Photo courtesy City of Surrey
Surrey, B.C., is the first Canadian city to commit to building to Gold level using Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) for all future civic facilities.
“By taking this step, we are making a commitment to ensure people of all ages and abilities can fully participate in everyday life in Surrey,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “We are proud to be the first city in Canada to make this proclamation, and we thank the Rick Hansen Foundation for their partnership and support as we press forward to design all future civic facilities in a way that will be accessible for everyone.”
RHFAC rates the level of meaningful accessibility of buildings and sites, based on the holistic user experience of people with varying disabilities affecting their mobility, vision, and hearing. Surrey was one of the first Canadian municipalities to receive an RHFAC Gold rating and now has 43 rated civic facilities, including 29 that have been certified, and five that have achieved Gold.
To receive an RHFAC Gold rating, sites must receive a minimum of 80 per cent on their rating scorecard, the primary entrance must be accessible, audiovisual (A/V) alarms, safety warning features, and assistive listening and communication enhancement technology must be present where applicable.
