Rick Hansen Foundation Fall 2022 Newsletter
Latest updates on the impact your support is making for Canadians with disabilities.
A Message From Rick Hansen
I want to wholeheartedly thank you for your trust and belief in our Foundation. These past two years have been challenging for everyone and I am grateful for your continued support as we collectively navigate a global pandemic and begin to emerge on the other side stronger than ever.
Because of your dedication to people with disabilities, we have increased our efforts and continue to move towards our vision of a barrier-free world. As the momentum grows, so does my hope of achieving this goal.
The Fall 2022 edition of your Imagine newsletter shines a spotlight on the innovations you have enabled towards the building of an inclusive and accessible world where everyone can go everywhere.
Sincerely,
Founder, Rick Hansen Foundation
In This Issue
Leading the Way to Inclusion and Accessibility
Commemorating the 35th Anniversary of the MIMWT
Celebrating National AccessAbility Week
New Offerings in the RHFSP Library
Educators Have their Say
Ontario Organizations Advance Accessibility
Supporting a Valuable Resource for the Global Research Community
Donation of Securities
A Focus on Ability Instead of Disability
Leading the Way to Inclusion and Accessibility
Authentic community and government engagement are critical components of our work.
RHF’s leadership brings together business leaders, government, disability community leaders, and the public to build momentum and influence policy change, thus creating a cultural shift toward real inclusion to build a Canada for everyone. With your commitment, we have been able to amplify the voices of people with disabilities and advocate for inclusion and accessibility.
We work with 20 disability organizations as part of the Pan Canadian Disability Coalition, united by our common goal to ensure that attitudes, policies, services, and programs in all areas of Canadian society are barrier-free and welcome participation by everyone with a disability. Our CEO Doramy Ehling also plays a key role in the Disability and Work in Canada Committee, advocating for inclusive, diverse, and equitable labour markets.
Every day, the federal government moves closer to fully implementing the Accessible Canada Act. We now have our first-ever Chief Accessibility Officer in Stephanie Cadieux and Accessibility Commissioner to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Michael Gottheil, with whom members of our team met in Ottawa in June 2022. We are grateful to be a trusted contributor to helping make the decisions that are shaping the accessible future of our country.
All this work we do to break down barriers for the 1 in 4 Canadians is possible because of your support. Thank you.
Leadership
Commemorating the 35th Anniversary of the MIMWT
May 22, 2022, marked the 35th anniversary of when a cheering crowd filled BC Place Stadium in Vancouver to welcome Rick Hansen home from his Man In Motion World Tour (MIMWT). To commemorate this anniversary, the Foundation held a celebration luncheon at BC Place with many original MIMWT members in attendance who enjoyed a video montage with clips from the MIMWT with Rick speaking to how far society has come when it comes to the treatment of people with disabilities.
“What was once one Man In Motion is now Many In Motion and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your commitment to a world that’s accessible and inclusive for everyone, everywhere.”
–Rick Hansen, RHF Founder.
Raising Awareness
Celebrating National AccessAbility Week
National AccessAbility Week was held from May 29 to June 4, 2022. The Foundation took this opportunity to continue raising awareness about the importance of removing attitudinal and physical barriers. Thanks to your generosity, we held a successful fundraising campaign that was matched by one of our incredible donors.
The RHF School Program team also hosted a virtual conversation between Rick and three accomplished young Canadians with disabilities. Seventy classrooms representing 1,696 students had the opportunity to hear compelling stories from their peers with disabilities.
The Foundation also brought together industry and accessibility leaders for a live panel titled The Power of Inclusive Workplaces, which gave more than 350 attendees accessibility- based tips to bring to their workplaces. You can access the webinar by visiting www.rickhansen.com/workplaces.
To close out the week, we announced this year’s recipients of the 2022 RHF School Program Difference Maker of the Year awards. These inspiring people are students, teachers, and community leaders who contribute to inclusion and accessibility. We invite you to read about them on our website at www.rickhansen.com/2022DifferenceMakers.
“Diversity is a fact; inclusion is a decision; belonging is a feeling,”
— Philippe Bernier, Vice President of Strategy, Operations & Sustainability at JLL Canada
New Offerings in the RHFSP Library
Thanks to your continued support, we’re excited to add two more video resources to our growing School Program online resource library. The first is a digital storybook titled On the Move. This animated video for Kindergarten to Grade 5 students follows friends Alex and Liam as they explore their accessible city. The second is an upbeat video titled Just Like U for Grade 6 to 12 students featuring youth with hearing, mobility and vision disabilities who share their perspectives about misconceptions and preconceived notions about disability.
Educators Have their Say
The results are in! Our annual Year-End Survey is a great way for us to connect with educators about their needs in the classroom. We always want to know how the RHF School Program resources resonate with children and youth so we can continue helping to educate the next generation of accessibility and inclusion champions.
Some of the highlights from this year’s Year-End Survey include:
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88% of educators felt more empowered to teach inclusion in their classroom or organization as a result of using RHFSP resources
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60% of respondents felt that taking part in the RHFSP led to taking a step towards improving accessibility in their school or organization
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90% of respondents that had an RHF Ambassador presentation in the past school year indicated that their class or group had further discussion about access and inclusion since the presentation
We are grateful for your support as we continue to open young minds and hearts to the power of an inclusive and accessible world.
“[Because of the RHFSP resources] we are currently in the planning and fundraising stages of building a new accessible playground at our school,”
— Aselin Ettinger, Teacher, Tri-County Regional Centre for Education, Nova Scotia.
Ontario Organizations Advance Accessibility
To help provide a solution to the barriers faced by 2.6 million Ontarians with disabilities, the Government of Ontario’s Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility (MSAA) partnered with us to launch a complimentary accessibility rating program. RHF appreciates the opportunity to partner with the Government of Ontario in advancing its accessibility goals.
Two-hundred and fifty sites in 16 Ontario municipalities including schools, office buildings, and retail spaces, undertook a complimentary RHF Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) rating as of June 30, 2022.
While increased accessibility is the long-term goal, the program proved to be highly successful in its immediate mission:
100% of organizations stated their knowledge and understanding of accessibility improved
94% have already made or plan to make access improvements
Additionally, organizations expressed the desire to improve other sites in their portfolios. This includes the City of Vaughan, McCarthy Tetrault and Cadillac Fairview, showing that the knowledge base continues to expand post-program and organizations understand the value of improved access.
“It’s an honour to receive any kind of certification from the Rick Hansen Foundation as they are known for their accessibility. Our hospital has always worked with kids with disabilities and there was always this belief
that we were accessible and we didn’t have a way to demonstrate it.”
- Meenu Sikand, Executive Lead, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.
Supporting a Valuable Resource for the Global Research Community
One of Rick’s original dreams is to find a cure for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury (SCI). The Foundation provides funding to the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) for this purpose, and to provide better care for people with SCI.
An exciting project at ICORD is the continued operation of the first biobank for the human spinal cord and cerebrospinal fluid in Canada. The International Spinal Cord Injury Biobank (ISCIB) is a research resource consisting of a collection of biospecimens to support biomedical research and improve patient outcomes.
ISCIB materials are available to researchers globally, provided that their proposed study has undergone ethical review and is aimed to improve the overall understanding of SCI and the spine. As of March 31, 2022, ISCIB supported 18 international projects – tripling the previous year’s number of requests.
Donation of Securities
Through your retirement plans, you can name the Rick Hansen Foundation as the beneficiary of your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF).
Gifts of appreciated securities such as stocks, bonds, privately owned shares, and mutual funds are a cost-effective way to support the Foundation. Tax on capital gains is eliminated when transferring appreciated securities directly to the Foundation. This donation receipt may also help offset other taxes.
Contact Sandra Pimpao at spimpao@rickhansen.com for more information. Or you can visit www.RickHansen.com/Legacy to download the Securities transfer form.
A Focus on Ability Instead of Disability
There was nothing Laetitia Mfamobani wanted more than to be just given a chance.
Laetitia moved to Vancouver to attend the University of British Columbia (UBC). But first, she had to learn English – a challenge to go from knowing none to university level comprehension in nine months. But Laetitia, who became blind when she was a child due to a medical mistake, was used to challenges.
Previously, she had completed her undergrad studies in Quebec – Political Science with a minor in International Relations. It was a long way from Gabon, Africa, where Laetitia had grown up, but she wanted to live in a country where there was more opportunity for a woman with a disability.
But much to Laetitia’s dismay, opportunity was hard to come by. She needed to work, and continual barriers chipped away at her self-esteem.
“My mom taught us the value of work and taking care of yourself, and here I am, with a couple of degrees, and I can’t work,” Laetitia said.
“People look at me, and they see my skin colour. Then my accent was a barrier. Being a woman didn’t help. And, of course, disability was a big one.”
Laetitia applied for numerous jobs. After repeated rejections, Laetitia landed a position with the Rick Hansen Foundation where she now works as a Digital Accessibility Specialist.
“When I was told by the RHF hiring manager that she was giving me a chance, I felt like I was dreaming,” she said. “I am grateful to the Foundation, especially because it is a place that advocates for people with disabilities.”
Thank you for everything you do to remove barriers so people like Laetitia can live full, equitable lives. We appreciate all of your support and could not do this work without you.
