The Rick Hansen Foundation is now welcoming prospective participants in its 2024 Buildings Without Barriers Challenge. By pledging to undertake Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) assessments at three or more of their properties, organizations with real estate portfolios become eligible for four awards recognizing commitment, progress and achievement in providing accessible space.

“We’re challenging property owners and managers to accelerate their accessibility journey and support their tenants by making spaces such as our stores, malls, offices and condominiums more inclusive for employees, customers and visitors of all ages and abilities,” says Brad McCannell, vice president, access and inclusion, Rick Hansen Foundation.

Participating companies can submit their pledges by November 15 and must complete the RHFAC assessments between January 1 and June 30, 2024. Four awards are on offer:

• The Commitment Award will go to the organization with the greatest number of properties and/or pre-construction plans that have obtained an RHFAC rating;
• The Innovation Award will recognize the building that achieves the highest score in the innovation category of the RHFAC rating;
• The Accessibility Progress Award will recognize the building with the best improvement in its score from its previous RHFAC rating; and
• The Accessible Future Award will go to the organization that achieves the highest RHFAC rating for a new development that is in the design or pre-construction phase.

“These four aspects look at the holistic and overall approach to accessibility,” McCannell observes. “When organizations are looking at accessibility during all stages of building whether it’s a brand-new build or a renovation, we know that attitudinal changes are happening.”

Award winners will be announced at BOMEX, the annual national conference of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada, in Vancouver in September 2024.