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RICHMOND, B.C. — The District of Saanich has passed a resolution looking to make more new B.C. buildings accessible to the highest degree.

The council is recommending the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) request the Province of British Columbia to incorporate the latest accessibility standards into provincial building code, and that all new public buildings achieve a Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) Gold rating.

“Accessibility cannot be an afterthought; it must be built in from the beginning,” said Saanich Coun. Teale Phelps Bondaroff, chair of the district’s accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusion advisory committee, in a statement. “We’re asking the province to design public buildings that reflect dignity, inclusion and meaningful access — not just for today, but for the next 50 years.”

This call to action comes as B.C. embarks on over $24.8 billion in capital infrastructure investments over the next three years.

The RHFAC program addresses meaningful access in spaces where people live, work, learn and play, accounting for mobility, vision, hearing and neurodiversity, the release adds.

“Nearly two-thirds of Canadians have a disability or a family member or someone they take care of with a disability,” said Doramy Ehling, CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation. “When accessibility is incorporated into our built environment from the ground up, we create welcoming environments that are more inclusive, economically vibrant, and socially connected.”

The draft resolution is now heading to the UBCM, which meets this fall in Victoria. If adopted there, it will become part of the advocacy work of UBCM.