Chris Stigas’ company began as most do: an idea. In 2017, when he was in the intensive care unit (ICU) and rehabilitation after sustaining a spinal cord injury, Stigas was contemplating what he was going to do next – what did he want his life to look like going forward?
One particularly formative moment happened when Rick Hansen visited Stigas in the ICU. While chatting, Hansen mentioned the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility CertificationTM (RHFAC) program.
Initially piloted in 2016, RHFAC is a rating and recognition program that measures the meaningful accessibility of a site based on the holistic user experience of people with varying disabilities.
The mention of the program stuck with Stigas. While he still didn’t know in the moment what he would do next, he knew that he wanted to be involved in creating meaningful accessibility for others.
Chris Stigas, president of HandiHelp Accessible Innovations at the Accessibility Professional Network conference.
Photo: Jennifer Gauthier
“RHFAC was always in the back of my head, but in 2019 I saw something come through in my email about RHFAC Professional Training,” Stigas explained.
As someone with a background in architectural renderings, blueprint design, and planning, RHFAC Professional Training was a perfect outlet for Stigas to use his skills and help create a more accessible world.
From there, that little idea that had been developing over the last few years was born.
Building a Business
Stigas is founder and brand developer of HandiHelp, an industry-leading accessibility consulting company based in Toronto, Ontario.
For the first little while, it was just Stigas conducting RHFAC ratings and consulting on accessibility, but he saw so much opportunity for growth. Increasingly more clients were interested in learning more about access.
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a friend had reached out to Stigas to see if there was an opportunity for work.
“I immediately saw an opportunity to grow the business and help a friend,” Stigas said. “I told him to take the RFHAC Professional Training and then you can come work with me.”
Tony Awad, RHFAC Professional, joined HandiHelp, expanding their geographical area to include Ottawa.
Stigas has continued to use his network to encourage people to take RHFAC Professional Training and consider joining HandiHelp.
Over the next few years, Stigas slowly brought more people onto his team, all of whom have taken RHFAC Professional Training and have expertise in accessibility in the built environment. Now, HandiHelp has eight team members that all work across the country to create accessible spaces.
As HandiHelp was booming, there was one question that Stigas kept getting from his clients: does HandiHelp have anyone who can build accessibility upgrades?
For Stigas, this was an opportunity. Chris found a contractor, they uccessfully passed the RHFAC Professional Training, and now they are the official licensed contractor with HandiHelp, launching HandiBuild.
“We do the recommendations, the contractor does the work,” Stigas noted.
This partnership is helping HandiHelp retain business and create a one-stop-shop for accessibility consulting, with actionable solutions included – something Stigas is very proud of.
A Culture Shift
While HandiHelp is still a young company, the growth of the business has mirrored a changing attitude regarding accessibility.
“It used to be that once in a while I would be asked if I needed help when I was out in my wheelchair,” Stigas said on the attitude towards accessibility. “I hear it a lot more now. It feels like there is an awareness piece that is spreading where people get it.”
Stigas has seen this, not only in his personal life, but in his business as well.
“I had clients in 2019 that were like ‘what do I have to do to just get certified’, whereas now, we have more and more clients that want to futureproof their sites for the next 20 years and want to go above and beyond and push the limit of what can be done,” Stigas said.
Stigas and HandiHelp have been a leader in building out the accessibility profession, advocating and pushing for more professionals in the space.
Stigas is motivated to create a world where everyone can go everywhere.
“To me, accessibility means that I, or anyone else, can go anywhere without having to call ahead.”
To learn more about Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ ratings and training, visit RickHansen.com/RHFAC
The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada.