Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification

GWLRA aims to positively contribute to the communities where we live and work. As a real estate company, we are conscious of how a building’s design may impact an individual’s interaction and overall experience with the space. As 1 in 4 Canadians lives with a disability, increasing accessibility is an opportunity to improve the experience of our tenants and residents at our managed buildings.

In 2024, GWLRA participated in the Rick Hansen Foundation’s (RHF) Building Without Barriers (BWB) Challenge. The challenge required GWLRA to attain at least three RHF Accessibility Certifications within the first half of 2024.

GWLRA property management teams engaged accessibility consultants to conduct an initial assessment of their buildings and provide recommendations to improve their site’s accessibility. The assessment encompasses several categories of accessibility such as wayfinding, emergency systems, interior services and environment, and entryways.

Through the certification process, properties adopted certain recommendations to improve on-site accessibility. Examples include adding braille to signs in the building, stair nosings to highlight the edges of steps, biophilic elements to support well-being, and procuring assistive listening devices to be made available for guests at the front desk. Additionally, teams made note of where accessibility could be improved in the future during more substantial renovations or site alterations.

GWLRA exceeded the BWB objective by certifying 13 properties within the challenge time frame and continued to achieve certification for two additional properties in 2024. In recognition of our success, GWLRA was one of the companies awarded the Commitment Award at BOMEX 2024 for receiving the most new RHF Accessibility Certifications. Our Vancouver property team was also awarded BOMA Canada’s Accessibility Challenge Award at 4250 Canada Way (Burnaby, BC) for achieving the highest accessibility score.

GWLRA is proud of the accomplishments made by our property teams across the country that help improve the accessibility of our managed assets. Reducing barriers promotes equal opportunities for everyone to interact with a building whether it be to work, live or play.