A Canadian Innovation for Universal Design

by Rebecca Blissett

Rebecca Blissett is a writer for the Rick Hansen Foundation, a Canadian-based non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities by creating an accessible and inclusive world. Rebecca has been a storyteller through using the written word and photographs her entire adult life. Her experience in journalism gave her a deep appreciation for telling untold stories, particularly when it comes to people with disabilities.

Travellers love Vancouver International Airport (YVR) for its cascading waterfalls, open spaces, and First Nations totem poles. Rarely do they say they love it because it’s accessible, but that’s only because its thoughtful design elements are seamlessly integrated.

In December 2019, prior to tight travel restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the airport had a record year welcoming over 26 million passengers through the doors. In order to maintain their reputation as one of the best airports in North America, it conducted exit surveys – a tool that measures traveller satisfaction for performance insights. The surveys revealed that people with disabilities ranked their experience at YVR as being 'great' but were often unable to pinpoint why.

“And that’s the perfect answer,” said Brad McCannell, Vice President of Access and Inclusion at Canada’s Rick Hansen Foundation. “Because if you don’t know why, it’s because you weren’t segregated. Your whole airport experience was normalized. You moved through the airport along with everyone else. It was ‘great’ because, as a person with disability, you were included.”

In 2018, YVR became the first airport in Canada to achieve a Gold rating through the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) program, an innovative rating system that measures the holistic level of meaningful accessibility for people of varying disabilities affecting their mobility, vision and hearing. In Canada, building codes often differ between provinces and territories. A consistent national benchmark is a much-needed and welcome measurement.

The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) launched RHFAC in 2017 with extensive input from the disability community and professionals in the built environment. The program trains industry professionals to rate the accessibility of buildings, sites and design plans, and is designed so they stay current with rating system updates every three years. RHFAC Certification professionalizes the delivery of accessible design, setting an aspirational goal for the industry and allows organizations to celebrate their achievements.

RHF has a long history of advocating for the creation of a world without barriers, dating back more than 35 years. Rick Hansen established the Foundation in 1988 following the completion of his incredible Man In Motion World Tour where he wheeled 40,000-kilometers over two years, two months, and two days to raise awareness of the potential of people with disabilities.

While RHF’s headquarters are located on the West Coast of British Columbia, RHFAC is regarded across Canada as the driving force of improving accessibility of the built environment. More than 1,300 buildings have received RHFAC ratings to date, and that number continues to grow.

A PRINCIPLED MEASUREMENT TOOL

YVR received their 93% score through meaningful Universal Design features such as high-contrast flight information displays (FIDS) positioned low and out of the path of travel, accessible service counters, and acoustic wall, ceiling and floor treatments to control ambient sound levels. Other features include adaptive public address systems, universal and full ‘Changing Places’ style washrooms, and intuitive wayfinding that utilises tactile surfaces, sound scaping, and an advanced signage program that includes welcoming video messaging in American and International sign languages.

Universal Design is a critical element in ensuring a seamless experience for all users of a space. While the foundational pillars of accessibility and inclusivity are not a stretch to meet to ensure everyone can go everywhere, builders often fall short despite the best of intentions, pointed out Stanis Smith, architect and member of the RHF Board of Directors.

“There’s not much point in having an automatic door opener if there isn’t enough space for a wheelchair user to get out of the way of the door as it swings open,” said Smith. “This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how often it is forgotten.”

Accessibility not only looks good, but feels good. It’s no surprise to learn YVR was named North America’s best airport (20-30 million passenger category) in 2020 for the 11th year in a row along with moving up 4 places in the global list to placing 13th in the world in 2020 by Skytrax, an organization that ranks airports based on passenger comfort and airport design.

LEAVE THE JOB TO THE PROFESSIONALS

People with pre-requisites in architecture, engineering, urban planning, or building construction are eligible to enroll in RHFAC Training offered in person through post-secondary institutions across Canada and online at Athabasca University. Through a combination of theory and hands-on practice, the course helps professionals understand accessibility from the perspective of those with disabilities. After passing an independently audited exam, students are awarded an RHFAC Professional designation which qualifies them to rate buildings using the RHFAC rating system. RHFAC brings common language and methodology to every site assessed under the RHFAC. RHFAC Professionals operate independently of RHF.

Much like the sustainability movement that took the building industry by storm at the beginning of the millennium, the accessibility movement is here to stay. It’s one based on human rights considering the billions who have a disability, permanent or temporary, and the world’s aging population.

Beyond the altruistic argument for accessibility, there are pragmatic reasons. Those who have their buildings and sites rated through RHFAC achieve market differentiation and competitive advantage. Ratings also arm building owners and designers with the knowledge to build with foresight, welcoming more employees and visitors through the door and reducing the risk of costly retrofits as building codes catch-up. In addition to future-proofing buildings and sites, using RHFAC methodology benefits everybody – not just those living with disabilities.

“Those adopting RHFAC will be perceived as visionary leaders. It enables you to attract staff and customers that are more inclusive and diverse,” said Smith. “Everyone wins.”

IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING SPECIAL, IT’S ABOUT BEING INCLUSIVE

Change happens when people are vocal. This was the case with Vancouver Island University (VIU). Many barriers existed on the hilly campus for the 1,000 students and employees registered with the school’s disability office. It wasn’t until VIU professor Linda Derksen, who suffered a broken hip and began using a wheelchair, realised just how difficult it was to navigate the campus.

Derksen championed a movement at VIU and university leadership along with other departments quickly jumped on board to facilitate Universal Design through its new Universal Access Committee. Using the RHFAC to clearly establish the existing barriers to people with disabilities on campus, the Committee developed a long-term plan to prioritise upgrades that included accessible washrooms for 12 buildings, student housing upgrades, and a wayfinding map that identifies accessibility upgrades across campus – the first of its kind in North America.

VIU aims to be the most inclusive university in Canada. Ultimately, like with Vancouver International Airport, the goal is to make accessibility a part of the culture of their facilities and operations.

“Meaningful access is about more than just counter heights, ramp slopes, and increased light levels,” McCannell added. “It’s about professionalizing the delivery of accessible spaces. It’s about changing design culture to recognize the return on investment that real accessibility brings. It’s about including accessibility as part of the normal design process. It’s about making accessibility, accessible.”

To learn more about RHFAC visit RickHansen.com/RHFAC or email access@rickhansen.com