportation purposes
  • remote control devices to open garage doors for persons who use wheelchairs, scooters, or who walk with difficulty
  • raising the roof of a vehicle
  • lowering of the floor of a vehicle
  • barrier-free modifications to garages or carports
  • further vehicle modifications required to meet a child’s changing needs; and
  • other items as approved from time to time by the ministry, or as amended in the Service Contract

Assessment of homes and vehicles

The program’s service coordinator will assess your home and/or vehicle if they believe that further information is needed to determine the relationship between your functional capacity and the modification(s) requested.