Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC)

Accessibility in the built environment has been at the forefront of more conversations as industry’s take a broader look how accessibility impacts their site and business.

What is RHFAC?

One in five Canadians identify as having a disability. As the population ages, this number is expected to increase. Making spaces more accessible not only means creating a more inclusive environment but opens up your building to a larger customer or employee base.

Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification is a third-party certification that goes above provincial legislation and ensures your building is accessible. Using the CSA B651EN as a reference tool while also taking into account lived experience, Rick Hansen has created a certification that measures and certifies meaningful access of a site for many different types of disabilities. The survey also provides a tool to benchmark buildings throughout portfolios that range across the country, using the same metrics. Achieving Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification highlights your commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and can be a supporting documentation in any ESG goals.

Rick Hansen assesses meaningful access of existing buildings over the following twelve areas:

1. Vehicular Access
2. Exterior Approach and Entrance
3. Interior Circulation
4. Interior Services and Environment
5. Sanitary Facilities
6. Wayfinding and Signage
7. Emergency Systems
8. Additional Use of Space
9. Residential Units
10. Trails and Pathways
11. Mind-Friendly Environments
12. Technology and Innovation

AET’s Rick Hansen Professional’s can help you navigate the certification, highlighting areas of both improvement and success, and help you build an action plan to move forward. Whether it be completing the certification from start to finish or solely assessing the building through RHFAC Rating Survey, AET can help your building become a more accessible and welcoming place.