Whereas most British Columbians will encounter some form of accessibility challenges in their lives, the British Columbia Building Code establishes only a minimum level of accessibility for buildings and therefore fails to meet the accessibility needs of all people; And whereas the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification RHFAC program aims to improve accessibility in the built environment by evaluating the meaningful access of buildings and sites for people with a range of accessibility requirements including vision, hearing, neurodiversity, and mobility: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of British Columbia incorporate the latest accessibility standards established by the Canadian Standards Association CSA into the Provincial Building Code to ensure that all new construction in British Columbia meets accessibility standards; And be it further resolved that the provincial government commits to achieving the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification gold certification on all its new buildings.
Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction The Government of BC supports the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification. The Rick Hansen Foundation RHF received 7.5 million in funding from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2026, from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction to implement initiatives to break down barriers in the built environment and supporting a more inclusive future. Through this project RHF is supporting a total of 13 municipalities and three First Nations by offering a comprehensive package of funding, a suite of tools, resources, and training developed through the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification RHFAC program. Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs The British Columbia Building Code establishes the minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings based on the National Model Codes. The Government of BC participates in the development of the National Model Codes for the advancement of accessibility in buildings and the harmonization of Building Code requirements across Canada. The latest building construction-related accessibility standards established by the Canadian Standards Association CSA are currently being reviewed through the national Code development system for reference in the National Model Codes and the BC Building Code. Ministry of Infrastructure Managing and overseeing BC government buildings is a responsibility of the Real Property Division RPD, which transferred to the Ministry of Infrastructure from the Ministry of Citizens Services in December 2025. In 2017, the Ministry of Citizens Services partnered with the Rick Hansen Foundation to improve access to BC government buildings to a standard beyond the BC Building Code. The Rick Hansen Foundation assessments, conducted across 73 government buildings, have helped inform improvements and changes to guidelines, standards, and investment decisions to improve access to government facilities and enhance services for citizens. Over the past three years the Ministry of Citizens Services invested over 24 million in accessibility projects across the core government real estate portfolio, wherever BC Public Service employees work or from where services are delivered to the public. Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification standards are also now incorporated to some extent in the technical standards the Ministry of Infrastructure uses for all RPD owned tenant improvement projects and major retrofits to offices, as well as some special purpose properties such as courthouses. The Ministry of Citizens Services also created guidelines for washroom construction to make spaces more accessible and inclusive for the people who work in and visit core government buildings.