the influence of Rick Hansen whose work Marco has followed his entire life . Although he was just a baby when Rick Hansen ’ s
Man in Motion World Tour took place in 1985 , growing up , Rick ’ s ripple effect throughout British Columbia , the rest of Canada and the world , was continually felt . Today , Marco is proud to be associated with the Rick Hansen team . He is a designated
Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ ( RHFAC ) Professional , and pre-COVID-19 , saw him flying monthly ( sometimes weekly ) to different cities across the country , talking to architecture firms , design organizations and other businesses about the importance of Accessibility and Universal Design . “ This is not just about speaking inspirationally ,” Marco said . “ It ' s actually about speaking inspirationally while providing practical tools and tips to organizations .” Marco is equipped with practical knowledge about blueprints and is able to advise how spaces can be made accessible , not just for those with mobility challenges , but for people with vision loss , hearing loss and cognitive challenges .
People are at the center of Marco ’ s work , and changing public perception regarding disabilities is high on his list of priorities . Especially , he helps employers realize that a disability does not make someone different in a bad way , it actually makes them different in a unique way and being unique is never a bad thing because , “ your skill sets can be applied in a unique way in the workplace or in other environments where you might be able to do something better than your average employee , because you ' ve done things differently your entire life , and it is that different thought process that actually makes you stronger ,” Marco advised .