Archive News 2021
VCC receives Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™
Vancouver Community College (VCC) is pleased to announce that our Building B at the Broadway campus is now officially certified through the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) program, which recognizes meaningful access for people of all abilities. Some of the areas rated include accessible routes to the main entrances, accessible outdoor parking lots, proximity to transit, wayfinding, emergency systems, and more. Building B is now listed on the RHFAC Registry and will be displaying window decals at the entrances.
“This achievement is a proud accomplishment for VCC and speaks to our values of being accessible and inclusive for everyone,” says Ajay Patel, VCC president and CEO.
RHFAC aims to improve the accessibility of the built environment for people with vision, hearing and mobility disabilities – the places where we live, work, learn, and play. RHFAC is a national rating system that helps both owners and tenants measure the accessibility of their buildings and sites based on a consistent methodology, and promotes increased access through the adoption of Universal Design principles.
Rick Hansen Foundation Vice President, Access and Inclusion Brad McCannell offers his congratulations. “This is a testament to your commitment to ensuring meaningful access for students, staff, and visitors of all abilities," he says. "We are proud to partner with VCC and this certification means that students, no matter their physical ability, have equal access to learning.”
Beyond our buildings
In addition to earning this prestigious certification, VCC is proud to have trained many of the RHFAC professionals in Vancouver through a one-of-a-kind educational partnership formed in 2016.
Patricia Short, the main RHFAC assessor who rated Building B, is both an alumna of VCC’s Provincial Instructor Diploma program (PIDP) and an RHFAC Training instructor, who helped to develop the RHFAC Training curriculum. “VCC has shown great commitment to this program, right from the beginning. I am proud to be a member of this community,” she says.
Since its launch via VCC Continuing Studies, RHFAC Training has since expanded to five other post-secondary institutions across Canada. Over 1,250 sites have been rated across Canada thus far, with over 800 achieving RHF Accessibility Certified or Certified RHFAC Accessibility Certified Gold status.
VCC is currently completing the rating process for Building A at the Broadway campus, and the Downtown campus will be rated once physical distancing measures are lifted in British Columbia.
Are you ready to help Canada become more accessible? VCC’s two-week, 48-hour Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) Training course runs in both the Spring and Fall terms at VCC.