Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) Professional Training

Program Overview

Whether you are planning, designing, constructing, or operating a site, Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) Professional Training will provide the knowledge and practical skills needed to apply a meaningful access lens to your projects and rate a building's overall accessibility under the RHFAC program.

Enhance your skills and demonstrate your commitment to access and inclusion by taking this 8-week course. The course will take approximately 60 hours to complete, and you must complete and successfully pass this course and exam to qualify for your RHFAC Professional designation. Prerequisites apply.

Program Details

• Designed for part-time study, the course offers flexibility to professionals juggling career and personal commitments.
• This intensive 8-week course includes 16 modules on core competencies and 12 mini-modules applying the RHFAC rating system.
• Course readings and coursework will require approximately 4 to 6 hours weekly over 8 weeks.
• The course includes weekly two-hour live virtual sessions and online discussions facilitated by an RHFAC instructor. Learners must attend the live sessions and inform their instructor if they cannot attend. Sessions will be recorded, but attendance at live sessions is required.
• Learners will also require the following assessment tools:
  • Measuring device (laser or tape)
  • Camera or phone (for taking photos)
  • Digital level (downloadable apps, such as iHandy, are available)
  • Door pressure gauge (supply scale model is acceptable)
• Learners will receive a complimentary membership to the Accessibility Professional Network (APN) upon enrollment to download training materials.
• The course will be graded based on quizzes, required course learning activities, and final course assignment submission.
• Note: Learners must book the RHFAC Professional exam separately.

What You'll 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-centred 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; and
• Understand construction projects and how RHFAC Professionals can be involved.

Who Will Benefit

RHFAC Professional Training supports Architects, Urban Planners, Engineers, Facility Managers and Operators, Accessibility Consultants and more.

What You’ll Earn

Prerequisites

Before registering, please make sure you meet these requirements:

• A diploma or at least two years of completed post-secondary studies in architecture, engineering, urban planning, interior design or a related program; or
• A Journeyman Certificate of Qualification in a designated trade related to building construction; or
• An engineer (or eligible for registration as an engineer); or
• An architect (or eligible for registration as an architect); or
• A minimum of five years of construction experience; or
• An equivalent combination of lived experience and work experience in the built environment

By enrolling in this course, you attest that you meet the prerequisite requirements.