OTTAWA, April 12, 2018—The new Canada Science and Technology Museum, one of three museums under Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, is thrilled to be the first national public institution in Canada to receive the Accessibility Certified Gold rating under the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) program.
The RHFAC program works to help improve accessibility of the built environment – the places where we live, work, learn and play – in Canada. The new museum, which reopened its doors on Nov. 17, 2017 following a complete renewal, integrates accessibility into many aspects of its design. It features leveled floors, a snowmelt system, and accessible seating throughout the museum, with spaces designated for mobility devices in the auditorium and demo stage.
The development of all 11 new exhibitions was also informed by accessibility standards. Overarching elements in the exhibitions include multi-sensory engagement, accessibility of digital offerings; and ensuring that key experiences are welcoming to the maximum number of visitors. The Into the Great Outdoors exhibition features perspectives from people with disabilities, and adaptive technologies that have been developed by, and for, people with disabilities to help them access and enjoy outdoor recreation.
Other accessibility features include a family care room, a universal washroom with an adult lift system, neck loops that visitors with hearing aids can use in the auditorium and the demo stage, and Key2Access – a new smartphone wayfinding system for visitors with visual impairments. The use of the Key2Access app – created by Canadian developers – is a first for any museum.
Quotes
“It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Canada Science and Technology Museum is the first museum in Canada to receive the Accessibility Certified Gold rating under the RHFAC program. I want to congratulate Ingenium for this incredible achievement, and I hope it will inspire others in the built environment to work together with our Foundation to incorporate best practices of accessibility in Universal Design.”
- Rick Hansen, Founder and CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation
"Through our work addressing accessibility in the design of the new Canada Science and Technology Museum, we've also grown our internal culture as an organization. We've shifted gears to become aware and responsive to all the opportunities that our accessibility work presents, and we're looking forward to share this knowledge across Ingenium - our broader corporation - which includes the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum."
- Fern Proulx, interim President and CEO, Ingenium
For more on the Museum’s accessibility services and amenities, visit https://ingeniumcanada.org/scitech/visit/special-needs-and-accessibility.php
For more on the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification program visit
www.rickhansen.com/RHFAC
ABOUT INGENIUM – CANADA’S MUSEUMS OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
Launched in June 2017, Ingenium is a new national brand established to preserve and share Canada’s story of scientific and technological heritage. This corporate brand, which celebrates ingenuity, encompasses three national institutions—the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum. Under the Ingenium brand, these three museums are places where the past meets the future, with spaces where visitors can learn and explore, play, and discover. Ingenium also has an eye to the future with a state-of-the-art Collections Conservation Centre, digital and social media platforms, and travelling national and international exhibitions to educate, entertain and engage audiences across Canada and around the world. For more, visit: IngeniumCanada.org
About the Rick Hansen Foundation
The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) was established in 1988, following the completion of Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour. For nearly 30 years, RHF has worked to raise awareness, change attitudes, and remove barriers for people with disabilities. Visit www.rickhansen.com to learn more.
-30-
Media contacts
William McRae
Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation
wmcrae@ingeniumcanada.org
613-793-2416
Dawn Tse
Publicist, Rick Hansen Foundation
D: 778-296-1541
M: 778-229-7532
dtse@rickhansen.com