Human Rights & Equity OfficeWhat is Queen's doing to improve accessibility?
Queen’s University is committed to building a campus community that is inclusive for all individuals, and ensuring that its services, supports and spaces are accessible for persons with disabilities to achieve success in their academic and employment endeavours.
We are a community that works together to create an environment where everyone has a full and enriching Queen’s experience.
Successful learning, living, and employment outcomes are the result of a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, staff, faculty, and senior administrators towards removing and preventing barriers to participation.
Here are a few recent examples of the efforts of Queen's University to build an accessible and inclusive community.
The Accessibility Hub and ITServices are offering a free service that will help owners of Queen's websites meet provincial compliance requirements outlined in Section 14 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with a Disability Act (AODA).
In an effort to support website owners in ensuring that they are meeting the needs of all users, IT Services negotiated a subscription for Siteimprove web governance software. Siteimprove provides flexible reporting for accessibility compliance at Levels A, AA and AAA of WCAG 2.0. It can also be used for general quality assurance, by identifying broken links and misspellings.
Individuals who manage a publicly accessible website at Queen’s will be given unlimited access to the software to perform their own audits and review reports and recommendations. The service is offered free of charge, for the duration of the current subscription.
Queen's currently has a broad range of initiatives designed to help students, faculty and staff support those experiencing mental health problems.
Accessibility Framework
The aim of the Accessibility Framework is to foster a sense of shared accountability and responsibility for accessibility for persons with disabilities at Queen’s. The goal is to clearly identify the roles and responsibilities of our leadership, faculty, staff, and students as they relate to the AODA standards – Customer Service, Employment, Information and Communications, Transportation, and the Built Environment - so that accessibility is an integral part of our strategic planning and operational processes.
Accessibility Statement
As part of our commitment to building a more inclusive campus community, a new accessibility statement has been developed for use across the university. The statement is meant to raise awareness of accessible services and ensure persons who experience barriers to access can obtain the service and information they need. lt is an important way to reassure persons with disabilities that they will have equitable access to goods, services, and facilities at Queen’s.
Accommodation Statement
In keeping with the Queen’s Policy Concerning Students with Disabilities (approved by Senate, November 21, 1996) that clearly articulates both the commitment that Queen’s University has to facilitating the integration of students with disabilities into the University community and the responsibility that students with disabilities have to identify needs requiring accommodation, all educators are encouraged to add the accommodation statement to their course syllabi.
Queen’s recognizes the importance of collaboration in order to share and gain expertise. We continue to strengthen our capacity to inform, educate, raise awareness, and involve both persons with and without disabilities on and off campus.
Accessibility Cafés
The month of October in 2012 marked the launch of a series of Accessibility Cafés, also facilitated by the Equity Office. Grounded in appreciative inquiry, the Cafés were thematic with a shared goal of beginning an ongoing and inclusive dialogue. Themes included: envisioning the roadmap to accessibility, accessible instruction for educators, considering accessibility in building residences, and creating an inclusive environment for students.
Customer Service Training
As part of its obligations under the Accessible Customer Service Standard, a regulation under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005, the University is required to provide training to everyone who acts on its behalf in accessible customer service. This training requirement applies to faculty, staff, managers, directors, department heads, senior administrators and student leaders.
More Education, Training, and Awareness opportunities for Faculty/Staff
More Education, Training, and Awareness opportunities for Students
As required, individual workplace emergency response plans have been developed for employees with disabilities. An ‘Accommodation of Disabilities in the Workplace Policy’ has been developed.
The library reserve collection is composed of high-use course readings and materials selected by instructors for short-term use by students registered in courses at Queen's University. Course Reserves enables instructors and students to have one single access point for all reading materials and to support copyright compliance.
Queen’s is committed to greater accessibility into, out of, and around our facilities.
Queen's University Facility Accessibility Design Standards (PDF, 5.9 MB)
Campus Master Plan
The Queen's Campus Master Plan (CMP) project will establish and reinforce a collaborative, integrated process for guiding the continued evolution of our campus. The master plan will take into consideration many factors and accessibility and inclusively is one of them.
Building an inclusive campus community based on the principles of universal design, i.e. accessible spaces that everyone can use and that respect the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. The Human Rights and Equity Office works with officers of the University, the Senate Education Equity Committee and the Council on Employment Equity to ensure that equity is achieved throughout the University.
In the Fall of 2011, The Diversity and Equity Task Force completed a plan of action for implementing recommendations and to develop a comprehensive and coordinated strategy for enhancing diversity and achieving educational equity goals.
Library and Archives Master Plan (LAMP)
The Library and Archives Master Plan (LAMP) project launched in May 2012 and is very closely integrated with development of a new Campus Master Plan. When completed, LAMP will provide high-level options and recommendations for the development of the Library’s and Archives’ facilities. Again, the principles of universal design incorporated into space planning were recommended to welcome all abilities and provide safe, secure and universally accessible learning and study environments in all campus libraries and archives.