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The British Columbia-based Rick Hansen Foundation and the Canadian Paralympic Committee have launched a long-term partnership combining accessibility expertise with experience from across Canada’s Paralympic sport system.
Running through 2032, the agreement will support accessibility education, research, advocacy and logistics work around major sporting events and facilities. The partners also plan to develop new initiatives supporting disability inclusion in sport and communities, with progress reviewed annually.
The partnership builds on the legacy of Canadian wheelchair racer, six-time Paralympic medalist and disability advocate Rick Hansen. During his competitive career, Hansen won 19 wheelchair marathons, three world titles and six Paralympic medals, including two golds at the 1984 Paralympic Games in Stoke Mandeville, England.
The following year, he began the Man in Motion World Tour, wheeling more than 40,000 kilometers through 34 countries between 1985 and 1987 to challenge perceptions of disability and call for a more accessible world.
Established in 1988, his namesake foundation now works with governments, businesses and communities to identify and remove physical and social barriers for disabled people. Its programs include accessibility education, professional training and a certification system that assesses buildings and public spaces and recommends practical improvements.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee works with 28 member sport organizations across Canada, supporting hundreds of athletes and the development of Para sport at every level.
Hansen has described the Paralympic Movement as “a tremendous vehicle to create awareness of the potential of people with disabilities, break down barriers to accessibility and create social change towards an accessible and inclusive society where people with disabilities are equal.”
From assessment to action
The partners plan to collaborate on education and research while helping sport organizations and event leaders identify and address physical, digital and logistical barriers.
The Foundation’s work at Vancouver’s 2026 FIFA Fan Festival offers an example of what that support can involve. Before the event opened, Foundation teams reviewed plans and drawings, visited the site and recommended practical changes, including wider accessible parking spaces and an additional service-animal relief area.
The festival also offered accessible viewing spaces, hearing-assistance devices, wheelchairs, tables at different heights, clear signage, accessible washrooms and step-free entrances. Staff and volunteers received accessibility training.
Through the new partnership, the Foundation could provide similar assessments and guidance for arenas, recreation centers, training sites and sporting events connected to the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Athletes and member organizations can help identify priorities based on their experience of using those spaces.
“When we design spaces, events, and systems with people in mind, we create stronger communities and better experiences for all,” said Doramy Ehling, CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation.
The collaboration could also address how people access information, use changing spaces and participate as coaches, volunteers or spectators.
“Through the power of Para sport, we see every day how sport can change perceptions, open doors, and change lives,” said Canadian Paralympic Committee CEO Karen O’Neill. “But for that impact to reach more people, the systems and environments around sport must be accessible.”
Looking toward major events
The agreement spans several major milestones, including the 40th anniversary of the Man in Motion World Tour in 2027, the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games and Brisbane 2032.
The organizations also plan to work with the Americas Paralympic Committee and other partners on accessibility around international sporting events. This could include reviewing venues and public spaces, advising organizers, training staff and sharing approaches developed in Canada with the wider adaptive and para sport community.
By bringing accessibility expertise together with the reach and experience of the Paralympic sport system, the partnership offers a practical opportunity to shape more inclusive facilities, events and communities in Canada and beyond.
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