Thanks to the unwavering support from our partners, donors, supporters, volunteers, and staff, we continued to make progress to build an inclusive and accessible Canada where everyone can go everywhere. Your commitment is evident in every achievement we celebrate. We are grateful for your dedication to achieving our shared vision of an inclusive world, where our citizens are equally valued and included in the places where we live, work, learn, and play.
Here are some highlights of what we accomplished together in 2023/24. Looking for more? Download the complete report.
Global Conversations
Rick Hansen Foundation was granted special consultative status by the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council.
1,779 people have attended our Power of Inclusion webinars since launching in 2021, including 285 people this year.
5,200 visits to our School Program resource library with downloads from around the world.
Approximately 1,000,000 people are visiting sites that have been rated using RHF’s Accessibility Certification, including sites in the US.
Meaningfully Accessible Lived Environments: The RHF Accessibility Certification Program
Developed in 2017, the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) program is Canada’s only rating survey based on Universal Design principles and the holistic user experiences of people with mobility, vision, and hearing disabilities as well as those who are neurodivergent. This year, we expanded our education and training services and completed operational initiatives to improve our ability to provide client-centered service.
RHFAC Program Highlights
1,803 people have enrolled in at least one RHFAC course this year
More than $400,000 was disbursed to eight municipalities in B.C. to improve accessibility in 24 public buildings.
147 sites were rated this year, up from 122 last year.
Disbursed more than $927,000 in tuition grants for 527 learners.
Amplifying Inclusive Schools and Communities: The RHF School Program
Since 2001, the Rick Hansen Foundation School Program (RHFSP) has supported educators, children, and youth to become accessibility leaders through education, mentorship and awards. This year, we trained educators in Ontario on how to create meaningfully accessible and inclusive classrooms, recognized a new generation of youth leaders, and launched a scholarship enabling students with disabilities to attend post-secondary school in Canada.
School Program Highlights
761 educators completed our Inclusion & Accessibility E-learning course in Ontario.
5 Difference Maker of the Year Awards were given out to recipients across Canada.
18,800 children and youth were reached through 96 Ambassador presentations and accompanying educator resources.
We launched the Rick & Amanda Hansen Scholarship for Youth with Disabilities.
Enhancing the Responsiveness of the Spinal Cord Injury Health and Research Ecosystem: The RHF SCI Cure and Care Program
From supporting the establishment of the UBC International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries and the Rick Hansen Institute (now known as the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute or Praxis) to funding seed grants, research meetings, and knowledge translation initiatives, RHF’s commitment to improve the health outcomes of people sustaining a spinal cord injury has helped catalyze B.C. into an internationally recognized hub of innovation.
SCI Cure and Care Program Highlights
We extended funding this year to maintain our partnership with ICORD.
Since 2013, we’ve provided ~$1.9 million to support 100 seed grants.
We continue to support Dr. Stacy Elliott to establish Canada’s first Centre of Excellence in Sexual Health and Spinal Cord Injury.
We continue to work to advance an SCI Care Strategy in the province of British Columbia.
Removing Barriers to Nature: The RHF Accessible Outdoors Program
This year, we started developing our newest program, the RHF Accessible Outdoors Program, which will launch next year. Although access to the natural environment has been shown to improve wellbeing, these spaces are often inaccessible to people with disabilities, resulting in inequities and exclusion. Thanks to generous support from the Peterson Family Foundation and Power to Give, RHF is working with local non-profits to remove barriers to accessibility in the outdoors.
This program includes three streams:
- facilitating outdoor access for people with disabilities,
- empowering the next generation of Difference Makers to advance accessibility in their communities,
- and gathering lived and academic insights to inform future programming.
Read the 2023/2024 RHF Annual Report
To learn more about the important work highlighted here, as well as to explore RHF's detailed financial statements, download the complete annual report.