Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility^TM Certification

DHI Canada is proud to support the Rick Hansen Foundation and its RHF Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) program, a national rating system that measures and certifies the level of meaningful access of buildings and sites.

• According to the Foundation website, 50% of adults have experienced or are experiencing a permanent or temporary physical (mobility, vision or hearing) disability, or live with someone who has.
• In 20219, the Government of Canada passed the Accessible Canada Act, with several provincial governments following suite by tabling their own accessibility legislation. Businesses need to start improving their accessibility now to comply.
• Being able to get into or exit from a building is an important component of accessibility and, therefore, vital to us. We applaud RHFAC for this integrated approach to accessibility. 

RHFAC provides a holistic and consistent approach to measuring access through a rating survey that designated RHFAC Professionals use to rate accessibility features in the following categories, as they are applicable:

• Vehicular access
• Exterior approach and entrance
• Interior circulation
• Interior services and environment
• Sanitary facilities
• Wayfinding and signage
• Emergency systems
• Additional use of space
• Residential units
• Trails and Pathways

To be certified, sites must meet certification prerequisites, and achieve a minimum rating score on the RHFAC Rating Survey.

RHFAC rates accessibility of existing sites and pre-construction sites for commercial, retail, multi-unit residential and public buildings.

In addition to the certification process, RHF also provides trainingcourses and resources on accessibility and disability awareness. To learn more, visit the Rick Hansen Foundation website.

DHI Canada strongly believes in the importance of this program, and we support the Foundation through donations and by encouraging site owners to have their sites rated. We also encourage design professionals to learn about accessibility in the built environment by taking RHF's various training courses. RHFAC is emerging as a national benchmark of meaningful access for users with mobility, vision or hearing impairments. To learn more, visit the RHFAC website.