New resources to help students with mental health accommodations at post-secondary schools across Ontario are now available with the completion of a large-scale collaborative project between researchers at Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College. 

The three-year project involved developing province-wide standards and guidelines to be used by students seeking academic accommodations for mental health. These resources for students, staff and faculty are now available online, and include:

I. Recommendations based on province-wide standards and guidelines for the kinds of documentation that post-secondary students must provide when they are seeking academic accommodations for a mental health condition. These recommendations can help access/disability advisors and were based on extensive research and consultations province-wide.

II. Eight videos about the accommodation process that can help students, faculty, access/disability advisors, student leaders and administrators determine how best to accommodate post-secondary students with mental health disabilities.

III. An information and resource handbook for students with mental health disabilities in post-secondary education. The handbook contains information on the accommodation process, rights and responsibilities, how to manage your mental health on campus and mental health and the law.

“This project was a collaborative effort between researchers at Queen’s and St. Lawrence College, and included extensive consultations” says Dr. Mike Condra, who led the project for Queen’s, and recently retired as Director, Health, Counselling and Disability Services (now known as Student Wellness Services.) “These resources can help universities and colleges support a growing number of students with mental health-related disabilities on campuses across the province.”

The Principal Investigators were Dr. Condra and Wanda Williams, Director of Student Services at St. Lawrence College. Funding was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities through the Mental Health Innovation Fund.