Keynote Address

4/25/2023 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM

Presenter: Jay Dolmage

Join guest speaker Jay Dolmage, the Founding Editor of the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies and Professor and Chair of the Department of English at the University of Waterloo.

He is committed to disability justice in his scholarship, service, and teaching. His work brings together rhetoric, writing, disability studies, and critical pedagogy. His first book, entitled Disability Rhetoric, was published with Syracuse University Press in 2014. Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education was published with Michigan University Press in 2017 and is available in an open-access version online. Disabled Upon Arrival: Eugenics, Immigration, and the Construction of Race and Disability was published in 2018 with Ohio State University Press.

1A) Accessible Clinical Education Roundtable - A National Perspective

4/25/2023 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM

Presenter: Brianna Higgins

Session Format: Roundtable

The Accessible Clinical Education Working Group (ACE-WG), a group of Accessibility Services professionals from six BC post-secondary schools (BCIT, KPU, NIC, TWU, UBC, VCC), conducted an environmental scan in 2021 on practices currently being applied within British Columbia to accommodate students in clinical and practical exam settings in health sciences programs. The goal of this initiative was to lay the foundation for promoting greater equity in healthcare education in BC and beyond. Building on this baseline of practices in happening in BC, are working towards developing guidelines and articulating more intentional strategies for students, accessibility services, educators and practicum placement sites to collaborate and apply best practices when developing and implementing accommodations in clinical sites and practical exams. The goal of this round table discussion is to use the baseline we have gathered from BC as a starting point to foster an inter-provincial dialogue on the strategies, successes and challenges being experienced by post-secondary schools across Canada when accommodating students in clinical settings. During this Round Table discussion, the ACE-WG will a) present findings from the environmental scan and b) invite participants to engage in discussion questions. Desired outcomes of this session are to: share best practices, make connections with other Post-Secondary Institutions across Canada and explore the possibility of growing a community of practice related to fostering greater equity and access clinical education programs.

2A) Exploring a multi-tiered note taking service model for students who have disabilities

4/27/2023 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Presenter: Stephanie Peccia, Alison Rollins

In this round table discussion, we will open the floor for professionals to learn, share and explore creative avenues to best support the note taking needs of students with disabilities. A brief overview of a multi-tiered service model will be shared. Guiding questions will facilitate a thoughtful discussion including how to approach access and success, what are the varied needs student may have when it comes to note taking and how we can improve and individualize our practices to best meet the needs of an evolving student body.

3A) Supporting Neurodiverse Students in Further Education

4/27/2023 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM

Presenter: Jay Haukenfrers, Amy Tatterton, Kirstin Kot, Jess Lopez

Session Type: Roundtable

Learn and discuss promoting success for Autistic and neurodiverse students in further education.

4A) Critical Reflection on Accommodations in Higher Education.

5/2/2023 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Presenter: Jason Taylor, Tina Marten, Zoe Bigwood

Session Format: Campfire

In our session, we explore the foundations behind reasonable accommodations in higher education by drawing on a brief ‘history’ of one accommodation (I.e., captioning) at UBCO. The discussion will invite the group to consider their own office’s circumstances, and which foundation(s) guide(s) their accommodation decision making. Two of the central guiding principles we will explore are 1) universal design for learning and 2) equitable access; but, we invite participants to provide other fundamental principles which they understand to guide their work. The aim of the discussion is to foster a safe space in which Accessibility/Disability advisors can interrogate their own foundation for accommodations provided at their institutions.

5A) Ecosystems of support: the power of intentional service design and relationship development in navigating and dismantling institutional barriers

5/2/2023 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM

Presenter: Julia Millington, Celeste Licorish, Kate Brown, Katherine Hesson-Bolton, Tanya Kett

Session Format: Panel Presentation

Within McMaster’s Institutional Priorities and Strategic Framework (2021-2024), there is a focus on inclusive excellence (1). The increased awareness of existing accessibility barriers prompts staff and management to analyze what we should do to support effective change. Drawing on disability justice, inclusive design theories, and knowledge gleaned from lived experience, this panel will demystify how staff can leverage their service-expertise, campus positionality, and collegial relationships to establish ecosystems of support to improve student experience on the journey from prospective student to alumni.

6A) Is this bridge safe to cross? Fieldwork/clinical internship experiences of students with disabilities

5/4/2023 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Presenter: Alice Havel, Susie Wileman, Catherine Fichten,

Session Format: Campfire

While fieldwork/clinical internships are described as the bridge from the classroom to the workplace, students with disabilities can face unique challenges as some accommodations acceptable for the classroom are viewed as inappropriate in the clinical setting. The Adaptech Research Network is conducting a project to facilitate the fieldwork/clinical internship experiences of students with disabilities enrolled in medical, social service and recreation leadership career programs. Interviews with students with disabilities, faculty fieldwork /clinical supervisors, and adapted services counsellors have identified internship barriers and facilitators. This information will be used to develop a toolkit of case studies, effective strategies, and best practices.

7A) Applying a Stepped Care Model to Accessibility Services

5/4/2023 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM

Presenter: Sarah Knitter, Rita Dabla, Julia Cheung-Li, Sarah Lani Jo

Session Format: Campfire

Many universities have adopted a Stepped Care 2.0 (*Peter Cornish) model for their Health & Wellness portfolios. Come learn about how UBC's Centre for Accessibility applied the model to various aspects of its practices including determining accommodations, learning strategy programming, and the process of registering with the office. The essence of the Stepped Care model is to match the level of impact/need with the most appropriate level of intervention. Results from the model's application include: decreasing appointment wait-times, a clearer dynamic for determining accommodations that moves away from the medical model, and robust programming that leverages capacity and enhances student connection and sense of belonging.