Improving access, elevating understanding

Four years ago, Patrick White made a dramatic career switch from technical sales to architecture.

"The older I got, the more I wanted to use my career to make a difference," says White.

He's always had an affinity for architecture, and having been a wheelchair user for almost 20 years, he often sees the built environment in ways others don't.

An accessibility strategist in Calgary, last year he found another tool for his toolbox in the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC)^TM Accessibility Assessor Training Course — one of more than 1,000 course options offered through SAIT's Continuing Education program.

The course, a prerequisite for earning the RHFAC Professional designation, helps train individuals who are planning, designing, and constructing the built environment to understand accessibility from the perspective of people with disabilities.

"CNIB joined our group for an afternoon to discuss how the blind and those with vision loss use the physical space," says White. "That experience helped me gain perspective into disabilities other than just physical and to better understand what needs to be done to ensure true inclusion for all."  

"Overall, the course really helped elevate my understanding of universal design."

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