Accessibility Consulting Services
We offer a range of residential and commercial accessibility services.
What We Offer
We offer comprehensive accessibility consulting services for any client that wants to improve accessibility, regardless of the project's size. Utilizing the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification's (RHFAC) structured methodology, we assess key elements that impact accessibility and provide tailored recommendations to enhance u
We offer comprehensive accessibility consulting services for any client that wants to improve accessibility, regardless of the project's size. Utilizing the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification's (RHFAC) structured methodology, we assess key elements that impact accessibility and provide tailored recommendations to enhance usability for a diverse range of users. Additionally, we conduct accessibility workshops to further educate your team on best practices. If desired, we can assist your organization in achieving an RHFAC or RHF Accessibility Certified Gold rating, the highest benchmark for accessibility in Canada. Learn more about this by clicking the link below. We also specialize in accessible garden design services.
Who We Serve
Who We Serve
Businesses, homeowners, non-profit organizations, and public spaces such as trails and playgrounds can all benefit from accessibility workshops aimed at improving accessibility. Community gardens, hospitals, long-term care facilities, churches, places of worship, and schools can implement accessible garden design to create inclusive envir
Businesses, homeowners, non-profit organizations, and public spaces such as trails and playgrounds can all benefit from accessibility workshops aimed at improving accessibility. Community gardens, hospitals, long-term care facilities, churches, places of worship, and schools can implement accessible garden design to create inclusive environments. Additionally, school garden programs and vocational programs for people with disabilities can enhance participation. Ultimately, anyone looking to improve accessibility in their spaces should consider pursuing RHFAC certification.
professional accessibility services
Accessibility Consulting and Universal Design Recommendations
Whether you’re looking for recommendations to enhance accessibility in a specific space, such as through designing an accessible garden or improving a washroom, or if you want to evaluate an entire facility with a focus on all aspects that could affect accessibility, including pursuing RHFAC certification, we can help you out. Additionally, we offer accessibility workshops to further support your efforts.
RHFAC Ratings for Existing Sites:
Achieving a Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification, or RHFAC certification, allows your organization to demonstrate its commitment to accessibility and ensures a listing on the RHFAC Registry of accessible spaces. This certification is especially beneficial for businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors, as well as organizations interested in creating a more inclusive environment for all. Additionally, participating in accessibility workshops can enhance understanding, and incorporating accessible garden design can further improve accessibility in outdoor spaces.
RHFAC Ratings for Pre-Construction:
The most cost-effective way to ensure accessibility is to integrate it into the design phase rather than making costly retrofits later. We've conducted numerous accessibility workshops and collaborated with architects, project managers, tradespeople, occupational therapists, clients with disabilities, and their advocates. Our team can support you in achieving best-in-class accessibility based on RHFAC certification criteria and Universal Design principles, including accessible garden design.
Specialized services
Accessible Garden Recommendations
For all of the 14 years that Marcel has worked as a direct support worker to people with disabilities, he has found opportunities to facilitate access to gardening. His experience ranges from a 4x4 foot plot in the city to a half acre 4-season market garden selling vegetables all over Cape Breton Island. In every case, providing people with disabilities with meaningful access to the joys of gardening is the top priority. By considering each person's particular access needs, along with the gardening task of the day and experimenting with different tools, techniques, and positions, he aims to create an accessible garden design that is both enjoyable and functional. This process has been among the most interesting and rewarding work for him. Marcel has also conducted accessibility workshops and learned a lot about what works (and even more about what doesn't), allowing him to provide recommendations for your community garden, market garden, or home garden. His insights, which are informed by his RHFAC certification, can help make your gardening space a place of inclusion and enjoyment for all expected users.
Accessibility Workshops for Community Garden Groups
We can provide accessibility workshops for community garden leaders who want to ensure their gardens are designed with accessible garden design principles in mind, creating an environment where people with disabilities feel welcome and valued as equal members of their communities. Additionally, these workshops can help gardens work towards RHFAC certification.
Adaptive Garden Tool Development
More to come. We are actively designing garden tools to address the gap in the marketplace for gardeners with disabilities. Our efforts are informed by insights from accessibility workshops and aim to promote accessible garden design, ensuring that our products meet RHFAC certification standards.
About
Marcel Visser has dedicated the past 14 years to the disability field, cultivating a deep knowledge and passion for overcoming the barriers that individuals with disabilities encounter in the built environment. He is a certified professional with the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC), the first system in Canada designed to evaluate the built environment for meaningful access across a range of disabilities. Central to this certification are the principles of Universal Design, which emphasize that many, if not all, access needs can be addressed through thoughtful design. Marcel also leads accessibility workshops and specializes in accessible garden design, furthering his commitment to creating inclusive spaces.
worth mentioning
In 2024, Marcel received the 'Invisible Champion' award from the Bhayana Family Foundation and the United Way for his remarkable contributions to L'Arche Cape Breton, where he has been instrumental in organizing accessibility workshops and promoting accessible garden design, all while working towards achieving RHFAC certification.
Marcel was invited to present a workshop at the American Community Gardening Association's annual conference in Boston in 2024, focusing on accessibility workshops centered around making gardens accessible. The session was titled 'Accessible Gardens: Places of Community for All Abilities' and highlighted the importance of accessible garden design, including discussions on RHFAC certification.