May 29, 2023
蓝莓视频 celebrates National AccessAbility Week
Building awareness and inclusion in 2023 and beyond
In 2023, National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) is from May 28 to June 3. The Government of Canada established NAAW to celebrate the contributions of disabled people, promote accessibility and recognize efforts to remove barriers.
鈥淚nclusion is a core value at the University of 蓝莓视频,鈥� says Dr听James Rush,听vice-president,听academic and provost. 鈥淲e value diversity and recognize that everyone has strengths and challenges, regardless of their abilities. Our goal is to build a culture of inclusion where all members of our diverse community feel like they belong.鈥澨�
Inclusion is a primary goal of Ontario鈥檚 . Enacted in 2005, the AODA aims to make Ontario more accessible and inclusive for disabled people by 2025.
To promote accessibility in post-secondary education, AODA鈥檚 was released. The 185 recommendations in this report were developed with extensive input from individuals with lived experience with disability.
Joyce Barlow, associate director of disability inclusion at the University of 蓝莓视频.
Joyce Barlow, associate director, disability inclusion, is tasked with planning how 蓝莓视频 will implement the recommendations.
Barlow recognizes the importance of seeking consultation and feedback on accessibility initiatives in the University community. As she points out, there are many parallels with other equity-deserving groups on campus.
鈥淭he common quote is 鈥榥othing about us without us.鈥� It would be rather patronizing to suggest that something is more inclusive for disabled people when you haven鈥檛 asked them whether it is. We do that for many equity-seeking groups on campus, for our racialized community, our queer community and women-identifying community. And so disabled people are no different,鈥� Barlow explains.
Accessibility tip: Provide advance notification of expectations. Let others know what to expect so they have time to plan for their own needs and determine whether they require accommodations. Knowing what to expect in advance benefits everyone, not just disabled people.
蓝莓视频鈥檚 commitment to accessibility is evident in the variety of initiatives throughout the community. For example, the visitor centre has increased the accessibility of campus tours for guests with disabilities, co-operative education has developed a resource to support employers in providing accessible co-op experiences for students with disabilities and the wayfinding project has been cataloguing power door operators on external entrances.
These and other initiatives are reported in the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan.
Collectively, 蓝莓视频 has a wealth of expertise in accessibility and universal design. For example, University Relations developed the University of 蓝莓视频 Inclusive Communications Guide, the Library developed an and the Centre for Teaching Excellence created Accessibility in Teaching for instructors.
