What Rick Hansen Foundation does

The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) is a Canadian registered charity founded in 1988 in Richmond, British Columbia, by Paralympian Rick Hansen following his 1985-1987 Man In Motion World Tour. The foundation operates as a multi-program accessibility and disability inclusion platform serving four principal beneficiary groups: youth and schools, building owners and managers, people with spinal cord injuries, and Canadian youth with disabilities pursuing post-secondary education. It is funded through a hybrid model of individual donations, corporate sponsorships (notably RBC, Scotiabank, BMO), family and institutional foundation grants (Slaight Family Foundation, Hearn Family Foundation, Abercrombie Foundation, Gooder Foundation), and federal/provincial government grants, with charitable registration 10765 9427 RR 0001.

The foundation's core technology asset is the RHFAC (Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification) program, a rating and certification system for the meaningful accessibility of the built environment. RHFAC is delivered through a three-component platform: rating and certification services, a tiered training curriculum (RHFAC Fundamentals Training and RHFAC Professional Training), and an online Accessibility Professional Network featuring a certified-professional directory and job board. A 2025 version update, RHFAC v4.0, refreshed the certification standards. Complementary program lines include the bilingual School Program (ambassador presentations, Difference Maker Awards, Youth Leadership Committee, Classroom Accessibility Allies co-developed with CNIB), the RBC Barrier Buster Grants (up to $40,000 to 40 communities per cycle), the Rick & Amanda Hansen Scholarship (up to $10,000/year, max $40,000, funded by the April 1 Foundation), and the Spinal Cord Injury Navigation Service launched with Vancouver Coastal Health.

The foundation's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: ambassador presentations deploy people with disabilities into classrooms; Difference Maker Awards and National AccessAbility Week campaigns drive awareness; direct donation appeals run through the website and newsletter; and grants and scholarships are distributed via application processes. Distribution relies on a network of certified RHFAC professionals (channel/reseller model for building assessments), educators implementing school resources, and corporate/foundation partners distributing grants. The foundation holds the 2018 Imagine Canada Certification (73 best-practice standards across governance, finance, fundraising, staff, and volunteers) and operates bilingually (English/French) with head office in Richmond and a satellite office in Toronto.

Name

Rick Hansen Foundation

Legal name

Rick Hansen Foundation

Website

https://rickhansen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Rick Hansen Foundation is a Canadian registered charity founded in 1988 that runs the RHFAC accessibility certification program for buildings, school-based inclusion programs, the RBC Barrier Buster Grants, the Rick & Amanda Hansen Scholarship for youth with disabilities, and a Spinal Cord Injury Navigation Service with Vancouver Coastal Health.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Accessibility Advocacy Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Academic Accommodations & Access Planning (ADA/504) (EDALAGAA)

Keywords

• Accessibility certification services
• Disability inclusion programs
• Community accessibility grants
• Accessibility training education
• Nonprofit disability advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants. Multiple fundraising campaigns including direct mail, digital appeals, and legacy giving programs.
2. Government Grants: Funding from federal and provincial government programs for accessibility initiatives.
3. Program Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for school programs, accessibility grants, and awareness campaigns from partners like Scotiabank, BMO, RBC, and various foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Rick Hansen Foundation delivers accessibility certification (RHFAC) for the built environment, school and youth education programs on disability inclusion, community grants for physical accessibility improvements, scholarship funding for youth with disabilities pursuing post-secondary education, and a Spinal Cord Injury Navigation Service delivered in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health. Programs are funded by donations, corporate sponsorships, and government grants and made available free or at subsidized cost to beneficiaries across Canada.

Product overview

The Rick Hansen Foundation operates as a unified platform centered on its RHFAC (Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification) program, which rates the accessibility of buildings and spaces. The organization offers complementary products and services organized around three core areas: Accessibility Certification and Training (including RHFAC certification, professional training, and advisory services), Community Programs (including the RBC Barrier Buster Grants, Accessible Outdoors Program, and SCI Navigation Service), and School Programs (including Ambassador Presentations, Difference Maker Awards, Youth Leadership Committee, and Classroom Accessibility Allies). Additional offerings include the Rick & Amanda Hansen Scholarship for post-secondary students with disabilities, National AccessAbility Week celebrations, the APN2027 Conference, and the Municipal Accessibility Policy Toolkit. The Foundation also maintains an Accessibility Professional Network connecting certified professionals in the field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RHFAC (Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification): The Foundation's accessibility certification program that rates the meaningful accessibility of the built environment.
• Rick Hansen Foundation School Program (RHFSP)
• RBC Barrier Buster Grants Program
• Difference Maker Awards
• Rick & Amanda Hansen Scholarship for Youth with Disabilities

Products and services

• RHFAC (Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification) Certification program that rates the meaningful accessibility of the built environment for the places where people live, work, learn, and play. Used by building owners, property managers, and organizations across Canada to obtain a recognized accessibility rating.
• Accessibility Training and Education Training programs including RHFAC Fundamentals Training and RHFAC Professional Training that prepare individuals to conduct accessibility assessments and pursue careers as accessibility professionals.
• RBC Barrier Buster Grants Program Grant program providing up to $40,000 per community to 40 communities per cycle for physical accessibility improvements, sponsored by RBC and administered by the Rick Hansen Foundation.
• Rick Hansen Foundation School Program Educational resources and programs teaching youth about accessibility and inclusion, including ambassador presentations, classroom resources, difference maker awards, and the Youth Leadership Committee, delivered to K-12 schools across Canada.
• Rick & Amanda Hansen Scholarship for Youth with Disabilities Financial aid scholarship of up to $10,000 per year (maximum $40,000 total over 1-4 years) for Canadian youth under 30 with permanent or episodic disabilities pursuing post-secondary education, funded by the April 1 Foundation.
• Accessibility Advisory Services Professional consulting service providing accessibility assessment expertise and recommendations to organizations seeking to improve accessibility of their facilities, programs, or services.
• Spinal Cord Injury Navigation Service (SCI Nav) Navigation service launched in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health to support people living with spinal cord injury, their families, caregivers, and clinicians in accessing healthcare and community resources.
• Accessible Outdoors Program Program supporting outdoor accessibility improvements and partnerships to make outdoor recreational spaces more accessible for people with disabilities across Canada.
• Municipal Accessibility Policy Toolkit (MAP) Resource toolkit helping Canadian municipalities develop and implement accessibility policies and practices for their communities.
• Classroom Accessibility Allies (La brigade de l'accessibilité en classe) Free classroom resource co-developed with CNIB to help teachers and K-9 students promote accessibility in classrooms and school communities across Canada.
• Accessibility Professional Network Professional network connecting RHFAC-certified accessibility professionals, providing a directory, job posting capabilities, and resources for the accessibility community in Canada.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1.3 billion adults globally identify as having a disability
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CNIB (Institut national canadien pour les aveugles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with RHF to create the Classroom Accessibility Allies (La brigade de l'accessibilite en classe) resource, enabling teachers and students to promote accessibility in classrooms and school communities. Joint resource development and distribution.
• Vancouver Coastal HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunching new Spinal Cord Injury Navigation Service (SCI Nav) for people living with SCI, their families and caregivers, and clinicians. Joint program to improve healthcare navigation for SCI patients.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Neil Squire Society: Canadian nonprofit using technology, research, and education to empower people with disabilities. Comparable in assistive-tech and accessibility professional training overlap with RHFAC Fundamentals/Professional Training, and similar national nonprofit operating model.
• March of Dimes Canada: National Canadian nonprofit providing services for people with disabilities, including accessibility, employment, and rehabilitation programs. Comparable multi-program disability-services model with national footprint and government-contract revenue mix.
• Easter Seals Canada: Federated Canadian disability nonprofit offering programs for children and youth with disabilities, including accessibility equipment funding and camp/recreation programs. Comparable in mission (youth disability inclusion), fundraising structure, and corporate-sponsor base.
• CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind): One of Canada's largest disability-focused nonprofits, delivering services, advocacy, and education for people who are blind or partially sighted. Already a co-development partner on RHF's Classroom Accessibility Allies resource; comparable in scale, multi-program model, and donor base.
• Spinal Cord Injury Canada: National Canadian nonprofit serving people with spinal cord injuries through peer support, navigation, and advocacy. Directly comparable as a Canadian disability-services nonprofit with overlapping SCI beneficiary base and similar service model around SCI navigation and community support.

Broad incumbents

• Wings for Life: International not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation. Comparable in SCI research funding and global fundraising events; offers a benchmark for how RHF's SCI research and navigation mandate could expand internationally.
• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: US-based SCI-focused foundation funding research, advocacy, and quality-of-life programs. Comparable mission overlap on SCI navigation, research funding, and youth scholarship programs; a benchmark for cross-border SCI foundation scale.
• Special Olympics Canada: National Canadian disability-inclusion nonprofit delivering sport, youth leadership, and school programs. Comparable in donor base, school/youth program structure, and corporate sponsorship profile (e.g., RBC, Scotiabank), with broader brand recognition but less focus on built-environment accessibility.

Regional players

• Disability Foundation (Vancouver): BC-based nonprofit supporting disability-focused programs and community initiatives. Comparable as a regional disability-services funder and community partner; relevant for benchmarking accessibility grants and community-level program design.

Emerging players

• BOMA Canada (Building Owners and Managers Association): National industry association for commercial real estate, including BOMA BEST sustainability and accessibility programs. Comparable as an adjacent building-certification body with overlap on building-owner engagement and professional training audiences relevant to RHFAC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rickhansenfdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsFrNjGgJ02y6qONMvOIoxw
• Facebookfacebook.com/rickhansenfdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rick-hansen-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/rickhansenfdn

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rick Hansen Foundation