“The Rick Hansen Foundation was established as a Canadian charity in 1988 and has since been dedicated to Rick’s life-long goal of creating an inclusive world where people with disabilities are living to their full potential. 

For three decades, the Foundation has raised awareness, changed attitudes, and removed barriers for people with disabilities, as well as fund spinal cord injury research and care. While we’ve made great strides towards creating an accessible and inclusive world, there’s still more work to be done.” – RHF Website

During my community field experience (CFE) I had the opportunity to partner with the Rich Hansen School Program. This branch of the Foundation provides educators, administrators, and students with a comprehensive set of resources designed around disabilities. The program has two foundational goals:

1. To increase disability awareness, accessibility, and inclusion in classroom settings.
2. To empower young people to make a difference in their school, community, and the world.

As a volunteer member of the Rick Hansen team, I worked closely with the curriculum development branch of the organization. I created secondary school lesson plans, challenge assignments, and group projects for English and PHE courses that incorporated accessibility content. By the end of my CFE, I had created over 12 curriculum documents that will soon be used by high school teachers across British Columbia.