International Code Council to Support Canine Companions with Mission of Providing Independence for People with Disabilities

Code Council to donate a portion of proceeds from ICC/ANSI A117.1 standard to help provide service and facility dogs

Washington D.C. (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Washington, D.C. – The International Code Council has committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from sales of its ICC/ANSI A117.1 standard for accessibility to Canine Companions, a non-profit organization that trains and donates service dogs to people with disabilities. The two organizations signed an agreement during a brief ceremony on April 24, 2022, at Chicago’s Navy Pier. The agreement will be used as a starting point for the Code Council and Canine Companions to work together to raise awareness around accessibility in the built environment.

“We are delighted to have the Code Council’s support in placing more service and facility dogs with people who need them,” said Matt Levering, Senior Development Director for Canine Companions, “Given its focus on safety and accessibility, our partnership with the Code Council is a natural fit.”

Canine Companions is the largest provider of service dogs in the world and has championed independence for people with disabilities since its founding in 1975. The organization has placed more than 5,000 assistance dogs for people with disabilities, including wounded veterans, entirely for free.

The ICC/ANSI A117.1 standard allows those with a physical disability to independently access, enter, and use a site, facility, or building. The specifications in the standard make sites, facilities, and buildings accessible to and usable by people with such disabilities as the inability to walk, difficulty walking, reliance on walking aids, blindness and visual impairment, deafness and hearing impairment, incoordination, reaching and manipulation disabilities, lack of stamina, difficulty in interpreting and reaching to sensory information, and extremes in physical size.

“Modern building codes and standards are at the core of improving accessibility for all people, so this partnership is important to us,” said Mark Johnson, Executive Vice President & Director of Business Development, “We are committed to finding innovative ways to work together to advance accessibility in the built environment.”

The 2017 ICC/ANSI A117.1 standard can be viewed for free here

Learn more about Canine Companions and their mission here.

Click here to see pictures from the event.

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About the International Code Council
The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide.

About Canine Companions

Canine Companions is leading the service dog industry so clients and their dogs can live with greater independence. The organization provides service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings. Since its founding in 1975, their dogs and all follow-up services have been provided at no cost to clients.