Whether you are planning, designing, constructing or operating a site, Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) Professional Training will provide you with the knowledge and practical skills needed to apply a meaningful access lens to your projects, and rate a building for its 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.
Benefits of RHFAC Professional Training:
RHFAC Professional Training learners 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 Should Take this Training?
RHFAC Professional Training supports Architects, Urban Planners, Engineers, Facility Managers and Operators, Accessibility Consultants and more.
Course Welcome from Rick Hansen
Ready to register?
The RHFAC Professional Training course provides training on the RHFAC rating and certification process for learners to become designated RHFAC Professionals.
During this course, learners will be required to:
- Review and analyze detailed documents and construction drawings.
- Conduct site visits and collect data using equipment and tools such as measuring tape, slope reader, light meter, etc.
- Capture site features of the site using photography or other digital equipment.
Learners registering for the RHFAC Professional Training course should best determine how they would complete these tasks.
Taking the RHFAC Professional Training is the first step to becoming a designated RHFAC Professional. If you meet the course pre-requisites (see below).
If your preferred session is sold out, contact the post-secondary institution to be added to the registration list for the next available session.
Upcoming Courses
Post Secondary Partner | Course Dates | Registration Link |
Carleton University Accessibility Institute | Winter: February 3 - March 28, 2025 | |
George Brown College | Winter: January 13 - March 23, 2025 Spring: April 14 - June 22, 2025 | |
Nova Scotia Community College | Fall: October 9 - December 4, 2024 | |
University of Alberta | Winter: January 13 - March 23, 2025 Spring: April 14 – June 22, 2025 | |
Vancouver Community College | Winter: January 13 - March 2025, 2025 |
RHFAC Professional Training is also offered via the below professional associations. Check with your association if you are a member, and visit their website for more information and registration.
Professional Association | Course Dates | Registration Link |
Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (RAIC) | Winter: January 13 - March 23, 2025 Spring: April 14 - June 22, 2025 | |
Independent Contractors and Business Association (ICBA) | Winter: January 13 - March 23, 2025 Spring: April 14 - June 22, 2025 |
This course is recognized for continuing education units (CEUs) by professional bodies such as AAA, AIBC, AIA, OAA and many more. Read the full list of partners.
RHFAC Training Course Prerequisites
- a certificate or at least one year of completed post-secondary studies in architecture, building construction, civil 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
- an architectural or engineering technologist or technician; or
- a minimum of five years of construction experience; or
- an equivalent combination of lived experience and work experience in the built environment.
Education and credentials awarded outside of Canada will be considered.
Do you feel strongly that you would be a good candidate but do not meet the above requirements? Please contact us – we will be pleased to discuss your options at training@rickhansen.com.
Next Steps: Becoming an RHFAC Professional
After you pass the RHFAC Training Course, you will need to complete the following steps to earn your RHFAC Professional Designation, if you wish to pursue it.
- Pass the RHFAC Professional Exam, administered by the CSA Group. If you took the RHFAC Training course between April 2023 and June 2024, please note that the associated exam based on v3.0 of the Rating Survey will no longer be available as of January 31, 2025. We encourage you to register for your exam as soon as possible.
- Apply to RHF for your designation. This application requires both proof of course completion and your letter from CSA Group demonstrating you have passed the exam.
- Maintain your designation by following the Code of Ethics, maintaining your Accessibility Professional Network membership, meeting continuing education requirements, and completing any mandatory training.
For more information on the above, read the Guide to RHFAC Professional Designation or email us at training@rickhansen.com.
Interested in Group Bookings? To learn more about Group Bookings for your organization, please also email training@rickhansen.com.
Meet RHFAC Professionals
Discover the ways these RHFAC Professionals are using their designations in their work as architects, building industry professionals, accessibility consultants and more.
RHFAC Professional, Charles Choo, creates relationship with property manager to build a more accessible world
March 12, 2024
In 2017, Charles Choo attended the Interior Design Show in Toronto. As an engineer, learning about leading developments in the architecture field was important to Choo.
Colin McCarthy is Seeking Access for All
June 8, 2023
Colin McCarthy has been a person with a disability since he was fourteen and discovered he had Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare type of cancer, predominantly diagnosed in children.
Sherry Hastings is Excited to Create Accessible Buildings as an RHFAC Professional
March 8, 2023
Sherry Hastings, a Senior Architectural Technologist at P3 Architecture Partnership, was working on Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan when she first heard about
Have a question about the RHFAC Training Course or becoming an RHFAC Professional?
Please email training@rickhansen.com.