Everyone seems to agree that workplaces and buildings should be accessible to people with disabilities but nobody seems to know exactly what that means.
The Rick Hansen Foundation is attempting to eliminate such ambiguity with a bold initiative that establishes a gold standard for accessibility.
Launched in the fall of 2017, the program trains staff to assess buildings using a checklist and a rating system that examines everything from the design of washrooms to the colour of floors. It then provides employers with a road map for change.
“We are total realists here,” says Brad McCannell, vice-president of access and inclusion and the person responsible for the rating system at the Rick Hansen Foundation. “We don’t expect people to go out and change things overnight but what we really want to do is change design culture.”
Grants available ■ The foundation has received a $9 million grant from the B.C. government for the program. Of that amount, $4 million is designated for businesses that want to get on board the accessibility bandwagon. Municipalities and non-profit employers are eligible for up to $20,000 to make improvements per site while for-profit businesses are eligible for a matching grant of $20,000.
As with any major change, part of the challenge is getting rid of stereotypes. For example, most people associate disability with being in a wheelchair, but that group accounts for less than 30 per cent of the disabled population.
McCannell says people with hearing loss and with mental or cognitive illnesses are far more predominant. That’s where sound cushioning and creating stress-free environments become important. Nobody likes to think they are going to join the ranks of the disabled population but with the aging population, or the silver tsunami as it is sometimes called, one in five people is projected to fall into this category.
Behind that 20 per cent statistic is another hidden one, says McCannell. Disabled individuals are likely to have people in their lives who are deeply affected by their disability. It could be a spouse, a relative or even a paid caregiver. Suddenly we are looking at 40 per cent who are affected.
Muneesh Sharma, director of government affairs and communications at BOMA BC, says he is deeply committed to getting the industry on board. Having worked for the provincial minister of employment on disability strategies in the years leading up to the 2010 Olympics, he brings a wealth of experience to the file. He wants to draw the access issue into the mainstream “so we can start to make it more cool.” He senses the momentum to make buildings more accessible has lost steam since the Olympics so “it’s really timely that we’re starting this initiative.”
Sharma stresses the importance of designing buildings with accessibility in mind when they are in the planning stages as it is much harder to change design after the fact.
Invisible signs ■ Both Sharma and McCannell point to the Vancouver International Airport as a shining example of an accessible building. If you are on carpet, you are connected to a gate. If you are on tile, you are connected to an exit. Different types of flooring tell you where you are without the stigma of a disability label. And that’s another point. Design features should appear to flow naturally and blend into the building environment, avoiding the phenomenon McCannell describes as “label disabled.”
Often changes to a space can be inexpensive yet effective. Because people tend to lose depth perception as they age, baseboards painted a contrasting colour to floors and walls can be helpful. Some of the desirable changes simply involve common sense. For example, older adults and seniors are often much more comfortable in single-use, private bathrooms than in those with universal access.
Since the program was launched, the foundation’s certified assessors have surveyed over 400 buildings. A handful have met the gold standard, which means they were awarded 80 per cent of available points. McCannell expects that 20 per cent of all assessed buildings will be awarded that top ranking.
Carrying the torch on the accessibility front, the foundation is rolling out the program nationally, working with places like Halifax and the universities of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Without provincial government backing, such places are required to pay the full cost of being assessed and getting into a Canadian Standards Association registry, which can range between $2,500 and $5,000.
In the case of B.C. businesses, those costs are fully covered by the foundation’s grant money. One of the keys to the program’s success is the building owners or employers remain in the driver’s seat. At any point, without ramifications, he or she can say they have travelled far enough down the road to accessibility and they want to stop at that point. No argument, says McCannell.
“One of the things we aren’t is the code police,” says McCannell. “Our job isn’t to come in there and find everything that is wrong. We want to celebrate access.”
