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 gross annual income(s) of over $35,000 may be required to contribute towards the cost of the requested home and/or vehicle modification(s).

Eligibility

Program eligibility will be limited to a person who is:

  • A permanent Ontario resident, AND
  • A person with a substantial impairment caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness that is ongoing and/or recurring and is expected to last one year or more, AND
  • The impairment impedes mobility and results in substantial restriction in activities of daily living for example, personal care and functioning in the community

Applicant must 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

The Home and Vehicle Modification Program and related services contracted by the ministry will reflect the following features:

  • 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

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
  • installation of wheel-in showers, wall grab bars, and bathtub safety rails
  • 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 (NB: 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
  • other items as approved from time to time by the ministry, or as amended in the Service Contract

Eligible vehicle/garage and carport modifications include:

  • transferable equipment such as hand controls, foot controls, lifts, safety device etc. These 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, and 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

  • assessments are appropriate where the Service Coordinator believes that further information is required to determine the relationship between the client’s functional capacity and the modification(s) requested

Reporting requirements

The following service data will be reported on at an Interim and Final stage. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates and targets.

Service Data NameDefinition
Percentage of individuals served: home modifications (no employment goal)The number of clients for whom a modification to their home is funded, and for whom employment was not the goal of the modification.
Percentage of individuals served: vehicle modifications (no employment goal)The number of clients for whom a modification to their vehicle is funded, and for whom employment was not the goal of the modification
Percentage of individuals served: with employment goal: home modificationsThe number of clients for whom a modification to their home is funded, and for whom employment was the goal of the modification.
Percentage of individuals served: with employment goal: vehicle modificationsThe number of clients for whom a modification to their vehicle is funded, and for whom employment was the goal of the modification.
Percentage of individuals supplementedThe total number of clients where the Service Coordinator supplemented the government contribution with other sources of funding.