According to new research from HCMA architecture and the Rick Hansen Foundation, inclusive and accessible new buildings can be constructed at no additional cost through thoughtful planning and design.

The report, titled Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification, Cost Comparison Feasibility Study, suggests that projects could achieve a Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) Gold rating if construction costs were increased by one per cent.
?As it stands, the greatest barrier to meaningful accessibility in Canada?s built environment is an attitudinal one, and there is an unspoken assumption that accessible buildings are expensive and difficult to build. This report unequivocally shows that this is not the case,? said Brad McCannell, Vice President of Access and Inclusion at the Rick Hansen Foundation. RHFAC 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.
Photo courtesy of Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification, Cost Comparison Feasibility Study
To date, over 1,200 buildings across Canada have been rated through the program, according to the research. Public and private sites, as well as multi-unit residential buildings can achieve ?RHF Accessibility Certified? or ?RHF Accessibility Certified Gold? levels by scoring at least 60 per cent or 80 per cent on the RHFAC Rating Survey.
The Rick Hansen Foundation Acce...