OTTAWA — The Ottawa International Airport Authority has announced that the airport has received the “Accessibility Certified Gold” rating under the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) program.
RHFAC is the first program to rate access, “based upon the holistic user experience of people with varying disabilities affecting their mobility, vision and hearing,” noted a release. The RHFAC rates access in commercial, institutional and multi-residential buildings and sites. To date, over 1,200 buildings have been rated through the program.
Notable accessibility features at the airport include:
- a strategic wayfinding system that is consistent throughout the building;
- a variety of seating options, with and without arm rests;
- universal washrooms with accessible features such as adult-size change tables and emergency call systems;
- roll-up, automatic drinking fountains;
- a variety of flooring options, in particular carpeting that is easy to roll on; and
- a parkade facility with accessible parking with direct access to the pedestrian walkways that lead to the elevator lobbies for safe movement.
“The airport terminal, which opened in 2003, was built with accessibility in mind. As building code and accessibility standards have evolved over the years, along with the needs of the community, the authority has endeavoured to not only keep up, but to exceed these standards as it strives to provide the best possible passenger experience,” said Mark Laroche, president and CEO of the airport authority, in the statement.
“We are delighted to have achieved this exceptional level of certification which is a tribute to the authority’s commitment to an accessible terminal for all passengers, employees and visitors.”
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