A fun way to learn about accessibility and inclusion | Rick Hansen Foundation

All of us can be Difference Makers in creating a more inclusive and accessible world. Understanding more about the need to build communities where everyone can go everywhere, leads students to change their perspective. 

Rick Hansen Ambassadors present to hundreds of elementary students
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About Our Ambassadors

Our Ambassadors are individuals with diverse physical disabilities who are available for speaking engagements at schools or youth groups across Canada. All presentations are virtual, with accessibility features —such as live captions— available upon request. 

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Start Meaningful Conversations About Disability

What do a Ph.D researcher, comic book artist, and paralympic athlete have in common? A passion for making their communities more accessible and inclusive by engaging with Canadian youths.

Questions?

We would love to help! Get in touch: schools@rickhansen.com

Meet our 2024/25 School Program Ambassadors

We have ambassadors across the country with a wide variety of lived experience of physical disability. Paralympians and authors, service dog and wheelchair users, English and French speakers. All of our ambassadors have a story to tell which will spark meaningful conversations about disability in your classroom. 

A woman with red hair and glasses is smiling while sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle. She's wearing a colorful, patterned tank top, and the car door features a camouflage design. The background shows a scenic view with trees and a partly cloudy sky.

Alisha Young

Man in blue rain jacket standing in front of a wide river in an urban setting.

Alex Smyth

A person with short blue hair, wearing a green jacket with gold shoulder decorations and black pants, smiles while sitting in a wheelchair. They are positioned in front of an urban water fountain, with tall buildings and trees illuminated in the background.

Bean Gill

Young man with a serious expression leaning forward with his hands and a white identification cane resting on his knees.

Ben Akuoko

Red haired young man in athletic basketball uniform using a wheelchair, cheery

Cameron Gelowitz

A smiling man with gray hair and glasses sits in a wheelchair. He's wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans. The background consists of deep red curtains.

Fernando Resende

smiling middle aged woman with statement jewlery and outdoors, wearing sunglasses and using a white identification cane

Gina Martin

A woman with long brown hair, dressed in a pink blazer and black top, sits in a wheelchair in a grassy outdoor setting with trees in the background. She is smiling and looking at the camera.

Jackie Silver

A smiling woman in a white shirt with a red maple leaf design and red pants sits on a bench in a gymnasium. Weightlifting equipment is seen in the background. She appears relaxed and confident.

Jenna Reed-Cote

A woman with wavy blonde hair smiles at the camera while sitting in a wheelchair. She is wearing a black top, black leggings, and brown boots. The background features lush greenery, and she is positioned on a grassy area.

Jessica Kruger

A woman with long dark hair, wearing a gray cardigan and black pants, sits in a bright green wheelchair on a wooden deck with a grassy landscape visible in the background. She is smiling.

Kuen Tang

Laura Bain

A person sitting on the ground with their arms raised in joy, using crutches. They are on an accessible pathway with a wheelchair access sign beside them. The background shows stone walls and a mountainous landscape. It appears to be a historic or archaeological site.

Maggie Manning

A person wearing sunglasses and a red plaid shirt with a gray hooded sweatshirt underneath smiles while taking a selfie in an airplane cockpit. The background shows a blue sky and landscape seen through the airplane windows.

Martin Leduc

Young woman with arms outspread using a wheelshiar beside a beach at sunset, smiling soflty

Megan Smith

A person wearing sunglasses and a blue patterned shirt is smiling at the camera. The person is standing on a sidewalk with buildings in the background.

Mihai Covaser

A man in a wheelchair sits on a tennis court in front of a fence with trees in the background. He is wearing a grey Nirvana T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers, and is smiling warmly at the camera.

Paulo Guerrero

A young man with short brown hair sits in front of a red curtain, smiling and holding the harness of a black Labrador guide dog seated next to him. He wears a green and brown checkered shirt.

Robert Hampson

A man with shoulder-length dark hair and a beard is sitting in a wheelchair. He is wearing a black jacket over a dark shirt. He is inside a building with light walls and a blue carpet. He has a calm expression and is looking at the camera.

Oda Al-anizi

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Personal connections change hearts and minds

By inviting an individual with a disability, to speak about living a full life, students gain new insights. With a diversity of vision, hearing and mobility disabilities, the Rick Hansen Foundation Ambassadors create connection and challenge stereotypes. These engaging individuals interact with your students through the use of video conferencing technology.

All presentation costs are covered thanks to the support of the RHF School Program's generous supporters.

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"I just wanted to say a BIG thank you for your amazing presentation! It was clear, concise, and at a level that the students could understand and be really touched by the stories that you shared.....What a powerful presentation with a powerful message about inclusion and kindness."
B.C. elementary school teacher
“I have been involved with the RHF for several years and have found the Ambassador Presentations to be most meaningful and helpful for my students. The Ambassadors are able to connect with students by sharing their experiences. They support our students to learn more about the barriers individuals with disabilities face each day. They teach how an inclusive learning environment is not in 'addition to' but part of how every community of learners support each other.”
Ellie Ellsworth, Elementary School Teacher, Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board
“Our students loved the ambassador presentation. It really opened their eyes to people living with disabilities.”
Eric So, Teacher, Serpentine Heights Elementary (SD36), BC
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The Rick Hansen Foundation School Program
Made possible by the generous support of Scotiabank, the Gordon and Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation and the Skidmore Foundation.
Gordon and Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation
 

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Our programs and initiatives work to create an accessible and inclusive world where people with disabilities can live to their full potential. 

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When Rick set out to wheel around the world in 1985, he had three missions: to raise awareness about the potential of people with disabilities, create accessible and inclusive communities, and find a cure.

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