The Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) Fundamentals Training
Learn about universal design and how to improve accessibility for everyone.
Registration for all 2025-26 sessions opens September 2
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Overview
This 4-week, online, self-paced course will provide you with the foundational knowledge to understand the needs of people with disabilities and how our physical spaces can be made more accessible. Enhance your knowledge and application of Universal Design and meaningful accessibility through video interviews of people with lived experience, leading subject matter experts and case studies. This course will take approximately 20 hours to complete.
What you will learn
Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) Professional Training gives built environment professionals an understanding of the needs of people with disabilities and the skills to rate spaces for meaningful accessibility and a human-centered perspective. You will:
- Understand the scope and prevalence of disability.
- Describe how people with varying types of disabilities experience the social and physical environment.
- Learn to apply Universal Design principles and a meaningful access lens to existing sites and pre-construction projects.
- Discuss the legal landscape and frameworks affecting people with disabilities.
- Learn about the RHFAC program, its benefits, methodology and the rating and certification process.
- Rate existing sites and pre-construction projects for meaningful access using the RHFAC Rating Survey.
- Communicate areas of success and improvements for an RHFAC rating.
- Understand construction projects and how RHFAC Professionals can be involved.
Who is it for
- Built environment professionals and students including architects, civil engineers and building and interior designers.
- Facility and property managers looking to improve building accessibility.
- Accessibility consultants and anyone involved in managing public and private spaces.
Program details
- This is a fully online, self-paced course.
- Learners will have 4 weeks to complete the course from the course start date.
- On average, if you do all the readings and reflective work, this course will take approximately 20 hours.
- The RHFAC Fundamentals Training consists of 3 modules and contains video interviews of people with lived experience and leading subject matter experts, and case studies. They are:
- Module 1: Understanding Disability
- Module 2: Understanding our Built Environment
- Module 3: Measuring Accessibility in the Built Environment
- This course includes weekly 1-hour virtual sessions and online discussions facilitated by a coach to support peer learning. Sessions will be recorded but attendance is highly recommended for peer learning.
- To successfully complete the course, learners will be required to take 3 module quizzes and earn a passing grade of 80% or higher on each.
- Learners will be issued a certificate and a badge upon successful completion of the course.
- Course materials will be available for “view-only” access 1 month after the end of the 4-week course.
- Join learners from different partner institutions in one offering.
Fundamentals: VIRTUAL SESSIONS
Fall: 20 October 2025 – 14 November 2025
Instructor: Jenny Blome
Your RHFAC instructors are not just educators—they are seasoned professionals and recognized accessibility experts, bringing real-world experiences to their teaching.
Jenny Blome
Jenny has over 20+ years of experience in user design, product management and strategic consulting with innovative companies such as Apple. In 2014, she joined the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) to lead the design of a new technology solution for the accessibility rating of the built environment. This effort was a predecessor of the organization’s Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification Program (RHFAC), its core focus today.
Jenny was the co-architect of the RHFAC Rating Survey, the basis of the RHFAC certification system. In her role as Director at RHF, Jenny provided accessibility consultation for new construction projects and accessibility assessments of existing facilities in a wide range of industries. A few of the projects include: Hill Children’s Health Centre at BC Children’s Hospital, First Nations Health Authority, UBC School of Biomedical Engineering, UBC Gateway Building, Canadian Museum of Science and Technology, Rideau Hall, Canadian Border Security Agency, Canadian Transportation Agency, CN Tower, New Toronto Courthouse, Canada Post. She also managed educational programs including accessibility training for architects, engineers, designers, planners and other professionals. Additionally, she developed a new accessibility curriculum, “Accessible Spaces 101,” which she facilitated as SME.
Jenny currently provides accessibility consulting for a wide range of industries, existing sites and new development including government, commercial, residential and educational institutions.
One-hour weekly sessions will run on Tuesdays from 12 PM (Mountain Time Zone). There are four (4) virtual sessions in total. Below are the Fall 2025 session dates and times in various time zones:
| Date | Pacific Time (PT) | Mountain Time (MT) | Eastern Time (ET) |
| 21 October, 2025 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM |
| 28 October, 2025 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM |
| 4 November, 2025 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM |
| 11 November, 2025 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM |
Winter: 19 January 2026 – 13 February 2026
Instructor: Patricia Short
Your RHFAC instructors are not just educators—they are seasoned professionals and recognized accessibility experts, bringing real-world experiences to their teaching.
Patricia Short
Patricia Short is committed to building accessible communities. For over a decade, Pat’s mission has been to make a difference in people’s lives by creating spaces that are welcoming and inclusive for everyone – including those with disabilities.
Pat has an extensive background in teaching and consulting, and has worked in the fields of information technology, business and engineering in a career spanning over 40 years. She has acted as a consultant to the Rick Hansen Foundation since 2015 and was a member of the inaugural Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification Program™ (RHFAC) development team as lead designer of the course curriculum. As primary instructor of the RHFAC Training Course, Pat has taught at Vancouver Community College, Nova Scotia Community College, Athabasca University and the University of Alberta.
Pat also provides accessibility consulting services to organizations and design teams. Services include RHFAC ratings, gap analysis reports, architectural plan reviews and identification and evaluation of accessibility solutions.
Pat is a Registered Professional Engineer in British Columbia. She has a degree in engineering from Queen’s University, an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University, a Certificate in Computing Studies from Simon Fraser University and a BC Provincial Instructor Diploma from Vancouver Community College.
One-hour weekly sessions will run on Tuesdays from 12 PM (Mountain Time Zone). There are four (4) virtual sessions in total. Below are the Winter 2025 session dates and times in various time zones:
|
Date |
Pacific Time (PT) |
Mountain Time (MT) |
Eastern Time (ET) |
|
20 January, 2026 |
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
|
27 January, 2026 |
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
|
3 February, 2026 |
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
|
10 February, 2026 |
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
Spring: 18 May 2026 – 12 June 2026
Instructor: Gail Matiri
Your RHFAC instructors are not just educators—they are seasoned professionals and recognized accessibility experts, bringing real-world experiences to their teaching.
Gail Matiri
Gail is an accomplished expert in universal design, accessibility consulting and strategic advising, with over 20 years of experience in government relations, product regulation, and inclusive design. She is a certified Aging in Place Specialist and Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) Professional.
An experienced educator, Gail has taught accessibility and inclusive design at Toronto Metropolitan University, the University of Alberta, and Carleton University. She has led RHFAC accessibility audits across sectors including education, government, culture, and recreation, with clients such as Carleton University, Tafelmusik and the Canadian Mental Health Association.
In addition to consulting and teaching, Gail applies her expertise to designing accessible, beautiful spaces for both residential and commercial environments. She also volunteers as a ROMWalks guide with the Royal Ontario Museum, leading historical walking tours of Toronto.
One-hour weekly sessions will run on Tuesdays from 12 PM (Mountain Time Zone). There are four (4) virtual sessions in total. Below are the Spring 2025 session dates and times in various time zones:
|
Date |
Pacific Time (PT) |
Mountain Time (MT) |
Eastern Time (ET) |
|
19 May, 2026 |
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
|
26 May, 2026 |
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
|
2 June, 2026 |
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
|
9 June, 2026 |
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
Qualifications
No prerequisites required. This course does not qualify learners to obtain their RHFAC Professional designation; anyone looking to do so must successfully complete RHFAC Professional Training.
Receiving your certificate
Upon successful completion, you will automatically receive a certificate.
Access and system requirements
System Requirements: This course is delivered on the Rick Hansen Foundation Training Portal. For more information about system requirements, go to Browser Support for Canvas to understand the system requirements for optimal performance.
Accessibility: To learn more about accessibility, please visit Canvas Accessibility. We strive to make our courses as accessible as possible, but if you have any concerns or questions, please contact .
Cost
$1,500 CAD + applicable taxes