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Accessibility costs less than you might think

A girl pushing someone in a wheelchair into the indoor pool with high, wooden ceilings

Since 2018, we’ve been working with the Rick Hansen Foundation to compare the cost and design implications of their Accessibility Certification with our current National and Ontario building codes.

The results are astounding:

When projects meet the requirements of building codes alone, they're unlikely to provide meaningful access for people with disabilities, or allow them to participate fully, or with dignity.

New projects can achieve the RHF Accessibility Certification at no additional cost. It just requires thoughtful design, which could be as simple as materials selection, colour contrast and signage, and the positioning of controls, hooks, and mirrors.

To go a step beyond, projects can reach RHF Accessibility Certification Gold (the highest rating) for an average construction cost increase of just 1%.

The bottom line is, our current building codes simply do not meet the holistic needs of people with disabilities. But, the power's in our hands. With just a little more thought, we can create a world that's accessible to everyone.

Let’s work together and do just that.

Download the free report to see the small actions that make a big difference.

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