With funding of $1.3 million from the Ontario Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) is accepting applications from organizations across 10 municipalities in Ontario to obtain a snapshot of their buildings’ accessibility through the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) program.
RHF is calling on non-profit, public and private organizations to apply to receive complimentary RHFAC ratings. This includes spaces such as community centres, libraries, schools, retailers and office buildings. There are funds to give 250 sites the opportunity to be rated through the RHFAC program.
The program is available in Brampton, Greater Sudbury, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Markham, Mississauga, Ottawa, Toronto and Windsor.
“This certification pilot project will help businesses and communities understand how to be more accessible and inclusive for everyone – so that we all benefit. By helping to build awareness of accessible built environments, we are fostering a culture of accessibility and inclusion,” says Minister for Seniors and Accessibility Raymond Cho.
RHFAC says it rates the level of meaningful access of the built environment, keeping in mind user experience of people with varying disabilities affecting their mobility, vision and hearing. According to the Conference Board of Canada, improvements to workplace access would allow more than half a million Canadians with disabilities to work more hours, increasing GDP by $16.8 billion by 2030. To date, more than 1,200 buildings across Canada have been rated through the program.
Applications from building owners and tenants can be submitted online until March 27, 2020.
