Based on her experiences in hospital settings, Rosina Isabella – a person with a disability in the Disability Studies program – found that many hospitals and outpatient clinics were not experienced in providing people with disabilities and invisible disabilities with the required assistance to have as seamless a visit as possible.
“We have different requirements depending on our level of disability however we deserve and want the same level of care when a patient in a hospital setting.”
The initial medical issue that brought Rosina to the hospital was handled quickly and efficiently. However, many other aspects of her overall care were not adequately addressed – items such as re-positioning in bed regularly, ensuring that she was always comfortable, and had access to food (not just a tray placed somewhere out of reach). Hospital staff were not trained or aware of these things so crucial to her. This lack of understanding of her needs significantly affected Rosina’s ability to get well quickly and return to the community.
So, a mission was born! To build awareness and share the experiences of persons with disabilities, Rosina created an innovative research project – using a simple survey – to collect as much information as possible about the experiences of persons with disabilities in healthcare settings and how well their overall care needs are understood and addressed by health care personnel.
Raising awareness
Ideally, when shared with healthcare providers, her initiative will improve their understanding of the great diversity of care needs of their patients and result in increased awareness, and a commitment to address all of those needs.
For example, if a patient has difficulties communicating, does the healthcare facility have trained staff (including sign language specialists) who can make sure that the patient can communicate clearly with doctors, nurses, and other staff – both to explain their needs and to understand what the healthcare facility will provide them in terms of care?
The importance of creating and following a plan
Key questions for any healthcare facility are: Do they create a unique plan to address both the medical issues presented and this patient’s other needs during their stay. How well do they follow up with the patient to ensure that all their needs are being fully met daily?
Taking personal action
So how can you get involved? If you are a person with a disability – visible, invisible, or both – and have received treatment in healthcare facilities – during in-hospital stays, visits to emergency rooms, treatment at community clinics, etc. – would you be willing to complete a short survey to capture information about your experiences while receiving treatment?
Through Rosina’s research project, we seek to capture the experiences of as many persons with disabilities in healthcare settings as possible and provide feedback aimed at helping healthcare providers to understand the needs of patients with disabilities and serve them to the best of their abilities.
The information you provide will be analysed and may be shared with the healthcare facilities (aggregated and anonymous). This will hopefully lead to better support systems and an improved experience when persons with disabilities seek medical help.
For more information, see the research project flyer. Also, do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have more questions or would like to discuss your experiences with this
Thank you for your attention to this request. We hope you participate in the project survey and reach out to us directly if you have more questions. Sincerely, Rosina Isabella risabella@ryerson.ca and Paul Benson paul.benson@ryerson.ca
During September, I, Amanda Lin, Student Engagement Facilitator for The School of Disability Studies at Ryerson, had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Adan Jerreat-Poole, the incoming 2020-2022 Ethel Louise Armstrong Postdoctoral Fellow. I’m so excited to get the opportunity to introduce Dr. Adan Jerreat-Poole and their work to our students, alumni, blog readers, and wider community. Please enjoy our great conversation and introduction into Adan’s life, work and interests.
Amanda: Tell us a little about yourself, your life, and interests?
Adan: I’m nonbinary, I use “they/them” pronouns, and I’m working on a stylin’ collection of overalls. My cane is black and kind of sparkly. It makes me feel like a magician. I wear fuzzy sheep pajama bottoms to most of my Zoom meetings. Outside of academia I’m a fiction writer, and my debut queer young adult (YA) fantasy novel, The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass, came out this September. I live in Kingston, Ontario, with my forever partner, who is Palestinian, brilliant, patient, and gorgeous. My Arabic pronunciation needs work, but I’m an enthusiastic learner, and he’s an encouraging teacher.
I’m interested in digital intimacies, in challenging the category of “human,” and in imagining accessible and feminist futures. I’m interested in our relationships with technology, which are currently dominated by capitalist and colonial ideologies, but which I think we could make differently, and hack/mod to use otherwise. I’m interested in collective care, ethical research, and interdependency.
Amanda: What led you to Disability Studies?
Adan: Depression was a bad word when I was growing up, so we used euphemisms instead—I was just tired a lot, just sad a lot, just shy around people. Overly sensitive. Overly imaginative. That’s why I had all the nightmares. During my MA, I went to the doctor for a blood test to explain fatigue, and left with a diagnosis of depression and a prescription of rest. At the time I was angry with the label, but looking back, her treatment plan was one of the wisest I’ve received.
Coupled with depression is my experience of chronic low back pain, which started when I was 17. In my years-long attempt to get a diagnosis and treatment plan, I was shuttled between a lot of (masculine) doctors who told me I was exaggerating, sensitive, or “just” depressed. The medical sexism I experienced in my early 20s was my wake-up call about the systemic biases in the psymedical industry.
Pain: physical and emotional, intertwined, embodied, personal, secret, mine, ours. I didn’t want to be a secret. I didn’t want well-meaning people telling me to try deep breathing and yoga. I wanted to understand why I left each medical encounter feeling small. I wanted to find other people like me.
Discovering disability studies was part of discovering disability justice, of coming into a language that gave me words like “ableism” and “sanism.” Disability studies gave me a space to understand my experience in the broader contexts of capitalism, patriarchy, and prescriptive able bodiedness. Disability justice has also taught me to think beyond my own experience–for example, about the relationship between ableism and colonialism, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness.
Amanda: What is your academic background?
Adan: In my first year of undergrad at the University of Waterloo, I took an English lit class on a whim, because I was a reader and I liked the idea that reading poetry and fiction was homework. The professor was passionate, I loved the poetry I was reading, and I immediately switched my major. I had no idea what I would do with it–but I loved learning, reading, writing, and thinking. I loved learning about the histories of literature used in revolution and social change. I was especially enamored by modernist writers, like James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. I’m pretty sure Woolf’s critical portrayal of the psymedical industries in Mrs. Dalloway had a role in that.
During my MA I took a class on adaptation–thinking about the move from book to film and video games–and I had another mental shift. I was starting to feel disillusioned by modernist criticism and the trends in the field. The truth? I didn’t want to write about the 1900s, I wanted to write about what was happening now.
So I turned to cultural studies.
I did my PhD in English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University, focusing on Mad/crip digital identity play, exploring angst, self-harm, depression, anxiety, and suicidality in social media and videogames. During this time I published articles on online harassment, crip futurity in video games, angry feminist avatar play, and queer feminist digital media use. I graduated this summer.
Amanda: Can you tell our students/readers about your work around digital humanities and gaming? And can you explain to the readers and I, what are digital humanities?
Adan: I think any scholarship that combines humanities methodologies with digital tools, methods, practices, and/or objects falls under the umbrella of the digital humanities (DH). For example, DH might mean studying a video game or hashtag, or using digital platforms and visualizations to communicate your research. DH might also mean using quantitative analysis and/or algorithms in your work. Here are a couple of examples from my own research projects:
Using Python to collect a dataset of tweets using the corporate wellness hashtag #BellLetsTalk. Analysing the resulting text using Voyant (which tracks word frequency) as well as close reading.
During my postdoc, I’m hoping to study how queer disabled feminists use digital media –particularly YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram–to create community and to perform collective care and advocacy. I also want to explore how feminist science fiction imagines future crip/queer technologies and relationships with technology.
Amanda: What is it like to start your postdoc during a pandemic – e.g. are you living in the area and do you hope to come to campus, etc.?
Adan: I’m grateful to be part of a supportive and activist-oriented department, and I feel really lucky that I was able to join a community of like-minded scholars during such a difficult time. And it is difficult–we shouldn’t pretend that it isn’t. I’m living in Kingston and am not able to come to the office or to meet anyone from the department in person. I’m getting tension headaches from overusing my screen. I’m constantly refreshing the COVID-19 update page, watching the numbers creep up every few days. I’m worried for my loved ones who are immunocompromised. I’m scared of my landlord. I’ve been playing Half-Life: Alyx, my first virtual reality (VR) game. I’ve been having nightmares. I’m a person, and I’m struggling.
Amanda: Lastly, what are three main things you hope to accomplish in the first year of your postdoc?
Adan: For me, the personal is always political, and the bodymind of the researcher is always in the frame. My experiences of sexism, transphobia, and abliem/sanism shape my understanding of broader systems of violence (that disproportionately impact poor and of colour bodies). I’ve often used personal writing in my academic work. There is no clear line for me between work and home, living and teaching and writing. (And now that many of us are working from home, there are even fewer boundaries!). So my goals for the postdoc are my goals for the year, which will always include my commitment to activism and social justice, and my desire for community, connection, and collective care.
I’m not immunocompromised, so “survive” isn’t on this list–but I know it tops the charts for many, and I want to take a moment to remember all of the academics–students, sessionals, postdocs, TAs, RAs, and faculty–living in fear for their lives: from the virus, from police violence, from abusive partners, from starvation and poverty. These issues need to matter to the university and to academia more broadly.
Here are three goals that are high on my list right now for year one of a panacademic postdoc:
Have thoughtful conversations–over Zoom, the phone, email, or Google docs; at virtual conferences or informal Skype chats; through tweets, Whatsapp voice notes and text messages–with other scholars, writers, learners, teachers, activists, and fans inside and outside the academy about access and digital media, disability representation in popular culture, and transforming educational, feminist, and queer spaces towards an ethics of rest, interdependency, and care. I hope any student in the School of Disability Studies knows that I would be happy to speak with them about any of the topics related to my research.
Tell my partner every day that I love him
*** Trigger Warning for depression and weight loss ***
Eat. The last few months have been really hard on my depression and anxiety. Anxiety triggers IBS, and depression takes away my appetite. Eating is work, and it’s a daily struggle. During past depressive episodes I’ve lost weight unintentionally and it’s really scary.
In solidarity and care,
Adan
Image description: a white nonbinary person stands at the corner of of a building, smiling, and holding a black cane in one hand. Their other hand is in their pocket. They are wearing a grey toque, a red t-shirt, and a pair of blue and white striped overalls. One side of the building is red brick covered in leafy green and red climbing plants. The other side is a painted mural featuring a beige background, a silver and white window, and a brown tree with multicoloured leaves.
At the end of May, I, Amanda Lin, Student Engagement Facilitator for The School of Disability Studies at Ryerson, had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Ricky Varghese, the incoming Tanis Doe Postdoctoral Fellow. I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce Dr. Ricky Varghese to our students, alumni, blog readers, and wider community. What follows below is our great conversation and introduction into Ricky’s life, work and interests.
Amanda: What led you to Disability Studies?
Ricky: I had always been fascinated by the body, but in a non-medical sort of way. I suppose my interest in the body has always been more phenomenological and philosophical than clinical, being moved by a desire to explore a body’s experience of – and how it is simultaneously perceived by – the world around it. Further to this, I became interested in aspects of bodily or corporeal existence that aren’t easily perceivable or discernable, which led me to an interest in mental health. My training is in psychoanalysis, and Sigmund Freud once wrote that each of our “ego is first and foremost a bodily ego; it is not merely a surface entity, but is itself the projection of a surface.” I became interested in this logic as a way to break down the mind-body split that is often thought of as an acceptable “norm.” I became particularly intrigued with how a sense of an ego and its relationship to the body might be informed by an experience of disability, debility, or illness, questions of access, and our immediate experience of the physical world.
Amanda: Tell us a little about yourself, your life, and interests?
Ricky: I like reading a lot, and I read pretty much anything that arrives at my desk, from so-called “high theory” to pulp fiction. I also have an interest in the visual arts. I consider art criticism a bit of a “side hustle” that I’ve developed in the last few years since completing my PhD, so I’ve written exhibition reviews, critical essays for art publications, and catalogue essays for shows that I have been invited to contribute to. Writing about art and about artists that I admire allows me to be experimental in some wildly interesting ways that I try to apply to my scholarly writing as well. I also have this uncanny interest in reality TV. I watch a lot of it, perhaps too much, and although most of it is always already overproduced, I find a lot of it to be startlingly revealing about human character and behaviour.
Amanda: What is your academic background?
Ricky: My academic journey has been somewhat circuitous. Believe it or not, I started out as a chemical engineering student back in 1997, with the intention of actually going to medical school after, like my parents had hoped I would. However, much to their consternation, I switched out at the end of my first year to major in Psychology, minor in English Lit. and History. While I was at Queen’s, during that time, I also started getting involved with Kingston’s HIV/AIDS Regional Services and with H’Art Studio, a visual arts program for adults with developmental disabilities. I think that’s when I realized I wanted to become a social worker. So after I completed my degree at Queen’s, I moved back to Toronto and enrolled in the Bachelor’s in social work program at York University. Then I went on to do my MSW at the University of Toronto. During both these programs, I completed my placements at the Toronto District School Board, in the Board’s Human Sexuality Program, specializing in anti-bullying and anti-homophobia education and counselling. Years of working hands-on in various communities made me miss theory and also realize its importance in my work, so I went on to do an MA and a PhD at OISE in Sociology of Education, that’s where and when I developed my interest in psychoanalysis. Ever since I completed my PhD, for the last few years, I have had a private practice as a psychotherapist here in Toronto, a practice in which I see a diversity of clients dealing with all kinds of emotional stressors and psychical traumas. After a few years of working within the context of my private practice, I decided to train to become a psychoanalyst at the Toronto Institute of Psychoanalysis. I started that training in 2017 and am entering my fourth and final year at the Institute this September.
Amanda: Can you tell our students /readers about your work around suicides on campus and how universities respond?
Ricky: I have been interested in suicide as a subject for quite some time. The word “suicidal” gets used quite a bit when referring to a variety of psychical states and behaviours and I became curious about what this word means and how it is being used both colloquially and in the media. Therapeutically, I’ve also been driven to understand how self-destructive behaviour comes to inform a person’s emotional world. What are the limits that a person might be pushed to, emotionally speaking, that make suicide a choice that someone might take? Furthermore, I’ve been interested in the intersection between masculinity, race, and suicide. The philosopher Gilles Deleuze committed suicide as his health deteriorated and when continuing to write and work became impossible. The writer David Foster Wallace suffered from severe depression for years, which resulted in him taking his own life. The philosopher Walter Benjamin (on whom I wrote my doctoral thesis) is believed to have taken his own life while attempting to escape the Nazis. I’ve been compelled to think closely about the relationship between masculinity, the perceptions and fantasies attached to the category of the “genius,” and the romanticized way by which male suicides are sometimes valorized. I want to understand how systems and structures, such as universities, may create undue pressure in toxically calibrating masculinity in such a way that causes it to tend toward the death drive.
Amanda: Lastly, with current challenges due to COVID-19, can you tell our students/readers what it is like to start a postdoc remotely?
Ricky: I was saying to a friend the other day that starting to conceive of writing a book about suicide and the death drive in the midst of a global pandemic is in itself an uncanny experience, especially as you see the effects of late capitalism trudging along as lives are being lost. I hope I get to meet my colleagues and the students at the School of Disability Studies soon, but I understand the need to work remotely as a collective attempt to take care of and be responsible for one another’s health and well-being. One thing that this pandemic has brought to the surface is that it feels unfortunately inevitable that its impact will be felt most severely by those of us who are in marginal positions, folks who are racialized, disabled, gendered or identify as sexual or gender minorities, those experiencing mental health struggles, or are older, or have precarious health statuses, or those who suddenly find themselves unemployed or having to bear the brunt of financial uncertainty, those who are underhoused, homeless, or street-involved, and it’s important to be alert, now more than ever, to all of their very specific needs.
Ricky: I am very much looking forward to meeting all the faculty, students, and staff at the School of Disability Studies soon. I am hoping to find myself part of a vibrant and enriching community of scholars, activists, artists, and policy makers. I am super excited that the School will be my professional home for the next two years.
This post was written by Ruth Ruth Stackhouse. She graduated from the Disability Studies program in 2011.
When I entered the Ryerson School of Disability Studies back in 2006, it was just to take one course, having a learning disability, I believed that would be as far as I could go, but at least I would have done that. On the first day of the program , however, the great Catherine Frazee, herself a wheelchair user, proclaimed to the students “My problem is not that I cannot walk, my problem is that I live in a world that insists that I walk’ …and then there was light in that dark area of my heart and mind, still from neglect, frightened to move for fear of self doubt. All of a sudden it occurred to me that I was not the one who had a problem with learning, rather the system of learning had failed me.
Making this epiphany even more profound was the realization that I was not alone. Indeed many of my fellow students were becoming liberated with the new knowledge of Disability Studies, brought to us by passionate activist teachers who encouraged a major paradigm shift toward equality and human rights. With the confidence and strength given to me at Ryerson School of Disability studies, what began with one course, turned into an Honours BA, and later an MA in Critical Disability Studies. But more that academic credentials, our school opens the door to self acceptance, and justice.
This post was written by Sheena Vert. She just completed her degree at the School of Disability Studies.
Is it possible to go to school and still be a Mom? I would say that yes it is possible, it may not always be easy and some things may slide but it is doable. I am a mother to 3 boys, 15, 13, 11 and a beautiful little girl, 4 and I have just completed my BA in the Disability Studies Program. I began my school journey when my daughter arrived on the scene. I must preface this whole blog with the admission that I did give up my full time job. That was stretching things a bit far! My boys are all active in rep sports (hockey and lacrosse) plus their regular school sports throughout the year. My husband has a demanding career and is about 45 minutes away so it was sink or swim. My advise to anyone embarking on schooling and parenting and possibly working is that you need to fully commit to the idea or things will soon become overwhelming.
My plan of action was scheduling everything; I worked with a master calendar in place with everyone’s schedule colour coded. Each week I had an idea what was ahead of me and I was able to prioritize what needed to be done first. I kept daily ‘To Do’ lists and followed them. There is a feeling of accomplishment when you could scratch something off. I began each semester with a plan of attack; I typically took two courses because I wanted to complete my degree in the least amount of time. I did my degree in 3 ½ years. I would see what the weekly commitments were and what the major assignments were to be finished. I marked everything on my master calendar with my own colour so I could see at a glance what needed to be done. Each day I would commit about an hour to sitting down and logging on to blackboard and posting to the chats. This sometimes was done at 11 pm or later but it allowed me to keep up with everything. I always made sure I was clear on expectations from the professors. Was it always easy? Not there were times I was up to 1am trying to finish things off, my house would get a bit messy and my daughter had a bit too much TV. time but it is important to remind yourself that this is not forever and if you want this for yourself then you need to make yourself a priority too. Good luck
This post was written by current DST student Robin Kellner.
My first semester of Disability Studies kicked off with a professionally related elective called “Writing for Disability Activism.” I always had a love of writing but had never been able to get my ideas on paper. My professor, Chelsea Jones gave me the tools I needed to find my voice, which has open up a world of possibilities. For her course, I wrote a short story from the perspective of a woman who is deafblind called “Undone.” Chelsea encouraged to me to try sending it out for publication.
My editing process was based on Chelsea’s suggestions, and some of my own personal critiques. Reading it out loud helped me pick out words that sounded awkward or in need of improvement. After receiving two rejections from online magazines, I stumbled upon the website for “Cripping” the Comic Con. I was intrigued by the description of the symposium and decided to give it a shot. All types of proposals were considered from anyone who was interested, regardless of ability or job title. I was thrilled to find out that my proposal had been accepted and I was invited to present. Since the conference was about disability representation, my presentation focused on the purpose of the scenes, characters and symbols in my short story.
The 6-hour drive to Syracuse was well worth the mileage. Held by the Disability Cultural Center at Syracuse University, the symposium discussed representations of disability in the media. Behind our name tags were three cards: green, yellow and red. Labeled in black for those who don’t see colour, they represented your level of comfort being approached by someone new. If you did feel overstimulated, the symposium space was equipped with a low-stimulation room for breaks. 13 interpreters ensured accessibility for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. “Inclusion is practice,” are words that are true to Diane Wiener, lifelong activist, professor and director of the Disability Cultural Center at Syracuse University.
The symposium launched with a one-woman show by Naomi Grossman who plays ‘Pepper’ in American Horror Story: Asylum. She then opened up about her experience playing a character who has a disability as a non-disabled actor. From comic books to paintings, short stories to movies – all art forms were welcomed. International motivational speaker Becky Curran worked in casting at CBS and she presented on disability in mainstream media. Curran happens to be a little person she shed a light on the impact of media portrayals of dwarfism; “If someone has seen us in a positive light, I’m treated with respect and if someone sees us in a negative light, they’re likely to approach me with fear.”
“Cripping” the Comic Con was truly an enriching experience. It taught me the importance of viewing media representations of disability with through a critical lens. As stated by Curran,“If someone has never met a person with a disability, most of their initial reactions are based on what they’ve seen on TV or in movies.”
Curran, Becky. “The Ultimate “Mainstreaming.” Disability and Mainstream Media.” “Cripping” the Comic Con: Take Away the Suit and What Are You? Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York. USA. 10 Apr. 2014. Speech.
Wiener, Diane. Director of Disability Cultural Center, Syracuse University. Personal interview. 10 Apr. 2014
These two entries were written by new students who just completed the DST 501 Summer Institute.
DST501 summer institute was certainly intense! There was a lot to do in a short period of time. It felt like I was in a whirlwind, especially for the first few days, but by the end of the first week I found myself enjoying and engaged in the lectures. I liked the fact that we had guests coming in and sharing their personal experiences. That really opened my eyes on how society can be so welcoming of one group, and so discriminatory of another. I knew people can be made to feel separate by derogatory comments, but to see how architecture and accessibility can do the same was huge for me. I look at accessibility so differently now. Shops, office buildings, anything and everything look different after this course.
So what makes people disabled? Taking the summer institute and delving deep into that question has enriched my life, not only in my work with deaf blind people, but also in creating conversations within my circle of friends. This course has enlightened me in ways that I never imagined, and the message continues to spread.
Adriano Aguiar
DST501 Summer Institute Student
My name is Chantelle Bernardo, and I recently attended the DST501 summer institute. I really enjoyed the class environment, and the professor that ran the classroom. Discussions were engaging, and your opinions and thoughts were challenged on a daily basis by your classmates, and lecture materials. With varying areas of discussion, throughout the course, participants found themselves passionately engaged in what was being taught. I thoroughly enjoyed relating what we were learning to real life examples, and using our passion and knowledge in debates. The class was respectful and all were supportive of different experiences, backgrounds and opinions. It was very interesting to see how different educational backgrounds and work experiences affected individual perceptions in the class, and I truly believe that we all learned something from each other every day. It is exciting to know that there are so many more courses like DST501 to look forward to. All courses that I have taken thus far have caused me to think about disabilities with a “rights” perspective. I am finding that I want to get myself more involved with societal issues and support groups throughout the city and within my own community. I have become more of an advocate for the disabilities sector, and support the rights and equality issues on a variety of levels. I currently work for the school board, and have had past experiences working in group homes, day programs, camps, and individual therapy. In all my past and present work experiences, I have been able to recognize where more advocacy and support is and was needed. Looking back on what I’ve seen over the years, I know that our communities have more work to do in terms of making life, environments and experiences better for persons of all disabilities. I know that with the courses provided at Ryerson, I will be given the strong foundation needed to be able to make a difference in my line of work. I came into the program at Ryerson with a different frame of mind about what I would get out of the Disability Studies program. From my experiences thus far, I will keep my mind and options open for my future studies and endeavours both inside and outside of school. I look forward to more positive experiences at Ryerson.
This post was written by Seija Korpela who is currently enrolled in both the DST program at Ryerson and an online masters program at Nipissing University
I am presently enrolled at Nipissing University’s Master of Education Program. This program provides students with two options: (a) a full-time 2 year program or (b) a part-time option. Many of the courses are online or a blended model including online with face to face contact. I am currently taking my fourth course and I have met students from all across Canada and a few from abroad.
In fact, my first course included students from Nipissing’s Ph. D Education program. I found it slightly intimidating initially, however; I found I could hold my own. I learned that many of the students in the program are from backgrounds other than education. This provides very diverse and engaging discussions online or in person. It offers great learning opportunities. One of the most valuable lessons I learned from this experience, is the realization of how little I really know.
I enrolled in the Disability Studies program at Ryerson, as a second degree option, approximately 5 years ago and have completed approximately 5 courses. In my personal opinion, the academic rigor which the DST courses and program has provided me, has made the transition into a Master’s level program relatively seamless. It has provided me with the confidence and competence to take my learning to the next level. I cannot emphasize enough, how Ryerson’s DST program and faculty has helped me to be where I am today.
I have been able to focus on a “disability” perspective in education in all of my course work. Much of what I have learned at Ryerson has provided me with the critical inquiry skills to continue to focus on my passion which is inclusionary practice in Canada. My experience has been both personal and political just as it has been at Ryerson. The faculties at Nipissing University are available to assist you if required. They hold you to a very high academic standard yet have been very personable, fair, and honest. They care about your success as a student. I have experienced nothing but similarities between Nipissing and Ryerson.
I chose Nipissing University because of the expertise of its faculty in Education, the high profile of their education program, and from discussions I have had with others who have taken this program. I have not been disappointed. I read some of their research work, which included narrative inquiry. I was also looking for a University closer to my home in Northern Ontario. I plan on continuing with their PH.D program in Education, once I have successfully completed my Masters of Education. I would highly recommend this program.
This piece was written by Mary Neilans who is currently enrolled in the Advancing the AODA certificate program.
Nearly 2 million Ontarians have one or more disabilities – that’s one in seven people – and it is a number that continues to rise, particularly with an aging population. The goal of becoming a truly inclusive province by providing accessibility for all is not just a nice-to-have pipe dream; it’s the law.
In 2005, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) established standards for accessibility for customer service, information and communication, employment, built environments, and transportation, with the larger goal of making Ontario fully accessible by 2025. Seventy-five percent of people with self-identified disabilities have experienced at least one of the barriers that the AODA intends to prevent and remove.
What is accessibility?
It simply means giving people of all abilities opportunities to participate fully in everyday life. But there are many challenges in making this happen, and much more education, action, and advocacy are still needed.
When most people think of accessibility, they think of wheelchair ramps, automatic doors, and parking at grocery stores. But accessibility is not just a practical, physical thing; it’s also about recognizing “invisible” disabilities, understanding our own biases and attitudes, and incorporating inclusiveness when designing everything from buildings to websites. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act attempts to address all of these areas.
Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the AODA, even though Ontario’s accessibility law affects over 360,000 businesses and organizations throughout the province. Improving accessibility for people with disabilities ultimately creates more opportunities and a better environment for everyone in Ontario. But greater education and awareness about the AODA is needed to ensure compliance and to ensure that steps are taken to meet the goal of an accessible Ontario by 2025.
How can you make a difference?
Ryerson offers a certificate program in Advancing the AODA: Principles and Practices of Accessibility, under the Chang School and the School of Disability Studies, that can help make a difference in the future of Ontario.
The Advancing the AODA certificate is ideal if you want to contribute to policy and organizational change, if you work in Human Resources, or if you’re involved in any field that incorporates design, health care, social services, or customer service.
The six courses in this certificate will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify barriers, to help prevent or solve accessibility issues, to plan and design effective programs and services, and to educate others in ensuring legal compliance with the AODA.
Most importantly, the Advancing the AODA certificate will give you an understanding of the spirit of the law and the need to work towards true inclusiveness for everyone in Ontario.
Vision Passion Action 