January 28, 2021

Victoria International Airport (YYJ) Achieves Gold Accessibility Certification from Rick Hansen Foundation

Today, Victoria International Airport (YYJ) is pleased to announce that it has received the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certified Gold rating under its Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification^TM (RHFAC) program. YYJ is the second airport in British Columbia and fourth in Canada to achieve this rating.

The RHFAC program is a national rating system that measures the accessibility of buildings and sites and promotes increased access through the adoption of Universal Design principles.

“Congratulations to Victoria International Airport for achieving RHF Accessibility Certified Gold. The leadership demonstrated by Victoria Airport Authority shows that using RHFAC to focus access efforts is the quickest and easiest way of creating meaningful access for all users,” said Brad McCannell, Vice President, Access and Inclusion, Rick Hansen Foundation. “This success challenges other airports and operators of large public facilities to join in the movement that uses RHFAC to identify barriers to people with disabilities using common language and common methodology for measurable results.”

“This achievement is the result of more than a year of work by the team to evolve the airport to this level of certification. Even in the most challenging of times such as we are currently experiencing, our commitment remains to provide all travellers with an airport experience that is easy, comfortable and safe. This is a significant accomplishment we are proud to share,” said Victoria Airport Authority President and CEO, Geoff Dickson.

YYJ would like to acknowledge the collaborative work with Douglas Copley of Copley Inclusive Solutions for his thoughtful consultation, site ratings, reporting and guiding Victoria Airport Authority through the adjudication process with the RHF.

YYJ has many accessible features that resulted in this achievement including:

Accessible parking in close proximity to accessible entrances;
Clear width, firm, stable and slip resistant exterior pathways;
Clear directional signage including international pictograms;
An abundance of accessible washrooms equipped with automated doors and emergency call systems, a dedicated adult changing washroom and pet relief areas inside and outside the Air Terminal Building (ATB);
Good access to all facilities expected to be used in the ATB;
Accessible interior ramps;
Tactile markings on signage;
Accessible self-serve kiosks with priority access;
Versatile seating options;
Assisted listening technology;
Clear emergency exits, visual alarms and evacuation chairs located at stairwells; and
A high degree of meaningful access to amenities.

To learn more about the Accessible features at YYJ, please visit our website at www.victoriaairport.com.

About Victoria Airport Authority
Victoria Airport Authority is a not-for-profit authority that has managed the safe and secure operations of the Victoria International Airport on behalf of the surrounding communities since April 1, 1997.

About Rick Hansen Foundation
The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF), established in 1988, is part of its legacy. For over three decades, RHF has raised awareness, changed attitudes and funded spinal cord injury research and care.

Their mission is to create and deliver innovative solutions that lead to a global movement to remove barrier and liberate the potential of people with disabilities.