>> HELLO.
I AM DELIGHTED TO WELCOME EVERYONE HERE TODAY IN MY ROLE AS VICE PROVOST EQUITY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA.
I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA IS LOCATED IN AMISKWACÎWÂSKAHIKAN,  OR BEAVER HILLS HOUSE, THE PLACE WE CALL EDMONTON, LOCATED ON TREATY 6 TERRITORY AND ON REGIONS OF THE MÉTIS NATION, ITSELF ON TURTLE ISLAND IN THE COUNTRY WE CALL CANADA. THESE LANDS SERVE AS THE TRADITIONAL GATHERING PLACE FOR DIVERSE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WHOSE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES, AND CULTURES CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE THE VIBRANT COMMUNITY. LEADERS’ PUBLIC RECOGNITION THAT THE UNIVERSITY IS COMPLICIT IN PERPETUATING THE VIOLENCE DONE TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IS NECESSARY IF WE ARE TO BUILD ANTI-ABLEIST, ANTIRACIST, INCLUSIVE, AND RESPECTFUL FUTURES IN OUR INSTITUTIONS TOGETHER.  BEFORE I INTRODUCE OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER, I'D LIKE TO PASS THE MIC TO DR  LINDSAY EALES FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT TODAY'S SESSION.
>> HELLO EVERYONE.
WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE WILL BE DISCUSSING ABLEISM AUDISM AND SANISM AND OTHER FORMS OF OPPRESSION AND HARM, ALONGSIDE RESISTANCE AND GENERATIVITY.
WE OFFER THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT NOT TO ASSUME WE KNOW WHAT DIFFICULT TOPICS OR CONTENT OR FOR YOU, BUT INVITE YOU TO ACCESS THE STRATEGIES AND THE RESOURCES THAT YOU USE EVERY DAY TO BE WITH CONVERSATIONS WHERE IN DISCOMFORT OR TRAUMA RESPONSES MAY ARISE.
WE ALSO WANT TO CLEARLY INVITE YOU TO MOVE, AND STRETCH, AND COME AND GO, TO USE YOUR DEVICES, AND HAVE AVAILABLE SENSORY ITEMS TO SUPPORT YOUR ENGAGEMENT AND EAT AND DRINK.
AND WEAR COMFY CLOTHES, LIKE THE SWEATPANTS I AM CURRENTLY WEARING UNDER MY NANCY SHIRT.
OR SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD.
HAVE ART SUPPLIES OR PENS AND MARKERS TO DOODLE WITH -- FANCIES SHIRT.
ANYTHING THAT MIGHT MAKE JOINING MORE ACCESSIBLE AND MEANINGFUL FOR THE EXPERIENCE WE WILL SHARE.
I HAVE LAVENDER, OUR ROOM SMELLED LIKE LAVENDER ENTITY WHICH WE ARE BOTH DRINKING, I HAVE A LITTLE STONE.
MY BLANKET -- MY LAP IS COVERED IN A BLANKET THAT WE WERE GIFTED TO.
THESE ARE ALWAYS THAT I AM PRACTISING THIS TO SHOW UP TO THE CONVERSATION TODAY.
AND INVITE YOU TO TAKE A MOMENT, TO ACCESS THOSE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
OUR TIME TOGETHER.
THANK YOU AND WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH DR. EALES.
WHEN I BEGAN THIS ROLE IN NOVEMBER, I MADE IT MY TOP PRIORITY TO ENGAGE DELIBERATELY WITH THE ABLEISM AND ABLEST STRUCTURES THROUGHOUT OUR INS -- INSTITUTION AND TO CENTRE THE EXPERIENCES OF DISABLED KNOWLEDGE HOLDERS, RESEARCH LEADERS AND ALLIES IN THIS WORK.
AND COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED TO INTRODUCE OUR SPEAKER TODAY.
DR JAY DOLMAGE IS A PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF ENGLISH FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO.
'S WORK BRINGS TOGETHER RHETORIC, WRITING, DISABILITY STUDIES AND CRITICAL PEDAGOGY.
JAY HAS MULTIPLE SCHOLARLY CONTRIBUTIONS RELEVANT TO TODAY'S DISCUSSIONS, INCLUDING A BOOK TITLED ACADEMIC ABLEISM, DISABILITY AND HIGHER EDUCATION.
JAY IS THE FOUNDING EDITOR OF CANADIAN JOURNAL OF DISABILITY STUDIES, AND IS COMMITTED TO DISABILITY RIGHTS IN HIS RESEARCH SERVICE AND TEACHING.
WELCOME JAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
MY NAME IS JAY DOLMAGE AND I AM A WHITE GUY SITTING IN MY OFFICE SUN IS COMING IN BECAUSE IT IS EARLIER IN THE DAY HERE THAN IT IS WHERE YOU ARE.
I AM WEARING DARK GLASSES AND A GREY SWEATER.
MY OFFICE IS CLUTTERED BEHIND ME.
THERE IS LOTS OF BOOKS AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT I NEEDED TO RED.
THEY ARE THERE TO REMIND ME THAT I NEED TO RED THEM.
SO THEY ARE IN PILES.
I AM DRINKING TEA TODAY TOO.
IT FEELS LIKE TEA A CLOCK.
5:00 IN ONTARIO.
I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT ACADEMIC ABLEISM.
IN PART I WILL TALK ABOUT A HISTORY THAT IS UPSETTING.
IT IS THE HISTORY OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
IT IS THE REAL HISTORY OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
AND IT IS A TANGLED UP WITH OTHER HISTORIES, THAT, AS SETTLERS IN CANADA, AS PEOPLE WHO WORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND WHO BENEFIT FROM THE FACT THAT WE ARE SETTLERS, WE NEED TO FACE HEAD ON.
AND WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
AND SO, THAT IS THE PART OF WHERE THE STOCK IS GOING TO START TODAY.
I WILL MAKE THE CASE, THAT UNIVERSITIES CONTINUE TO SORT THE POPULATION, AND THEY DO SO ALONG THE LINES OF ABLEISM BY A MEDICAL AND LEGALISTIC DEFINITION OF ABILITY.
THEY DO THIS REALLY EFFECTIVELY.
UNIVERSITIES CONTINUE TO FUNCTION TO KEEP CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE OUT OF THE WORKFORCE, AND AWAY FROM STATUS POSITIONS, AWAY FROM KNOWLEDGE AND DIALOGUE AND POWER, AND NOT JUST THROUGH ADMISSIONS, THIS IS ALL BY DESIGN.
AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND OF THIS DESIGN AS ALIGNING WITH THE HISTORY OF EUGENICS AND A HISTORY OF ABLEISM.
IF YOU DON'T MIND SHOWING MY FIRST SLIDE, NOT THE TITLE SLIDE, BUT THE OTHER SLIDE.
>> THE NEXT ONE TITLED EUGENIC LEGACIES.
SO I AM SHOWING TWO IMAGES HERE.
ONE IS THE EXTERIOR VIEW OF THE ALBERTA'S LADIES COLLEGE IN RED DEER ALBERTA.
AND THE ADJACENT GROUNDS AROUND OF THIS BUILDING.
IT IS A RED BRICK BUILDING, THERE IS A STEEPLE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, A FLAG FLYING FROM THE FRONT.
THERE ARE TIERED PORCHES AT THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
AND A STEEP STAIRCASE THAT LEADS UP INTO THIS BUILDING.
THERE IS GABLES ON THE ROOFS.
IS A BIG BUILDING, A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING.
IN 1912 IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN UNBELIEVABLY BEAUTIFUL BUILDING A REMARKABLE BUILDING.
IT LOOKS LIKE MANY TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS LOOK.
THESE DAYS.
BELOW IT, IS THE SAME BUILDING.
IT LATER BECAME THE PROVINCIAL TRAINING SCHOOL IN RED DEER ALBERTA, IT IS JUST BIGGER BASICALLY.
IT IS THAT SAME FRONT BUILDING, IT NOW HAS A GIANT WING BUILT ONTO THE BACK OF EIGHT.
SIMILARLY A FOUR STORY BUILDING, BUT PROBABLY QUADRUPLE THE SIZE OF THIS BUILDING.
I AM SHOWING THESE IMAGES, AND THESE ARE BLACK AND WHITE PICTURES, AND THEY COME FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA ARCHIVES AND FROM THE ALBERTA PUBLIC ARCHIVES.
I AM SHOWING THESE, BECAUSE I THINK ONE WAY TO MAP THE SPACES BACK TO THINK ABOUT DISABILITY AND ACADEMIA IN HIGHER EDUCATION, WOULD BE TO BEGIN BY LOOKING AT THE WAYS THAT LAND WAS PARCELED OUT IN CANADA IN THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS INCLUDING IN ALBERTA.
AND OBVIOUSLY NOT JUST IN ALBERTA, BUT IN EVERY PROVINCE.
WHILE UNIVERSITIES WERE POPPING UP OFTEN IN URBAN SETTINGS, ASYLUMS AND CALL, "TRAINING SCHOOLS" FOR DISABLED CHILDREN WERE POPPING UP IN OTHER NEARBY SETTINGS.
SOMETIMES ON OLD FARMS OR ABANDONED LAND.
THE TWO INSTITUTIONS WERE OFTEN TIGHTLY HINGED OR YOKED TOGETHER.
FROM WITHIN ONE PRIVILEGE TO SPACE, ACADEMICS WERE DECIDING THE FATE OF OTHERS IN SIMILAR, YET SOMEHOW NOW APOLOGIZED OTHER TO END IN.
SPACES.
THE INFAMOUS MISSIONER CENTRE -- MICHENER CENTER THIS PROVINCIAL TRAINING SCHOOL WAS CALLED IN RED DEER ALBERTA LATER, WAS ORIGINALLY AS I HAVE SHOWN, ALBERTA'S LADIES COLLEGE OF RED DEER KNOWN AS, "ONE OF WESTERN CANADA'S FINEST RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES.
" THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HIGHER EDUCATION END OF THE EUGENIC WAREHOUSING OF DISABLED PEOPLE, DID NOT END IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY.
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, PROFESSOR JOHN M. MACEACHRAN BASICALLY CREATED TO THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND THEN THE PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, AND HE WAS EVEN THERE ACTIVE IN THE CREATION OF THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION.
LATER FOUNDED THE CANADIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION.
HE RETIRED AS AN EMERITUS PROFESSOR.
PRIMARILY, HE BROUGHT PHILOSOPHICAL JUSTIFICATION TO THE EUGENICS MOVEMENT.
THAT WAS THE REASON THAT HE WAS APPOINTED HEAD OF THE ALBERTA EUGENICS BOARD IN 1928, TO MAKE THESE PHILOSOPHICAL ARGUMENTS OR EUGENICS AND OR FORCED STERILIZATION.
HIMSELF, HE APPROVED 3200 PEOPLE PER STERILIZATION DURING HIS TIME AS HEAD OF THE BOARD, AND OFTEN MADE THE APPROVALS BEFORE HE HAD EVEN INTERVIEWED THE INDIVIDUALS.
WORKED CLOSELY WITH FELLOW PROFESSOR MARGARET THOMPSON OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA AND DR  LEONARD JAN LE VANN.
THOMPSON AND JAN LE VANN A GOOD OUT A DEAL WHERE THEY COULD TAKE TISSUE THAT REMAINED AFTER THEN WERE FORCIBLY CROSSED RATED TO STERILIZE THEM.
AND PERFORM RESEARCH ON THAT TISSUE.
-- CASTRATED.
JAN LE VANN TESTING INCLUDED NONCONSENSUAL TESTING OF PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS ON TILT OF THE SCHOOL.
THAT IS PRETTY DARK AND I REALIZE THAT THAT IS DIFFICULT, TO TALK ABOUT -- THE CHILDREN OF THE SCHOOL.
FOR MANY YEARS, THIS WAS A HISTORY THAT THE UNIVERSITY WAS PROUD OF.
FOR MANY YEARS THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA AWARDED UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS IN MACEACHRAN'S NAME.
THOMPSON HAS RECEIVED AN ORDER OF CANADA AND IS STILL AN HONORARY CONSULTANT AT THE HOSPITAL SIX CHILDREN.
I WAS THERE YESTERDAY IN TORONTO.
SHE HAS A PH.D. THESIS AWARD IN HER NAME, OFFER TO BY THE FORMER GENETICS SOCIETY OF CANADA WHICH SHE WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER.
THIS IS THE HISTORY OF DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION.
THE FORMATION OF RELATIONSHIPS WEARING DISABLED PEOPLE WERE UNWILLING OBJECTS OF STUDY, WITHIN WHICH THE UNIVERSITY BUILT ITS POWER, DEFINED ITS DISCIPLINARY IDENTITIES THROUGH THE SUBJECT ASIAN -- SUBJUGATION AND SUFFERING OF DISABLED PEOPLE.
HIGHER EDUCATION OR PART OF HER DECADES AND EFFECTIVELY, TO REMOVE THE FUTURE FROM DISABLED PEOPLE.
WHERE DO WE FIND OURSELVES IN NOW THEN, IN SOME WAYS CONNECTED TO THIS LEGACY?
IT IS DISABILITY REALLY FIGURE ON COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES TODAY?
PART OF WHAT I WOULD WANT TO ARGUE, IS THAT THE CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO FIGHT FOR MALL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES MEANS THAT WE ARE STILL ACTUALLY IN AN ERA IN WHICH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE FIGHTING TO GET THE CHANCE TO STUDY AT ALL.
HERE ARE SOME NUMBERS FOR YOU TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE.
ACCORDING TO THE CANADIAN UNIVERSITY SURVEY CONSORTIUM IN 2019, 24% OF FIRST-YEAR CANADIAN STUDENTS IN CANADA AT SOME DECLARE AS HAVING TO DISABILITY.
MOST COMMONLY RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH.
THAT'S 24% IS IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE 6-9% OF STUDENTS WHO GET HELP.
THE MOST RECENT NATIONAL COLLEGE HEALTH ASSOCIATION SURVEY FROM 2,018 SHOWED TWO SPECIFIC THINGS ABOUT THE CURRENT GENERATION OF STUDENTS.
THE FIRST IS THAT THEY EXPERIENCE HIGHER EDUCATION AS MORE DISABLING, THAN PREVIOUS GROUPS OF STUDENTS.
AND THE SECOND IS THAT THEY ARE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO SEEK HELP.
THOSE TWO THINGS ARE THE TWO MOST STRIKING DIFFERENCES AND THEY ARE A BAD COMBINATION.
27% OF CANADIANS HAVE UNIVERSITY DEGREES.
BUT ONLY 17.6% OF CANADIANS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE POSTSECONDARY DEGREES.
WHILE MORE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES MAY BE ENROLLING, NEARLY TWO THIRDS ARE UNABLE TO COMPLETE TO THERE DEGREES WITHIN SIX YEARS.
AND DISABLED STUDENTS ARE ALSO LIKELY TO HAVE UP TO 60% MORE STUDENT DEBT BY THE TIME THAT THE GRADUATE.
THE SIMPLE EXTRAPOLATION TELLS ME, THAT AT LEAST 100,000 CANADIAN POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO ACCOMMODATIONS RIGHT NOW.
THEY WILL NEVER SEEK THEM.
IN THE UNITED STATES SOME STUDY SHOWED TWO THIRDS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS WILL NEVER RECEIVE ACCOMMODATIONS BECAUSE THERE COLLEGES WILL NEVER KNOW ABOUT THEIR DISABILITIES.
WHATEVER THE NUMBERS OR WHATEVER THE STATISTICS TELL US, THAT ONLY SPEAK FOR THAT VERY SMALL NUMBER OF DISABLED THE STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE THE COMPLICATED ACCOMMODATION PROCESS TO SEEK HELP.
I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC DISCIPLINES AS WELL.
THERE IS A BIG ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORKER JUST LAST WEEK TALKING ABOUT THE DECLINE OF THE ENGLISH DEGREE.
WE ARE SEEING THIS TREND WHERE THERE ARE FEWER AND FEWER STUDENTS SEEKING HUMANITIES, SOCIAL SCIENCE AND ARTS DEGREES.
BUT, THIS IS THE REALLY INTERESTING TO ME, BECAUSE RESEARCH INDICATES THAT ONLY 4.3% OF SEC JUDGEMENT POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES CHOOSE THE NATURAL SCIENCES OR STEM AS THEIR FIELD OF STUDY.
VIEW DISABLED STUDENTS THAT THERE ARE, ARE NOT IN STEM.
AND THIS COULD HAVE, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF REASONS WHY THIS MIGHT BE.
THOSE ARE THE UNITED STATES NUMBERS, BUT CANADIAN AND UK DEMOGRAPHICS ARE LIKELY VERY SIMILAR.
I THINK, IT IS UPSETTING.
BUT IT ALSO TELLS US THAT REMOVING BARRIERS TO ACCESS COULD HELP INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO ENROLLED IN THOSE PROGRAMS OF STUDY, AND ALSO IMPROVE THEIR NUMBERS AND SCIENCE RELATED CAREERS.
WHICH IS WHERE WE NEED DISABLED PEOPLE.
IF ANY OF THE PROBLEMS OF THE LAST DECADE TO TELL US THAT IS WHERE WE NEED MORE INPUT.
FROM DISABLED PEOPLE.
I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT FACULTY AS WELL.
A RECENT STUDY REVEALED THAT ACADEMICS IN CANADA RECEIVED VERY LITTLE INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT IN OBTAINING ACCOMMODATIONS LET THEMSELVES.
ONLY 42% OF CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES EVEN HAVE A WRITTEN DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION POLICY FOR FACULTY.
VERY LITTLE HAS CHANGED SCENTS THAT RESEARCH INTO THOUSAND AND 18.
THE POLICIES THAT DO EXIST DO NOT ESSENTIALLY FUND ACCOMMODATIONS, AND THAT MEANS THAT ACCOMMODATIONS COME OUT OF INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT AND UNIT BUDGETS, AND COMPEL FACULTY TO DISCLOSE TO PEOPLE THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DISCLOSE TO BACK CHAIRS AND DEANS AND COLLEAGUES.
THE RESULT THEN, IS A SIMILAR CULTURE OF SILENCE AND PASSING.
THE RESULT IS THE CONTINUED LOSS OF DISABLED THE TEACHERS AND RESEARCHERS.
THOSE FORCES THAT PUSHED DISABLED STUDENTS OUT OF HIGHER EDUCATION INTERSECT WITH OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION.
WE KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE,, THAT IN CASE-12 EDUCATION, YOUNG BLACK MEN ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY PLACED INTO CATEGORY TEAS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATED WITH EXTREMELY POOR OUTCOMES.
AND GET HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCHER JOY BANKS HAS SHOWN THAT BLACK STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES EXPERIENCE ADDITIONAL DIFFICULTY ACCESSING DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES TO COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES -- K-12.
FOR THAT SAME GROUP OF STUDENTS, A DISABILITY DIAGNOSIS AT THE K-12 LEVEL CAN BE HASTILY APPLIED, AND LEAD TO REALLY POOR OUTCOMES.
IT CAN BE SO MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO GET IN HIGHER EDUCATION.
A RECENT REPORT ON THE TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD SHOWED THAT HAVING, "SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS IN HIGH SCHOOL" MEANS YOU ARE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO GO TO UNIVERSITY, AND THIS HAS BEEN GETTING QUITE A BIT WORSE OVER TIME, AND NOT BETTER.
BEING AN INDIGENOUS STUDENT, A BLACK STUDENT MAKES YOU MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE LABELLED WITH THESE "SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS."
AS TRAN1 EXCELLENT NEW BOOK THE UNTEACHABLE'S SHOWS, EDUCATORS HAVE CARVED OUT PRIVILEGED WHITE SPACES IN EVERY DISABILITY CLASSIFICATION.
WHITE STUDENT PROTECTION AND ADVANCEMENT IN FLEX EVERY DISABILITY DIAGNOSIS A STUDENT MIGHT SEE, FROM KIDDER GORTON TO GRADE 12.
AND THEREFORE, THESE FORMS OF WHAT HE CALLS RESEGREGATION OVERWRITE DISABILITY ON OUR CAMPUSES AS WELL.
I PUT THIS AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE FACT THAT MOST OF THE TIME, BLACK AND INDIGENOUS STUDENTS HAVE TO WORK HARDER ON CAMPUS.
TRAN3 SUGGEST THEY HAVE TO DEVELOP SPECIFIC SKILLS, AND EXPEND CONSIDERABLE ENERGY COPING WITH RACISM, LOOKING FOR ALLIES, FORMING COMMUNITY AND PROTECTING THEIR IDENTITIES AND COMMUNITIES.
AND WE HAVE TO SEE THEN, DISABLED THE STUDENTS BLACK STUDENTS, INDIGENOUS STUDENTS AND OTHER STUDENTS FROM A WIDE RANGE OF UNDERREPRESENTED BACKGROUNDS IS, IN FACT,, DEALING WITH A VERY DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURE ON CAMPUS.
THE LABOUR AND EXPERTISE THAT THEY EXERTED JUST TO SURVIVE IS REMARKABLE.
BUT WE DON'T REWARD OF THOSE THANKS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
WE ACTUALLY ASK THEM TO REMAIN INVISIBLE.
WE GO AHEAD AND REWARD, "TRADITIONAL STUDENTS" FOR DOING THE "TRADITIONAL THINGS" THAT GENERAL GET REWARDED.
STUDYING FOR TESTS, WRITING ESSAYS ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ALSO WORK.
BUT WE DON'T GET THIS FULL PICTURE OF HOW MUCH WORK SOME STUDENTS ARE INVOLVED IN.
WE ALSO KNOW, BUT DISABILITY IS ALL OVER.
THE CURRICULUM.
BUT NOT IN THE SENSE THAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT TODAY.
DISABILITY IS SOMETHING TO BE CURED OR ERADICATED, CAN BE FOUND ALL OVER OUR CAMPUSES.
'S ABILITY AS AN IDENTITY OR CULTURE IS REALLY HARD TO FIND.
IN SHORT, EDUCATING PEOPLE TO ERASE OR DIMINISH DISABILITY WILL ENSURE LIMITATIONS ON ALL OF OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BODIES AND MINDS, ABOUT OUR SOCIETY.
HOW CAN WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE COMP LECCE DID PROBLEMS THAT WE FACE AS A SOCIETY, WHEN DISABLED PEOPLE ARE ABSENT FROM OUR CLASSROOMS, LABS AND RESEARCH TEAMS.
THE LAST THREE YEARS SHOULD HAVE SHOWN US THAT IS ESSENTIAL.
SO IN THIS HISTORY, A RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH HAS OFTEN MEANT THAT DISABLED STUDENTS ARE INVITED IN THE DOOR, THEY ARE COUNTED AND ADDED TO DIVERSITY STATISTICS, BUT THEN THE CULTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY MAKES NO CHANGES.
LASTING ADJUSTMENTS TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR PRESENCE, PARTICIPATION AND THRIVING.
IF I COULD SHOW THE NEXT  SLIDE...
ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS INCLUSION, MIGHT BE TO LOOK AT A TWEET POSTED BY STUDENT NAMED TRAN5 IN THE UK.
SHE POSTED THE PICTURE ON TWITTER, SHOWING HOW SHE IS FORCED TO TAKE IN HER ZOOLOGY LECTURES.
WHEN SHE ARRIVES AT THE LECTURE, THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE FOR HER TO SIT, IN THE DOORWAY AS THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
IS AS AN AMPHITHEATER STYLE CLASSROOM WHERE STUDENTS COME IN THIS DOORWAY AT THE BACK, THEY COME DOWN A SET OF STAIRS AND THERE ARE TABLES LAID DOWN AS YOU GO DOWN THE STAIRS.
EVERY THREE STEPS, YOU CAN TURN, AND A SET AT ONE OF THESE TABLES TO TAKE IN THE LECTURE.
WE KNOW THAT CLASSROOMS LIKE THIS TO BEGIN WITH, THEY ASSUME THAT THE PERSON AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM NOT BE IN A WHEELCHAIR.
OR NEEDING ACCESS.
BUT SARAH MARIE'S EXAMPLE IS A POWERFUL ONE AND PART, BECAUSE THERE IS AN ACCESSIBLE DOORWAY AT THE BACK OF THIS ROOM.
AND I BET IF YOU LOOKED AT A MAP ON CAMPUS, YOU MIGHT EVEN SEE THAT THIS CLASSROOM IS MARKED AS AN ACCESSIBLE CLASSROOM.
BECAUSE OF THAT BUTTON.
WHICH COSTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO INSTALL, AND ENSURES THAT WHEN YOU PRESS THE BUTTON THAT DOOR WILL AUTOMATICALLY OPEN.
BUT, THE ONLY PLACE FOR SARAH MARIE TO SIT IS IN THE ONE SPOT OR THAT DOOR IS GOING TO HIT HER WHENEVER IT GETS OPEN TO.
IF WE LOOK AT THIS IMAGE AND THINK ABOUT IT FOR A BIT, ALL OF THE OTHER STUDENTS ARE SITTING IN THEIR SEATS, THEY HAVE DRINKS, COFFEE IS BETTER.
THEIR LAPTOPS ARE OPEN AND THEY ARE TAKING IN THE ZOOLOGY LECTURE.
SARAH HAS HER ARMS CROSSED AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
WE CAN IMAGINE WHAT LED UP TO THIS MOMENT.
BECAUSE SARAH MARIE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR EVERY OTHER STUDENT TO COME IN AND TAKE THEIR SEAT IN THE CLASSROOM BEFORE SHE COULD ENTER THE ROOM.
AND IF ANYBODY CAME LATE TO THE CLASSROOM, WOULD HIT THAT BUTTON ON THE DOOR AT THE DOOR WOULD OPEN AND IT WOULD HIT HER WHEELCHAIR.
SHE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE, AND COME BACK IN EVERY TIME SOME OF THE ELSE CAME IN.
IT ALSO ASSUMES THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON IN A WHEELCHAIR, OR ONE PERSON WHO WOULD OCCUPY THAT SPACE.
IT REALLY ASSUMES, THAT THERE WOULD BE NONE.
BUT, THERE IS REALLY ONLY SPACE FOR SARAH MARIE TO MAKE FOR HERSELF THEY ARE.
SO, THIS, TO ME, IS WHAT SO MANY OF THE LAYOUTS ON OUR CAMPUS, WHETHER THEY ARE CURRICULAR, CULTURAL, SOCIAL, DISABLED STUDENTS MIGHT BE THERE.
THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE ROOM.
BUT THEIR ACCESS IS IT SO CLEARLY AN AFTERTHOUGHT, AND THEIR PARTICIPATION IS ALREADY REALLY MINIMIZED.
YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED THEN, THAT WE ARE LOSING SO MANY DISABLED STUDENTS.
THE TRUTH IS, THE ONLY TIME THAT DISABILITY ISN'T SPOKEN OR WRITTEN ABOUT IN MOST CLASSES, IS IN THE FINAL LINE OF THE SYLLABUS.
WHEN STUDENTS ARE REFERRED TO THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES IF THEY NEED HELP.
THE MESSAGE THAN TO STUDENTS IS THAT DISABILITY IS A SUPPLEMENTARY CONCERN.
IT IS NOT THE TEACHER'S CONCERN, NOT REALLY A PART OF THE COURSE.
IT IS AT THE BACK DOOR OF THE SYLLABUS.
TEACHERS THAT DEAL WITH DISABILITY THROUGH THAT KIND OF IDEOLOGICAL EQUIVALENT OF A RAMP.
DISABILITY CAN ONLY COME IN THE SIDE OR THE BACK ENTRANCE IF IT IS TO BE INCLUDED AT ALL.
I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO LAY THIS OUT A LITTLE BIT AGAINST THE HISTORY OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
BUT RODERICK BROWN’S THE REORDER OF THINGS, IT IS A CRITIQUE OF THE CONCEPT OF DIVERSITY AS IT HAS BEEN INVOKED IN HIGHER EDUCATION.
AND IN THE BOOK HE IDENTIFIES THREE PARTICULAR ERAS IN ACADEMIC HISTORY IN NORTH AMERICA.
THE FIRST ERA, IT IS THE ONE IN WHICH THERE WAS THIS SEPARATION BETWEEN HIGHER EDUCATION AND OTHER VERSIONS OF LOWER EDUCATION.
IT WAS THE ERA, WHEN MACEACHRAN WAS BUILDING A PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT.
THAT IS THE AREA -- ERA IN WHICH UNIVERSITIES WERE SEEN AS DEVELOPING INTELLIGENT, THOUGHTFUL ELITES, AND REPRODUCING THAT ELITE CULTURE.
THEY WERE VERY SEGREGATED SPACES.
RIGHT?
MORE RECENTLY, IN WAY, RESPONDING TO THAT HISTORY, HISTORIES -- UNIVERSITIES HAVE ENACTED A PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, CULTIVATING A MORE BROADLY EDUCATED CITIZENRY.
IN THE EXAMPLE FROM SARAH MARIE DESILVA IN THAT EVIL CAN OF ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY, THERE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN FOLKS WHO WERE AN AFTERTHOUGHT, WERE ASKED TO COME IN THE BACK DOOR OR SIT AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM -- TRAN5.
THE THIRD AREA, THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN NOW, HIGHER EDUCATION PRODUCES WHAT BROWN CALLS SHUMAN -- HUMAN CAPITAL.
TURNING HUMANIST VALUES ON THEIR HEAD.
THAT FIRST STEP, UNDOUBTEDLY EXCLUDED TO DISABILITY.
THAT WAS THAT EUGENICS ERA.
SECOND TO STEP, THE USE OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS A PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, IT OPENED A LOT OF DOORS AND REMOVED A LOT OF BARRIERS, BUT ALL TOO OFTEN DISABILITY WAS USED TO TEST THE EDGES OF OPPORTUNITY.
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, EQUAL ACCESS PROMISED NEVER REALLY CAME.
IT ONLY REALLY CAME IN A QUALIFIED, RETROFITTED AWAY.
HERE, WHILE THE DISCUSSION AROUND DISABILITY WAS WELCOMING, THE BACK END WAS BUILT TO CONSTRUCT DISABILITY UNDER ONLY A MEDICAL OR A LIABILITY MODEL.
DEFINED DISABILITY MEDICALLY TREATED IN A LEGALISTIC MINIMALISTIC MANNER TO AVOID GETTING SUED.
AND NOW WE SEE THE CONCEPT OF EQUALITY BEING CO-OPTED BY THIS THIRD STEP, DURING DISABILITY LIKE OTHER FORMS OF EMBODIED DIFFERENCE, GETS COMMODIFIED.
IN DISABILITY MIGHT BE MENTIONED AS A UNIQUE OR SPECIAL PART OF THE FABRIC OF SOCIETY, UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES MIGHT PREACH INCLUSIVENESS, AND THEY WILL PROMOTE THINGS LIKE WELLNESS AND STUDENT SUCCESS.
BUT IN THE END DISABILITY CONTINUES TO JUST BE STUDIED AND THE IMPACT CONTINUES TO BE DISABLING IN THE SENSE OF FURTHER DISTANCING STABILITY FROM POWER, AND FURTHER STIGMATIZING DISABILITY.
I'VE MENTIONED THAT WERE TO, RETROFIT A COUPLE OF TIMES.
AWARD THAT I USE A LOT IN MY OWN WORK.
THAT IS WHAT I SEE THE ACCOMMODATIONS MODEL OF DOING SO MUCH OF THE TIME.
A STUDENT IS REFERRED TO THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES TO GO AND GET AN ACCOMMODATION, AND WHAT THE UNDERLYING ARCHITECTURE OF THAT, IS THAT THERE WON'T BE ANY PERMANENT CHANGES MADE TO THE CURRICULUM OR THE SYLLABUS.
THE TRUTH IS, WHERE THAN THREE QUARTERS OF THE ACCOMMODATIONS OFFERED, ARE THE EXACT SAME ACCOMMODATION.
EXTENDED TIME ON TESTS AND EXAMS.
NOW, THERE IS NOTHING, IF YOU GO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA'S HOMEPAGE BACK THERE IS NO PICTURES THERE OF PEOPLE TAKING TIME TO TEST AND EXAMS.
THEY ARE ENGAGED WITH THE UNIVERSE YOU WOULD CALL THE FUTURE OF LEARNING.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.
HANDS-ON LEARNING.
INNOVATIVE LEARNING.
THEY ARE WORKING WITH ROBOTS AND LABS, AND ALL OF THIS INTERESTING AND EXCITING STUFF.
BUT THAT ACCOMMODATION MODEL IS STILL STUCK IN A UNIVERSITY FROM THE FIFTIES OR SIXTIES.
REPERTOIRE OF ACCOMMODATION HAS NEVER REALLY CHANGED.
SO THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES WHICH HAS GREAT PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING AS HARD AS THEY CAN, THEY ARE STILL STUCK GIVING MINIMAL ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WERE USED ONTOLOGICAL -- MODEL OF EDUCATION THAT IS OUTDATED.
THAT SAID, WE STILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO OFFER ACCOMMODATIONS.
I THINK ACTUALLY OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN THAT WE CAN DO MUCH MORE.
SO I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE HERE.
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HAPPENED TO, THERE WAS A REALLY LARGE STUDY OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
303 STUDENTS, ALL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, THEY RESPONDED AND THEY WERE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS THEY WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO HAVE THE CLASSROOM.
WHICH AGAIN, THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION FOR A UNIVERSITY TO ASK.
INSTEAD OF SIMPLY RUBBERSTAMPING THE SAME, VERY NARROW ACCOMMODATIONS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
HERE IS WHAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR.
WHAT THEY WANTED WERE RECORDED LECTURES, AS VIDEOS, TRANSCRIPTS FROM THOSE LECTURES, OR CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS, AS WELL AS COURSE TEXTBOOK AND INSTRUCTOR NOTES AND APPLY BUT THEY COULD ENGAGE WITH OFF-LINE.
WE WERE BASICALLY ASKING FOR ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING OPTIONS.
-- THEY WERE.
THESE WERE ALL THINGS THAT WE BEGAN TO OFFER QUITE BROADLY DURING COVID.
YET DISABLED PEOPLE CAN'T COUNTER THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT THEY WERE DENIED TO THOSE THINGS WERE STIGMATIZED FOR EVEN ASKING ABOUT THEM.
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HAPPENED TO.
ALL THE SUDDEN, WE HAD TO DO THEM.
WE DIDN'T HAVE SUPPORT TO DO THEM WELL NECESSARILY, WE HAD TO DO THOSE THANKS IN A WEEK.
RIGHT?
WHICH AT LEAST SHOWS US, THAT HIGHER EDUCATION CAN CHANGE.
IT ALSO SHOWS US THAT A LOT OF THE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WE COULD MAKE TO HELP STUDENTS, ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
THE BIGGEST PART OF MY MESSAGE TODAY, IS LETS KEEP DOING THOSE THINGS.
AND THAT IS JUST A SMALL PLACE TO START.
THE QUESTION IS, WHAT OTHER THINGS THAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR OWN RESEARCH OR IN YOUR CLASSROOMS, TO INCREASE ACCESS DURING THE PANDEMIC?
CAN YOU KEEP DOING SOME OF THOSE THINGS?
RIGHT?
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.
I THINK IN OUR DISCUSSION, WE WILL GET INTO MORE OF THESE TYPES OF EXAMPLES.
I THINK THAT DURING OUR FORCED PIVOT TO TEACHING ONLINE DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD TO UNDERSTAND ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN RADICALLY NEW WAYS.
WE WERE FORCED TO CREATE MORE EXPENSIVE WAYS FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN, AND TO SHOW WHAT THEY HAD LEARNED OUTSIDE OF THE 50 OR 18 MINUTES THAT THEY WERE IN A ROOM WITH US.
WHAT IT MADE ME REALIZE, -- A.D.
OFTEN, LEARNING WAS A RACE.
IT WAS A 50 MINUTE RACE TO SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW.
AND HOW MUCH YOU COULD MEMORIZE FROM HAPPENED IN THAT 50-80 MINUTES.
BUT ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING, THAT ABILITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO COURSE MATERIALS, COURSE DISCUSSIONS, ASSIGNMENTS, OTHER STUDENTS, OUTSIDE OF THOSE 50 OR 80 MINUTES, THAT IS A FORM OF A ACCOMMODATION, ACCESSIBILITY THAT DISABLED STUDENTS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
I WILL SAY, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD EVER ASSESS STUDENT INVOLVEMENT OR PARTICIPATION BASED ONLY ON BEING PHYSICALLY IN THE CLASSROOM.
OR BASED IN 50 MINUTE CHUNKS AGAIN.
THE ABILITY TO ATTEND CLASSES IN FLEXIBLE WAYS NEEDS TO BECOME A RIGHT AND NOT A CONCESSION.
ARE CAMPUSES, WERE NEVER A SAFE AND AS ACCESSIBLE AS WE THOUGHT THEY WERE, IT IS JUST ABOUT THE RISKS AND THE BURDENS WERE ALWAYS BORN MAINLY BY DISABLED PEOPLE.
AND SO WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT.
THAT IS ONE PIECE.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE I WILL GIVE YOU, I'M NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT IT MUCH YES -- YET TODAY MAY BE GOOGLE IN THE DISCUSSION BY TALK A LOT ABOUT UNIVERSAL DESIGN, AND ALTERNATIVE TO AN ACCOMMODATION MODEL FOR DISABILITY.
A WEIGH OF PLANNING ACT FOR DISABLED STUDENTS BEFORE THEY SHOW UP IN YOUR CLASSROOM AND YOU ARE MAKING TEMPORARY ADJUSTMENTS.
RIGHT?
BUT IT HAS BECOME VERY MUCH A FAD TO.
OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN.
IT GETS TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THE TIME.
AND WHAT I WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER ABOUT UNIVERSAL DESIGN, IS THAT IT CAME OUT OF AN ARCHITECTURAL MOVEMENT, WHERE WE WERE BUILDING GIANT YOU STRUCTURES.
WE WEREN'T MAKING LITTLE ADJUSTMENTS.
IT WAS A COMPLETE REORIENTATION AROUND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
IT WAS BIG STUFF, NOT TO LITTLE STUFF.
SO MUCH OF THE DISCOURSE AROUND UNIVERSAL DESIGN THESE DAYS IS ABOUT LITTLE TIPS AND HACKS, LITTLE ADJUSTMENTS.
I JUST DO NOT THINK THAT THAT IS THE SPIRIT OF IT.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE AIMING, BIGGER.
I WILL GIVE YOU A BIGGER EXAMPLE.
IN THE SPRING OF 2020 AFTER STUDENTS AT MY OWN UNIVERSITY, THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, HAD HAD A TERM FINISH ONLINE.
WE HAD AN ASSOCIATE DEAN WHO DID A SURVEY OF STUDENTS TO FIND OUT, BASICALLY, HOW ARE YOU DOING?
AGAIN, ANOTHER GOOD IDEA FOR UNIVERSITIES TO DO.
ASK STUDENTS HOW THEY ARE DOING.
BUT THE STUDENT SAID, WE ARE NOT DOING VERY WELL.
WE ARE OVERWHELMED WITH WORK.
SO THIS ASSOCIATE DEAN SAID, SENT AN E-MAIL TO ALL OF THE FACULTY IN THE FACULTY OF ARTS AND SAID, YOU ALL SHOULD CONSIDER ASSIGNING LESS WORK.
THIS TERM.
AND IT IS FUNNY, BECAUSE I BEEN TEACHING FOR A LONG TIME.
AND I THINK, MOST INSTRUCTORS OVER TIME, END UP THINKING THAT THEY NEED TO TEACH MORE.
THEY KNOW MORE, THERE ARE MORE BOOKS THAT THEY WANT TO SHARE, ARTICLES THAT THEY WANT TO SHARE, IDEAS THAT THEY WANT TO SHARE.
COOL ASSIGNMENTS THAT THEY WANTED TO TRY.
AND IF WE ARE ALL DOING THIS TOGETHER, I THINK THAT WE HAVE GRADUALLY CREATED A WORKLOAD FOR STUDENTS THAT IS UNMANAGEABLE.
AND SO TO ME, THAT PERMISSION THAT WAS GIVEN, TO ASSIGN LESS MEANT THAT I WENT FROM FOUR MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS IN MY WRITING CLASS DOWN TO THREE.
WHAT I SAW, WAS STUDENTS DID BETTER WORK, THEY ACTUALLY DID MORE REVISING, WHICH IS WHAT I WANTED THEM TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE.
HAD MORE TIME TO ACTUALLY CONNECT WITH THEM AND TEACH, RATHER THAN JUST ASSESSING THEIR WORK, I GOT TO CONNECT WITH THEM.
I AM MUCH CLOSER NOW, TO GOING DOWN TO TWO MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS THAN I AM TO EVER GOING BACK TO FOUR.
I THINK THAT THE POINT HERE IS, HOW CAN WE MAKE THOSE BIG CHANGES?
AROUND CONTENT, AND EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENT LABOUR.
AND THE BIGGEST STRESSORS, BIG, SYSTEMATIC STRESSORS, RATHER THAN ASKING STUDENTS INDIVIDUALLY TO BE TOUGHER.
OR TO ADJUST THEMSELVES OR BE MORE RESILIENT OR WORK HARDER.
AND MY OWN PERSONAL ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE, IS THAT IT BECAME, I BECAME CAPABLE OF BEING A BETTER TEACHER.
BY SIMPLY ASSIGNING LESS.
THE FINAL PIECE, MY FINAL EXAMPLE THAN AS WELL, IS AROUND THE TIME TO TESTING.
ALL RIGHT?
DURING THE PANDEMIC IN THE WINTER OF 2020, DESPITE THEIR CENTRALITY TO THE CULTURE ON OUR CAMPUSES, WE WERE ASKED TO FIND ALTERNATIVES TO TIME TO, IN PERSON TESTS AND EXAMS.
THE TRUTH IS, THERE IS A NO RESEARCHER THAT EVER SHOWED THAT A TIME TO TEST OR EXAM, HELPED STUDENTS STUDY HARDER, RETAIN MORE, OR EVEN REALLY ACCURATELY SHOWED WHAT THEY HAD LEARNED IN OUR CLASSES.
AND YET WE KEEP DOING THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
WE ARE SPENDING ALMOST ALL OF OUR ACCOMMODATIONS BUDGET, AND TIME, ON GRANTING THIS ACCOMMODATION AROUND TIME TESTS AND EXAMS.
OTHER PIECES THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT LEARNING THE KINDS OF ACCOMMODATIONS THAT THEY WOULD NEED IN THAT FORWARD FACING CLASSROOM.
OR IN THEIR CAREERS, BECAUSE OF THE BARRIERS THAT ARE CREATED BY TIME TO TESTS AND EXAMS AND HIGH-STAKES TESTS ARE NOTHING LIKE THE KINDS OF BARRIERS THAT WE WILL ALL FACE IN OUR CAREERS.
YOU KNOW, NOBODY WALKS INTO AN ENGINEERING FIRM OR AN OPERATING THEATRE AND SAYS, YOU KNOW, PUT YOUR PENCIL OR YOUR SCALPEL DOWN, WHATEVER BRIDGE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SURGICAL EQUIVALENT IS...
NOBODY WALKS INTO AN ENGINEERING FIRM AND SAYS WHATEVER BRIDGE THAT YOU HAVE DESIGNED IS THE ONE THAT WE ARE BUILDING."
THAT IS NOT THE WAY THAT IT WORKS.
AND SO, WHY SHOULD WE IMPOSE THOSE KINDS OF CONSTRAINTS THROUGH THINGS A KIND TESTING?
THAT IS A SOAPBOX ISSUE FOR ME BUT IT IS SUCH A HUGE WASTED ALL OPPORTUNITY.
I TALKED ABOUT HOW FEW STUDENTS -- HOW FEW DISABLED STUDENTS ARE IN STEM FIELDS.
AND IT IS FOLKS IN STEM WHO TELL ME THAT THERE ARE NO ALTERNATIVES TO TIME TESTING.
SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE.
RIGHT?
YOU NEED TO CONNECT THE DOTS.
IF WE WANT TO CORRECT THAT HUGE LOSS OF STUDENT POTENTIAL, ESPECIALLY, FOR EXAMPLE,, IN THE SCIENCES.
ONE PIECE I THINK, IS BY TAKING A HARM REDUCTION APPROACH TO TIME TO HIGH-STAKES TESTS AND EXAMS.
OKAY.
SO THE OTHER PIECE, IF I COULD SHOW MY FINAL SLIDE.
I HAVE A BUNCH OF RESOURCES, ON THIS WEBSITE IF PEOPLE WANT TO CHECK THEM OUT.
THERE IS AN OPEN ACCESS VERSION OF MY BOOK ACADEMIC ABLEISM, A LINK TO A RESOURCE OF THEIR, WITH THOUSANDS OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN TEACHING IDEAS THAT YOU COULD USE IN ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLASSROOMS, AND, HOPEFULLY THERE ARE SOME RESOURCES THERE THAT WOULD HELP YOU.
IT IS A WAY TO CHECK ON SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I HAVE CITED AND TALKED ABOUT IN THE TALK TODAY.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, I HOPE THAT THIS KICKS IS OFF AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE REST OF OUR DISCUSSION.
>> HELLO EVERYONE THANK YOU SO MUCH JAY.
I THINK THAT THERE WILL BE TIME FOR MORE THINGS AS WE MOVE THROUGH OUR DISCUSSION.
IT IS SUCH A GREAT STARTING POINT FOR WHERE WE ARE ABOUT TO GO.
HI EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS KEN COR.
IMA SISSY GENDER WHITE MALE.
MY PRONOUNS ARE HE /HIM FOR THE MOST OF MY LIFE I HAVE LIVED ON TREATY SIX TERRITORY IN AND AROUND EDMONTON, WITH MUCH OF MY CHILDHOOD SPENT LIVING JUST NORTH OF THE CITY IN THE TOWN OF GIBBONS.
I HAVE THREE YOUNGER BROTHERS, ALL OF WHICH ARE WITHIN THREE YEARS OF THE AGE OF MYSELF, WHICH MADE FOR SOME CRAZY TIMES IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
>> MY DAD AS AN ELECTRICIAN MIGHT MOTHER HAS WORKED AS A CARE PROVIDER TO CHILDREN THE ELDERLY PERSON'S DISABILITIES, MUCH OF HER LIFE -- CIS-GENDER.
I COME FROM THE FACULTY OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENTISTS AND PHARMACY WHERE I WORK AS AN ASSISTANT DEAN ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION.
AND BIG PART OF MY JOB IS LEADING THE ADMINISTRATION OF OUR EXAMS, WHICH JAY WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT AND MAJOR ASSESSMENTS IN THE PROGRAM.
I PLAN TO THE SESSION BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCES I WAS HAVING WORKING TO SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THEIR EXAMS.
AND NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE TO QUICKLY INTRODUCE OUR PANELISTS.
THERE ARE MORE EMERGENCY ALERTS BUZZING ON MY PHONE AGAIN.
I DO NOT KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED TO THIS TODAY.
IF YOU ARE IN ALBERTA, THEY ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE FOR SOME REASON, THEY ARE TESTING.
SORRY ABOUT THAT.
FIRST, YOU HAVE ALL MET JAY.
THANK YOU JAY FOR STARTING US WITH YOUR GREAT KEYNOTE ADDRESS.
NEXT, WE HAVE A GROUP OF AMAZING SCHOLARS FROM OUR OWN BACKYARD HERE AT UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA.
FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR LINDSAY EALES.
DR -- DR. EALES IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND YOU CAN SEE WAITING THERE IN THE FACULTY OF KINESIOLOGY, SPORT AND RECREATION.
THERE RESEARCH INTERESTS INCLUDE MADDEST STUDIES, DISABILITY ARTS AND CULTURE, RESEARCH CREATION, AND ANTI- OPPRESSIVE APPROACHES TO TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICE.
DR. EALES IS ALSO A REGISTERED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, WITH OVER 15 YEARS, MAY BE AT 12  THAT, OF SPECIALIZED DISABILITY DANCE TRAINING.
NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR DR. EALES.
DR. PEERS IS ON ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF CAMILLE G. SPORT AND RECREATION AND A TEAR TO CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR -- DR. DANIELLE PEERS.
IN DISABILITY AND MOVEMENT CULTURES.
THERE RESEARCH BRIDGE OF THREE FIELDS, ADAPTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SOCIOCULTURAL SPORT AND MOVEMENT STUDIES, AND CRITICAL DISABILITY STUDIES.
DR. PEERS ALSO TEACHES QUALITATIVE METHODS, ADAPTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, FOR ITS SOCIOLOGY AND CRITICAL DISABILITY STUDIES.
WELCOME.
NEXT UP, I LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR  DR. JOSHUA ST. PIERRE.
DR. ST. PIERRE IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND A TEAR TO CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR IN CRITICAL DISABILITY STUDIES.
DR. ST. PIERRE WORKS AT THE INTERSECTION OF CRITICAL DISABILITY STUDIES CONTEMPORARY-GO THEORY AND FEMINIST THEORY WITH HIS RESEARCH FOCUSING ON THE INTERPLAY OF COMMUNICATION AND IT DISABILITY WITHIN FORMATION -- INFORMATION SOCIETY IS.
AND HE LIKES THE GARDEN I PICKED THAT UP FROM YOUR WEBSITE -- GARDEN.
>> I LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR TRAN6.
DOCTOR TRAN7 IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND TEAR TO CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR IN DEAF EDUCATION.
TRAN7 STUDIES LANG WHICH AND LITERACY EDUCATION INCLUDING ARTS-BASED INTERVENTIONS, ARTS EDUCATION, POST HUMANISM AND APPLIED SIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES.
TRAN7 IS AN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF DEATH CROWS COLLECTIVE, WHICH AIMS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEATRE PERFORMANCE BY DEAF ACTORS OF ALL AGES TO CELEBRATE DEAF CULTURE, ENCOURAGE SELF-EXPRESSION AND IT FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HEARING AND DEAF COMMUNITIES -- TRAN8.
WELCOME EVERYONE.
I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE DISCUSSION THAT WE ARE ARE ABOUT TO HAVE.
SO, WE SOLICITED QUESTIONS FROM THE REGISTRANTS TO HELP US DECIDE ON THE TOPICS FOR THE DISCUSSION TODAY.
I TRIED TO ORGANIZE THEM INTO THREE BIG CATEGORIES, AND CREATE SOME QUESTIONS FOR US TO WORK THROUGH.
OUR FIRST TOPIC OF DISCUSSION BASED ON THAT TO WORK, IS  TITLED, "DEFINING WHERE WE ARE."
AND JAY HAS ALREADY DONE SOME OF THAT FOR US.
I WILL PRESENT A SERIES OF QUESTIONS TO HELP GUIDE TO THE CONVERSATION ON THIS TOPIC, AND WE WORKED THROUGH THE PANELISTS IN A PREDETERMINED ORDER, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE SOME SMOOTH TRANSITIONS ARE OUR ASL INTERPRETERS AND ANYONE LISTENING.
THE FIRST QUESTION, WILL GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO BUILD OFF OF THE TOPIC THAT JAY JUST PRESENTED, AND IT IS, "WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT ACADEMIC ABLEISM APPEARS IN POST SECONDARY TEACHING AND LEARNING?
" WE HAVE HEARD EXAMPLES FROM JAY.
THE FIRST PERSON THAT WILL SPEAK TO THIS IS DR. EALES.
HELLO EVERYONE.
JAY DEFINITELY TOUCHED ON SOME OF THE THINGS OF THAT RESONATE FOR ME.
IN PARTICULAR, ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT BEHAVIOURS THAT COMMUNICATE PART IS PATIENT OR MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION.
ALSO, THAT COMMUNICATE ATTENTION, OR ENGAGEMENT.
OR SPEC, OR PROFESSIONALISM.
THE WHOLE THING.
-- RESPECT.
AND HOW THESE ARE BASED ON YOUR TYPICAL, WHITE SUPREMACIST PERFORMANCES AS WELL AS SANEST PERFORMANCES IN ADDITION TO JAY'S GREAT WORK, I TURNED TO MARGARET PRICES IN ACADEMIC LIFE.
A LOT.
NEURO- TYPICAL OFTEN PRESUME I CONTACT, OR BODY POSITIONING OR ORIENTATION, OR STILLNESS, OR VIDEOS IN ZOOM, OR SPEAKING IN CLASS OR RIDING IN CHAT, OR PERFORMING MOVEMENTS, OR TASKS OR CONVERSATIONS AS OTHERS DO AS DEMONSTRATIONS OF ATTENTION OR ENGAGEMENT OR RESPECT.
AND JUST TO NOTE THAT THESE THINGS ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE TO SOME OF US, OR ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE SOME OF THE TIME.
WE HAVE TO MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHY PEOPLE ARE MISSING THINGS, NOT SHOWING UP, SHOWING UP OR TURNING THANKS IN LATE.
ASKING FOR EXTENSIONS, APPEARING WITHDRAWN.
DEMANDING MORE TIME, MORE OF YOUR TIME THAN OTHERS.
I TURNED TO ONE OF MY DANCERS, "HAS OFFERED A LOT OF WISDOM.
ALLEY WHO JOINED OUR CLASS AFTER BEING EXCLUDED IN A LOT OF OTHER SPACES.
EDWARD VOCALIZED POETRY INTO THE SPACE WHILE WE WERE, AND CIRCLED THE ROOM WHILE I WAS TEACHING CHOREOGRAPHY.
SHE WAS PRESUMED NOT TO BE PARTICIPATING IN OTHER CLASSES AND SHE WOULD GO HOME AND DO THE CHOREOGRAPHY IN THE MIRROR.
EVEN IF SHE DID NOT GO HOME AND DO THE CHOREOGRAPHY IN THE MIRROR, WE CANNOT PRESUME WHAT PEOPLE ARE LEARNING, BASED ON NORMATIVE PERFORMANCES OF PARTICIPATION, ATTENTION, RESPECT.
ENGAGEMENT, PROFESSIONALISM.
AND, SO I AM ALWAYS ASKING MYSELF, WHAT, CAN BE STARTED ON THE BASE ASSUMPTION THAT EVERYBODY IS DOING THE BEST THAT THEY CAN TO SHOW UP IN THE BEST WAY THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM RIGHT NOW, WHICH MAY ACTUALLY INCLUDED NOT SHOWING UP AT ALL, AND WHAT IF WE HADN'T NOTICED, THAT WE WERE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS AND REPLACE TO THESE ASSUMPTIONS WITH OTHER STORIES THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON FOR PEOPLE.
WHETHER THEY ARE EXPERIENCING DISTRESS, OR BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION, BASED ON HOW WE HAVE STRUCTURED OUR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, OR WEATHER THEY ARE NEWLY IN LOVE, AND DOING THAT WHOLE THING, OR WHETHER THEY HAVE SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW THAT WHAT WE MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT IN CLASS.
AND WHAT IF WE TOOK ALL OF THE BEHAVIOUR, THIS IS -- AS COMMUNICATING NEEDS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MEET, AND WAYS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT.
WHAT WE IMAGINED ON -- HONOURING COPING AND SURVIVAL STRATEGIES AS LIFE-AFFIRMING.
THIS IS WORK I'M LEARNING ALONGSIDE NATHAN, IN SOME ANTI- OPPRESSIVE TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICE WORK.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE STRATEGIES THAT WE MIGHT LIKE TO REPLACE WITH OTHER ONES.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO NAME HOW WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT PITTING ACCESS NEEDS, WHICH JAY IMPORTANTLY NAMED AS IT BEING SERVED BY ONLINE AND ASYNCHRONOUS A DELIVERY.
AGAINST THE IDEA, OF STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH, AND A STUDENTS SOCIAL CONNECTION.
THIS SPECIFICALLY COMES UP A LOT IN DEBATES ABOUT THE NICEST -- NECESSITY TO RETURN TO IMPRISON SYNCHRONOUS CLASSES, IS THE MENTAL HEALTH AND ACCESS NEEDS ARE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED, OR MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE, OR DISABLED STUDENTS DON'T HAVE THE HEALTH NEEDS THAT ARE MET BY INCREASING ACCESS, OR THAT MATTER NOR DIVERGENT PEOPLE'S ACCESS NEEDS FOR ASYNCHRONOUS OPTIONS AND ACCESSING MATERIAL AND COURSE CONTENT ARE NOT VITAL.
AND THAT WE, AS THE DISABLED COMMUNITY DON'T SURVIVE AND THRIVE BECAUSE OF ONLINE CONNECTION, BECAUSE OF ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE THOSE ARE NOT SIGHTS OF OUR JUSTICE AND MEANING, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING AT THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO IMAGINE OTHER WAYS OF CREATING MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL CONNECTION, EVEN THROUGH ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE DELIVERY.
SUCH THAT WE COULD ALSO BE COVID TO SAFE, AND BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE AS WE HAD GAINED SOME ACCESS, WE HAD NOT HAD BEFORE PRIOR TO COVID.
>> THANK YOU LINDSAY.
IMPORTANT IDEAS THEY ARE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER PANELISTS TO WEIGH IN, BUT JOANN, WILL BE SPEAKING TO SOME OTHER IDEAS NEXT.
>> I APOLOGIZE, SCREEN SEEMS TO BE INVITING ME TO SPEAK.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN HEAR THE INTERPRETER.
>> I WILL BE USING SIGN LANGUAGE FOR MY PRESENTATIONS.
I AM HAPPY TO RESPOND TO THIS QUESTION.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS, HIGHER EDUCATION, CAN DEAL WITH ABLEISM IN THE POST SECONDARY SETTING.
I AM WATCHING INTERPRETERS ON A DIFFERENT LINK, BUT HERE IN THIS SCENARIO AND THIS SETTING, THERE ARE SLIDES ON THE SCREEN, SO MY EYES HAVE TO FOCUS ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS OF INFORMATION, AND VISUAL INFORMATION.
BECAUSE I AM NOT LISTENING.
AS WELL, IN EACH OF THE PRESENTERS, THERE IS A BACKGROUND THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS OTHER INTERESTING THINGS TO LOOK AT, AND ALSO CAN BE VISUALLY DISTRACTING.
WHAT I SAW ON THE SLIDES TODAY ARE QUITE SIMPLE, BUT IN ACADEMIA, WHAT WE OFTEN SEE, ARE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE JUST CHOCK FULL OF INFORMATION.
AND THE BACKGROUND OF THE SLIDES CAN BE REALLY BUSY.
WITH, YOU KNOW, PICTURES, OR OTHER DESIGNS, PATTERNS IN THE BACKGROUND.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ADAPTING WHAT YOU ARE DOING FOR VISUAL LEARNERS, IT IS NOT MORE IS BETTER.
LESS IS BETTER.
SO, WHEN WE ARE DESIGNING OUR TEACHING MATERIALS, AND WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THE VISUAL AESTHETIC, IT SHOULD BE SIMPLE.
IT SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE TO TAKE IN THE INFORMATION, IT SHOULD NOT BE TEXT HEAVY.
BECAUSE, HAS WAS TOUCHED ON BEFORE, THERE IS A LOT OF ENERGY, A LOT OF LABOUR PUT INTO PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS KIND OF CONTENT.
AND IF WE ARE LOOKING AT SOMEONE WHO IS DEAF AND LOW VISION, OR DEV-BLINDED THEY NEEDED MORE TIME TO PROCESS WHAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING IN THERE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THEY MIGHT BE USING AN INTERPRETER SO WATCHING THE INTERPRETER AND SEEING WHAT IS ON THE PRESENTATION AND ALSO WATCHING THE SPEAKER.
THAT IS WHY HAVING PRERECORDED, OR RECORDED LECTURES IS A MUCH BETTER TOOL FOR SOME OF OUR LEARNERS, BECAUSE IT THEY CAN PAUSE.
THEY CAN TAKE MORE TIME TO LOOK AT WHATEVER PICTURE IS SHOWN ON A SLIDE, WHATEVER TEXT CONTENT IS THERE.
TO MAKE THEIR OWN NOTES.
BUT IF THIS IS GOING LIVE, AND IT IS NOT PRERECORDED THAN THEY ARE TRYING TO TAKE INSOMUCH AT THE SAME TIME.
IT OFTEN LEADS FOR DEAF STUDENTS OR DEAF STUDENTS WHO HAVE LOW VISION, MORE ENERGY, MORE LABOUR INTO THE STUDYING, OF THAT CONTENT.
MANY PROFESSORS, INC., "OH, THEY CHOOSE SOPHISTICATED BACKGROUNDS, OR A MOVING GIF OR THANKS ON THEIR SLIDES."
AND THEY THINK THAT THAT IS INTERESTING.
BUT FOR ME, I GET HEADACHES FROM THAT.
BECAUSE IT IS TOO MUCH, TOO VISUAL INFORMATION AND NOT ENOUGH TO CONCENTRATE ON.
THAT IS JUST AN EXAMPLE, OF THE KINDS OF DESIGNS THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT, WE ARE TRYING TO INCORPORATE THE LEARNING NEEDS OF A BROADER AUDIENCE OF STUDENTS.
>> THANK YOU JOANNE.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, UNLESS, THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL URGENT POINT THAT PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE, I THINK I WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT QUESTION.
SPEAK I SEE THUMBS UP.
THE NEXT QUESTION, WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF ABLEISM IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION?
I WILL HAND IT OVER TO JOSH TO START US OFF.
>> I MEAN, JOSH IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TOO.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY FIRST OFF, THAT I REALIZE BEFORE SHOWING UP THIS AFTERNOON, THAT MOST EVERYTHING THAT I KNOW ABOUT ACCESS, I HAVE LEARNED FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SPEAKING HERE ON THIS PANEL.
SO A PART OF ME WAS LIKE, "WHAT AM I DOING HERE."
BUT I CAN BE HERE TO CHEER ON EVERYBODY ELSE AT THE VERY LEAST.
I MEAN, TO START OFF THIS QUESTION, IT WAS ALREADY TOUCHED ON BY JAY AND THE KEYNOTE.
THERE IS A FORM -- ONE OF THE IMPACTS, OF ABLEISM IS A FORM OF EPISTEMIC LEVELING THAT OCCURS, WHEN ONLY CERTAIN PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED, BOTH -- ARE PROVIDED WITH THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEEDED TO SUCCEED IN HIGHER EDUCATION.
SO FROM THIS BASIC EXCLUSION OF DISABLED PEOPLE, FROM WITHIN THE ACADEMY, IT RESULTS IN ABLE-BODIED QUESTIONS, AND METHODOLOGIES GETTING REPRODUCED OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND IS SO, THERE ARE ABLE-BODIED ASSUMPTIONS, THAT REMAIN UNNAMED, AND HOW CAN THEY BE CALLED OUT, IF DISABLED THE PEOPLE AREN'T PART OF THE CONVERSE PATIENT?
THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF ELEMENTS TO THAT.
PARTLY, WE END UP ASKING REALLY BORING QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW?
AND IS SO PARTLY, IT IS NOT GOOD EDUCATION, AND IT CERTAINLY ISN'T GOOD FOR STUDENTS, AND I THINK IT DEVELOPS INTERESTING RESEARCH, "WE ARE DOING POLITICAL THEORY, WHY -- WHAT KIND OF POLITICAL THEORY CAN WE DO, IF WE AREN'T STARTING FROM THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE DON'T EXPECT DISABILITY TO SHOW UP IN OUR WORK, YOU KNOW?
ANYWAYS YES.
>> THANK YOU JOSHUA.
THAT WAS REALLY GOOD TO.
AND IT IS MAKING ME THINK A LOT ABOUT WHERE WE START.
I THINK WE WANTED TO ASK JAY TO ADD TO THIS POINT IF YOU WANTED.
>> SURE.
I LOVE THE WAY THAT JOSH PUT IT.
I THINK THAT SO...
THERE IS A GREAT TWITTER, A GREAT ACCOUNT TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER.
IT IS CALLED DISABLE IN HIGHER ED.
IS THE TWITTER ACCOUNT.
AND, THEY SAID SOMETHING PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT JOSH IS SAYING.
WHICH IS, I THINK A REALLY IMPORTANT REMINDER.
THERE ARE BARRIERS IN PLACE IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR EVERYONE.
RIGHT?
THEY CHANGED A LITTLE BIT OVER THE PANDEMIC SO WE NOTICED THEM.
BUT THERE ARE BARRIERS THERE FOR EVERYONE.
AND DO SOME FOLKS, ARE ACCOMMODATED AS A PART OF THE NATURAL FLOW OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
AND SO THEY EXPERIENCE IT AS FLOW.
IT IS SOMETHING SARAH OMID WRITES ABOUT.
WHEN YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THAT FLOW YOU DO NOT NOTICE IT IS JUST GOING IT IS BUILT FOR YOU.
IT GOES TO THAT POINT THAT I MADE ABOUT, SOME STUDENTS, THEY CAN SPEND ALL OF THEIR TIME AND LABOUR AND INTELLECTUAL ENERGY WING THINGS THAT GET GREAT GRADES.
WING THINGS THAT ALLOW THEM TO COMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS AND HAND THEM IN.
OTHER STUDENTS -- DOING.
OTHER STUDENTS ARE DOING A TON OF WORK AND NONE OF IT SYNCS UP WITH THAT MEASUREMENT SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN HIGHER EDUCATION.
IT DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NOT VALUABLE WORK IT MIGHT EVEN BE MORE VALUABLE.
THE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IS ARBITRARY, WE HAVE HAD IT FOR TOO LONG.
IT DOES NOT SINK, WITH VALUES THAT WE ESPOUSE ON OUR HOMEPAGES.
RIGHT?
WE ARE EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE IN THE WAYS THAT WE TEACH AND FORMS OF LEARNING THAT WE REWARD.
THAT, DISABLED STUDENTS ARE NOT GIVEN -- THEY ARE GIVEN SUCH UNLIMITED RANGE OF ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND THEY EXPERIENCE AND SOMETIMES THOSE THINGS ARE SIMPLE TO GET TO WHAT LINDSAY WAS SAYING, THOSE ARE JUST SOCIAL NORM MARCH OUTDATED AND ANTIQUATED AROUND HOW WE MIGHT PARTICIPATE.
FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE NOT GOING WITH THE FLOW, YOU EXPERIENCE THE FLOW AS A BRICK WALL.
THAT'S A SARAH AHMED QUOTE, YOU KNOW.
IT HITS YOU RIGHT IN THE FACE.
AND THAT'S THE REALITY FOR A LOT OF STUDENTS.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY NOT BUILT FOR THEM AND SO THEN IT'S A MACHINE THAT IS WORKING VERY HARD TO ASK THEM TO LEAVE, RIGHT, OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND IF THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THOSE ARBITRARY BARRIERS, THEY HAVE TO DO SO MUCH WORK TO TRY AND GET A DIAGNOSIS AND ACCOMMODATION, START A CONVERSATION WITH A COLLEAGUE, RIGHT, OR AN INSTRUCT FOR.
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND SO WE JUST SIMPLY DON'T DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF CHARTING ALL OF THE LABOUR THAT'S INVOLVED OR ACCOUNTING FOR THE UNFAIRNESS OF THE BARRIERS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
WE DO THINGS BECAUSE THEY WERE DONE TO US AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO TEAR THESE THINGS DOWN BECAUSE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WE WORK WITH HAVE BENEFITED FROM, THEY'RE ALL FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE FLOW.
, THEY'RE STILL EXPERIENCING IT LARGELY AS FLOW, NOT AS A BUNCH OF WALLS THAT THEY'RE HITTING.
IT'S VERY HARD TO GET PRIVILEGED PEOPLE TO SAY THE SYSTEM THAT GAVE ME MY PRIVILEGE WAS WRONG.
THAT'S THE POWER OF RESISTANCE TO ABLEISM.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IF WE WANT TO MAKE CHANGES.
NOW ON THE OTHER HAND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS YOU ONLY BECOME REALLY GOOD AS A TEACHER WHEN YOU STOP TEACHING --
WHEN YOU STOP ASSUMING THAT EVERYBODY LEARNS THE WAY THAT YOU DO.
AND REWARDING ONE ANOTHER FOR NOT BEING CONSERVATIVE, FOR NOT DOING THINGS THE WAY THAT THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN DONE.
ANYWAY, THOSE ARE --
THAT'S LIKE A VERY BIG SERIES OF ISSUES, RIGHT, BUT THERE ARE SMALLER WAYS TO ATTACK SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS.
FOR INSTANCE SIMPLY BY BUILDING INTO THE WAYS THAT WE REWARD ONE ANOTHER, THE WAYS THAT WE HIRE PEOPLE OR AWARD TENURE, RIGHT.
OR DO PERFORMANCE REVIEWS.
BY SAYING WE WANT TO REWARD FOLKS WHO BUILD A DIFFERENT UNIVERSITY, RIGHT.
ONE THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE ONE --
YOU KNOW, AT WATERLOO I ALWAYS THINK WATERLOO WANTS TO BE LIKE OXFORD FROM THE '20s.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THE WEB PAGE SAYS BUT THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM.
>> INTERESTING, YEAH.
THE RHETORIC OF VALUES AND STRATEGIC PLANS AND THEN THE REALITY OF WHAT --
>> WHAT'S HAPPENING.
>> --
THE LACK OF RESOURCES RESULTING.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> JOANNE, I HAD YOU NEXT.
DID YOU WANT TO ADD?
>> I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SMALL EXAMPLE OF THAT KIND OF ABLEISM THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
SO HERE I'M USING SIGN LANGUAGE, BUT EVERY TIME I COME UP TO SIGN, I GET ANOTHER --
NOT AN ERROR BUT YOU KNOW, THE DIALOGUE BOX SAYING, DO YOU WANT TO PUT ON YOUR MICROPHONE, YOU KNOW.
I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT EVERY TIME I START TO SPEAK TO YOU.
EVEN THOUGH I DON'T NEED IT, SO I HAVE TO --
IT'S JUST A SMALL ITEM, BUT IT JUST SHOWS HOW THE WORLD --
THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE LIVE IN IN OUR WORLD IS BASED ON BEING HEARING, IS AUDIO-CENTRIC AND THAT HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON DEAF STUDENTS AND LEARNERS.
THE DESIGN IS ONLY MEANT FOR THE TECHNOLOGY TO SERVE PEOPLE WHO CAN HEAR.
AND SO I'M WORKING NOW ON LOOKING'S DEAF AESTHETIC AND HOW TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE CAN BE DESIGNED FOR DEAF LEARNERS, SO I'M INVOLVED IN THAT KIND OF RESEARCH NOW AT THE POST-SECONDARY LEVEL, LIKE LEARNERS AT THE POST-SECONDARY LEVEL.
SO I'LL JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE.
>> THANK YOU, JOANNE.
WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THE Q&A, AND SOME OF THEM ARE COMMENTS AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THAT OPEN, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT ARE COMING IN.
I JUST WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THAT'S THERE.
AND IN FACT, ALSO REMIND OUR PANELISTS IF THEY FEEL LIKE THEY WANT TO JUMP IN AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, GO FOR IT.
MOSTLY I'M JUST SMILING AT ALL OF THE COMMENTS.
OKAY, SO THE NEXT QUESTION WE HAVE ON THIS TOPIC OF WHERE ARE WE IS -- HERE WE GO.
SO MANY WINDOWS OPEN.
HOW DOES ACADEMIC ABLEISM INTERSECT WITH OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION SUCH AS RACISM?
I MEAN, THAT WAS ONE TO LIST BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS.
AND TO START US OFF, I WANT TO THROW IT TO DANIELLE.
>> THANK YOU.
SO THIS IS AN IMMENSELY STATISTICALLY UNLIKELY BUT IDEOLOGICALLY ASSURED PANEL.
TO HAVE AN ALL WHITE DISABILITY PANEL.
DISABILITY IS INTERESTING, BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS DISABLE HIGHLY CORRELATED TO EXPERIENCE OF OPPRESSION, SO DISABLED PEOPLE ARE FAR MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE A BUNCH OF ABLEISM --
ABLEIST RELATED AND SANIST RELATED OPPRESSION, BUT ALSO EXPERIENCES OF OPPRESSION DRASTICALLY INCREASE THE CHANCE OF YOU EXPERIENCING DISABILITY.
THAT'S FOR ALL KINDS OF REASONS, INCLUDING TERRIBLE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, INCLUDING LIKELIHOOD OF POVERTY AND FOOD INSECURITY, INCLUDING THE TRAUMATIC EFFECTS OF OPPRESSION.
SO THE FACT THAT THOSE WHO HAVE MADE IT INTO ACADEMIA ARE LARGELY WHITE, ARE LARGELY NON-INDIGENOUS IN TERMS OF DISABLED FOLKS, MEANS THAT IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SQUEAK OUT SUCCESS IN OUR CURRENT SYSTEM WHO ARE MOST LIKELY --
WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO MAKE IT HERE BUT ARE ALSO LEAST LIKELY TO HAVE THE ANSWERS AND THE STRATEGIES TO TRANSFORM THE SYSTEM TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT THOSE WHO MAKE UP THE VAST MAJORITY OF DISABLED PEOPLE.
AND SO THIS IS ONE REASON WHY WE NEED A DISABILITY JUSTICE APPROACH, AN APPROACH THAT'S BEEN DESIGNED LARGELY BY BIPOC FOLKS, BY TRANS AND QUEER FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES, BY FOLKS WITH MULTI-IMPAIRMENT OR SIGNIFICANT IMPAIRMENTS, AND ALSO IMPORTANTLY, BY FOLKS WHO FOR THE MOST PART WEREN'T WRITING FROM ACADEMIA.
I WILL ALSO NOTE THAT WORKING WITH MASKWACIS AND OTHER INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, IN ORDER TO ACCESS FUNDING AND ACCOMMODATIONS AND SUPPORTS YOU OFTEN NEED DIAGNOSIS OF CODING AND FOR MANY FOLKS, FOR MANY RACIALIZED FOLKS AND INDIGENOUS FOLKS, THAT MASSIVELY INCREASES THE CHANCE OF YOUR CHILDREN BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU.
AND SO WE ARE OFTEN FORCING PEOPLE TO MAKE CHOICES BETWEEN REPRODUCING SETTLER COLONIAL STEALING OF CHILDREN AND HAVING FUNDING TO SUPPORT DISABLED PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO NOT FLOURISH BUT SURVIVE IN SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT WERE MADE TO WEED THEM OUT.
SO I THINK WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT DISABILITY WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT SETTLER COLONIALISM AND RACE, OR ELSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHITE DISABILITY.
>> YEAH, THAT'S SO POWERFUL.
AND WE HAD SOME GREAT QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE PERSON MENTIONED WHEN DOING LIVE TRANSCRIPTION AND THE PERSON USING THE FIRST --
OR HAS AN ACCENT, IT CAN CAUSE A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES IN DOING THE TRANSCRIPTION AND IT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE ANOTHER INTERSECTION, ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH WHITE ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE ARE PRIVILEGED AND BENEFIT FROM SOME OF THESE SYSTEMS.
SO I THINK THE NEXT PERSON WAS LINDSAY, YEAH.
>> I WOULD LOVE TO JUMP IN ON THIS.
I MEAN, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SAY.
ONE IS RACHEL GORMAN HAS SOME WORK IN MAD MATTERS ON HOW IN PARTICULAR IN RELATION TO ACCESSING ACCOMMODATIONS AND SUPPORTS FOR FOLKS WITH --
WHO MIGHT IDENTIFY AS HAVING MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS OR WHO WOULD ACCESS ACCOMMODATIONS AND SUPPORTS THROUGH PSYCHIATRIC SYSTEMS, THE LIKELIHOOD OF WHITE STUDENTS ACCESSING THOSE SUPPORTS BECAUSE OF THE RELATIVE SAFETY OF THOSE SYSTEMS IN COMPARISON TO FOLKS WHO ARE RACIALIZED, BLACK, INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF COLOUR IS DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT.
SO MOST STUDENTS ACCESS --
MANY STUDENTS ACCESSING ACCOMMODATIONS AROUND MENTAL HEALTH ARE GOING TO BE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE.
AND IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE PSYCHIATRIC SYSTEMS ARE CARCERAL SYSTEMS, ARE RELATED TO POLICING, SURVEILLING AND THAT THESE SYSTEMS ARE DRAMATICALLY LESS SAFE FOR BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOUR AS WELL AS QUEER OR TRANS, NON-BINARY AND TWO SPIRIT PEOPLE SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW OUR PROCESSES FOR ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH ON CAMPUS ARE INTIMATELY INTERCONNECTED WITH CARCERAL SYSTEMS, INCLUDING BOTH CAMPUS FIVO AND PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE CARCERAL INSTITUTIONS, PARTICULARLY FOR FOLKS WHO ARE EXPOSED TO MORE VIOLENCE AROUND INTERSECTIONS OF RACE AND GENDER AND SEXUALITY, ALONGSIDE MENTAL DISTRESS.
>> MM-HMM, YES.
WELLNESS, MENTAL DISTRESS WAS A THEME THAT CAME UP IN A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE PUT FORWARD IN OUR PRE-SURVEY.
I HOPE WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
>> I'VE GOT LOTS TO SAY.
>> OKAY.
AND THERE'S --
EVERYONE WANTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS QUESTION.
SO I'M GOING TO THROW IT OVER TO JOANNE.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT, YES.
I HAD TO TURN OFF THAT DIALOGUE BOX AGAIN.
IN MY WORK, I DEAL WITH A NUMBER OF INDIGENOUS STUDENTS.
I HAVE BEEN IN EDMONTON FOR A BRIEF TIME BUT MOSTLY MY WORK HAS BEEN IN SASKATCHEWAN, AND THE THING IS WE END UPSETTING UP A BINARY BECAUSE THE STUDENT MAY WANT TO REALLY INTERACT WITH THEIR INDIGENOUS CULTURES BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE DEAF AND INDIGENOUS, THEY DON'T HAVE INTERPRETERS AT THEIR FIRST NATIONS COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES.
I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH THREE STUDENTS WHO ARE DEAF AND INDIGENOUS, AND IT'S BEEN IMPOSSIBLE, NO MONEY FOR INTERPRETTIERS FOR THEM TO PURSUE THEIR STUDIES AT THAT UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE SO THE ONE STUDENT HAS BEEN GOING WITHOUT INTERPRETING SERVICES AN AS YOU SAY IS BARELY SURVIVING BUT IS STILL BEING RESILLIENT AND WORKING HER WAY THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
HER FAMILY IS SUPPORTIVE.
THEY ARE SUPPORTING HER AND SHE WANTS TO LEARN ABOUT IT BUT SHE MISSES SO MUCH.
ALL THE PRESENTATIONS ARE GIVEN AUDITORILY.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE INTERSECTION IDENTITIES, IT CAN BE DEALT WITH INDEPENDENTLY, RIGHT.
THEY ARE INTERSECTIONAL, BUT THE POINT IS SHE WANTS TO LEARN ABOUT HER INDIGENOUS CULTURE AND CEREMONY, AT THE SAME TIME SHE HAS A DEAF IDENTITY, AND THEY'RE JUST SEPARATED OUT BY OUR SYSTEMS.
>> MM-HMM.
IT'S JUST THE TRUTH, THE SAD TRUTH.
THAT'S THE REALITY WE'RE FACING.
MANY MORE EXAMPLES.
WE NEED TO BE BETTER.
IS THERE ANY OTHER PANELISTS WHO WANTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS POWERFUL QUESTION?
OKAY, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ANOTHER POWERFUL CATEGORY OF DISCUSSION, AND THIS IS THE TOPIC OF COMBATING RESISTANCE AND ABLEISM IN HIGHER EDUCATION.
SO HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD TO FORCE CHANGE?
THE FIRST QUESTION WE HAVE RELATES TO --
THIS CAME UP A LOT AND I THINK IT COMES UP FROM MAINLY A STAFF AND STUDENT PERSPECTIVE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINDING WAYS TO PROVIDE SUPPORTS AND THERE IS ALSO FROM A STUDENT ACCESS SUPPORTS, SO THE QUESTION IS... WHAT CAN WE DO TO ADDRESS ABLEIST BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOURS OF INDIVIDUALS?
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE SOMETIMES HEAR THAT SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE ACCOMMODATIONS ARE PROVIDING AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE, THAT THE SYSTEM IS SOMEHOW LETTING THROUGH PEOPLE WHO AREN'T REALLY IN NEED, OR WE MIGHT EXPERIENCE PUSHBACK, CONSTANT PUSHBACK, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS THAT THERE ARE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND STRUCTURE THAT MUST LEAD TO THE EXCLUSION OF LEAD CERTAIN ACCOMMODATIONS AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A LACK OF TRUST, JUST A GENERAL LACK OF TRUST THAT THE SYSTEM IS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT DISABLED ARE BEING TREATED FAIRLY.
ALL OF A SUDDEN IT BECOMES ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T DISABLED AND THEIR FAIRNESS ISSUES.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO ADDRESS ABLEIST BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOURS OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM?
AND I HAD JOANNE UP TO SPEAK TO THIS FIRST.
>> OKAY, CAN WE JUST PAUSE FOR A SECOND TO LET THE CAPTIONERS SWITCH.
IN MY POSITION AS A ISN'T PROFESSOR OBVIOUSLY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS GET THE ACCOMMODATIONS THEY NEED.
BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT I'M LIKE MANY PROFESSORS, WE FEEL OVERWHELMED.
THE AMOUNT OF RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE, WE JUST FEEL LIKE THAT'S ONE MORE ITEM TO TAKE CARE OF.
I DID HAVE TO ADAPT A WHOLE COURSE TO MEET THE LEARNING NEEDS OF A STUDENT WHO WAS DEAF AND LOW VISION.
THE NUMBER OF HOURS I PUT INTO MAKING THAT RETROFITTING FOR THAT COURSE, SO THAT IT WAS MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE DEAF, LOW VISION, BLIND STUDENT, IT WAS A LOT OF WORK.
AND IT REQUIRED A TEAM OF PEOPLE.
I WORKED WITH INTERPRETERS, I WORKED WITH EDUCATIONAL TECH PEOPLE, I WORKED WITH CAPTIONERS.
WE HAD TO ADAPT AND RETROFIT THE MATERIAL TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE.
OF COURSE, THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THAT IS IT HELPED MEET THE ACCOMMODATION NEEDS OR THE LEARNING NEEDS OF MANY OTHER STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM, NOT JUST THE TARGETED STUDENT, IF YOU WILL.
BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF LABOUR I HAD TO PUT INTO IT WAS ENORMOUS.
SO PART OF THE RESISTANCE I SEE IS COMING FROM A FACULTY WHO FEEL OVERWHELMED, OVERLOADED WITH SO MUCH TO DO AND THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT --
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IT GOING TO COST ME.
I KNOW IT'S A SELFISH PERSPECTIVE, BUT THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE COST TO ME AS THE INSTRUCTOR.
I DO THINK THE UNIVERSITY NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PROVIDE MORE CENTRALIZED SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES THAT ARE MEANINGFUL.
I AGREE ABOUT WHAT WAS SAID EARLIER ABOUT THE TIME TESTING.
LIKE, THAT'S REALLY --
YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY USELESS.
AND THEN MORE ABOUT HOW TO LOOK AT OUR PEDAGOGY, WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO THAT WE COULD PUT OUR ENERGY INTO THAT WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND MORE SUPPORTIVE.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THOUGHTS I HAVE ABOUT THIS RESISTANCE.
>> THANK YOU, JOANNE.
YES, I DO THINK THAT SOME OF IT IS JUST COMING FROM THE COMPLETE LACK OF SUPPORT AND RESOURCES THAT MAKES DOING THE WORK SO MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, AND THAT IS A SYSTEM PROBLEM.
WE NEED MORE MONEY, WE NEED MORE RESOURCES, WE NEED THAT TO BE A PRIORITY.
JOSH?
DO YOU WANT TO ADD?
SORRY, I KEEP SAYING JOSH.
I MEANT TO SAY JOSHUA.
>> THAT'S FINE.
I MEAN, YEAH, THIS IS A TRICKY QUESTION, BECAUSE A LOT OF IT DEPENDS, RIGHT.
IT DEPENDS UPON WHO -- I MEAN SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO ADDRESS ABLEIST BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOURS OF INDIVIDUALS?
WELL, IT'S A DIFFERENCE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS OR IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COLLEAGUES OR IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADMINISTRATION, I THINK.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ANSWERS, BUT I MEAN, THE CONTEXT HERE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, ON THIS QUESTION FOR ME IS LIKE COULD BE ASKED OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, YOU KNOW.
THESE KINDS OF COMPLAINTS THAT CROP UP AND I THINK THERE IS [INDISCERNIBLE] AROUND DISABILITY WHERE THERE IS A GENUINE AMOUNT OF IGNORANCE, THAT PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW, RIGHT.
BUT THEN LIKE, I THINK OF NANCY TWAN WHO TALKS ABOUT HOW THERE'S A WHOLE [INDISCERNIBLE] OF IGNORANCE AS WELL, RIGHT AND IT'S NOT BY ACCIDENT THAT WE DON'T --
YOU KNOW, THAT THE DISABILITY ISN'T LIKE WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF OUR THINKING.
SO THERE IS DEFINITELY A PLACE FOR LIKE -- FOR PUSHING BACK WITH SOME KIND OF DATA, BUT I THINK -- I MEAN, TO PUT IT BLUNTLY, THERE'S TIMES WHEN WE'RE JUST BEING TROLLED WITH THESE KINDS OF QUESTIONS TOO, RIGHT.
AND THE ACTUAL QUESTION IS WHY ARE THERE ARE DISABLED PEOPLE BEING LED INTO OUR HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEMS, RIGHT.
AND SO --
AND THAT IS AN ANSWER THAT HAS TO BE CONFRONTED FROM AN ANTI-OPPRESSIVE FRAMEWORK, YOU KNOW.
SO IN CLASSIC JOSH WAY, I DON'T HAVE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
BUT I FEEL THE COMPLEXITY OF IT.
>> I THINK WHAT YOU PROVIDED, THAT BLUNT SORT OF REFRAMING OF ALL OF THOSE BELIEFS AND QUESTIONS, AS LIKE WHY ARE WE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS, WHY ARE THEY --
WHY ARE DISABLED PEOPLE BEING LET IN IS JUST SO POWERFUL AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT THE WAY YOU SAID THAT.
THANK YOU.
MOVING ON, JAY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHIME IN?
>> JUST QUICKLY, I THINK THE IDEA THAT EVERY STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY IS A SURPRISE IS PART OF THE ISSUE HERE, AND I THINK WHAT I'VE TRIED TO SHOW THROUGH MY WORK AND ALSO THROUGH MY TALK TODAY IS THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DISABLED STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN CANADA WHO ARE NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE FORMAL PROCESS OF SEEKING ACCOMMODATIONS, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS, BECAUSE OF THE STIGMA --
IN PART AT LEAST, BECAUSE OF THE STIGMA OF ABLEISM.
YOU KNOW, IN THE UNITED STATES, 94% OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN K TO 12 EDUCATION, SO BASICALLY IN HIGH SCHOOL, 94% OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES GET ACCOMMODATIONS TO HELP THEM.
ONLY 17% OF THOSE STUDENTS WHEN THEY GO TO UNIVERSITY SEEK ACCOMMODATIONS.
SO THE THEY SAME THINGS THAT HELP THEM GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, GET INTO A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SEEK THOSE WHEN THEY COME TO CAMPUS.
AND THAT IS THE POWER OF ACADEMIC ABLEISM.
THAT IS THE POWER OF THE CULTURE WE'VE CREATED AND SUSTAINED.
AND SO WE CANNOT ACT AS THOUGH STUDENTS --
YOU KNOW, AS THOUGH THE ACCOMMODATIONS PROCESS IS GOING TO WORK.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE TO KEEP DOING IT.
BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE A MAJORITY OF STUDENTS WHO WILL NOT SEEK TO GO AND GET THAT DIAGNOSIS, TO DISCLOSE THAT DIAGNOSIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, RIGHT.
WE HAVE A LAW IN ONTARIO --
YOU KNOW, OR AT LEAST A PRACTICE IN ONTARIO WHERE UNIVERSITIES ARE NO LONGER --
STUDENTS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED TO NAME THE ACTUAL DIAGNOSIS THAT THEY HAVE.
AND THAT MATTERS, OKAY.
BUT THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE STIGMA.
THE STUDENTS KNOW THAT IF THEY DISCLOSE PARTICULAR TYPES OF DIAGNOSES, THEY WILL BE STIGMATIZED AND PART OF THE MESSAGE WILL BE THAT THEY DON'T BELONG IN HIGHER EDUCATION, RIGHT.
THE OTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT THIS IS JUST THAT WE ARE LOSING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS.
AND I ALWAYS TRY TO MAKE THAT ARGUMENT, THAT THAT'S JUST AN UNBELIEVABLE LOSS OF HUMAN POTENTIAL, INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL, RIGHT.
IT REALLY DIMINISHES WHAT ANY COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY COULD DO AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO ANSWER SOME OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE IF WE'RE LOSING THOSE STUDENTS.
BUT TO BE A LITTLE BLEAK ABOUT IT, THERE'S NOTHING IN CANADIAN HIGHER EDUCATION THAT COMPELS COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES TO CARE.
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO WHERE I WORK, THEY GET MORE APPLICATIONS EVERY YEAR THAN THE YEAR THEY --
THAN THE NUMBER THEY GOT BEFORE AND THE STUDENTS' GRADES ARE HIGHER EVERY YEAR THAN THEY WERE THE YEAR BEFORE.
SO IF A STUDENT STRUGGLES, IT'S TOO EASY TO SAY THAT'S THE STUDENT'S FAULT AND NOT THE SYSTEM'S FAULT, NOT THE STRUCTURE'S FAULT.
AND THERE'S NOTHING IN PLACE BE THAT IN PROVINCIAL FUNDING OR --
LET'S NOT GET IN TOO DEEPLY INTO THAT TODAY BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN PLACE THERE THAT SAYS, HEY, AS A UNIVERSITY YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY --
OR AS AN INSTRUCTOR, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO EDUCATE EVERY STUDENT WHO WALKS IN THE DOOR, THAT YOU HAVE TO BE A FLEXIBLE AND A NIMBLE PLACE THAT CHANGES AS STUDENTS CHANGE, INSTEAD EVERY STUDENT IS SO HIGHLAND EMINENTLY REPLACEABLE THAT IT'S TOO EASY TO SAY IT'S THEIR FAULT, THEY DIDN'T WORK HARD ENOUGH, THEY WEREN'T CUT OUT FOR IT.
BUT I THINK THAT WITH THIS GROUP --
AND THIS IS INCREDIBLE --
THERE'S BEEN 180 PEOPLE HERE TODAY, RIGHT.
AND SO MANY GREAT COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AND I THINK SO MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE OF SAYING, HEY, NO, THIS IS NOT THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO KEEP DOING THINGS, HOW CAN WE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER TO MAKE THESE KINDS OF CHANGES?
AND THAT'S THE KEY, RIGHT, BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
THERE ARE TANGIBLE THINGS WE CAN DO STARTING TOMORROW.
>> YEAH, AND THAT'S A PERFECT SEGUE, THANKS.
BECAUSE THE NEXT QUESTION IS ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO?
AND WE WANTED TO START AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION WAS --
BUT MAYBE WE'LL MERGE THESE TOGETHER SO IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO BOTH IDEAS.
INSTITUTIONAL POLICY, PROCESS, RESOURCES NEEDED TO HELP CHANGE THE WAY THINGS ARE HAPPENING, TO CREATE MORE ACCESSIBLE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, AND THEN ALSO BROADER SYSTEM CHANGE.
SO WE'RE TALKING WHAT KINDS OF THINGS COULD BE DONE POTENTIALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY OR ACROSS EVEN LEVELS --
LIKE JAY TALKED ABOUT K TO 12 AND THEN THE DIFFERENCE, THE STARK DIFFERENCE.
SO ARE THERE BROADER SYSTEM CHANGES THAT CAN HAPPEN TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE OF K TO 12 DISCONNECT BETWEEN UNIVERSITY AND THAT EDUCATION SYSTEM?
SO I'M KIND OF GOING TO HAVE TO WING IT HERE BUT I THINK LINDSAY, I HAD YOU UP FIRST --
OH, SORRY DANIELLE, SHE'S GOING FOR IT.
SORRY, THEY'RE GOING FOR IT.
HERE WE GO.
>> GREAT, SO THIS IS A PLUG THAT ACTUALLY ALL THE FOLKS ON THIS PANEL AND CARRIE AND A BUNCH OF OTHER FOLKS ARE STARTING U OF A --
I DON'T EVEN RECALL BUT SOMETHING ON D --
A COUNCIL ON SYSTEMIC ABLEISM I THINK FOR NOW AND THAT THE IDEA IS EXACTLY THIS, YOU KNOW, I WAS SAYING THAT I SPEND TWELVE, FOURTEEN HOURS A WEEK DEALING WITH ABLEIST OR ACCESSIBILITY BARRIERS THAT I OR OTHER PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH AND THAT WE'VE --
PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THROUGH THINKING --
WE HAVE TO STOP THINKING, OH, ABLEISM, OH, ACCOMMODATION.
ACCOMMODATION IS MAYBE 10% OF THE PROBLEM HERE.
AND IN FACT, THAT WE FRAME IT THAT WAY IS A BIG PART OF THE PROBLEM.
SO WE'RE INDIVIDUALIZING SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS AND THAT PUTS IMMENSE LABOUR ON DISABLED FOLKS FOR THEMSELVES TO SURVIVE AND TO SUPPORT THE SURVIVAL OF OTHER FOLKS AND FOR TEACHERS TO SUPPORT WHAT IS SOMEONE'S RIGHT IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A QUARTER OF CANADA'S POPULATION.
SO WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT IS SYSTEMATICALLY ADVISEALIZED THE PROBLEM OF INCLUSION OF A QUARTER OF A POPULATION, WE HAVE A PROBLEM SO WE NEED TO BE COLLECTIVELY WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE CHANGES, AND THAT INCLUDES UNGRATING AND RELATIONSHIPS TO MARX SYSTEMS THAT INCLUDES REFUSING AND CHALLENGING POLICIES THAT REQUIRE TIMED FINAL EXAMS, THAT INCLUDES ACTUALLY HAVING TRANSPARENT PROCESSES.
WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ASK HOW DO I GET ACCOMMODATION OF STAFF?
I CONSULT FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON THIS, AND I COULDN'T FIGURE THAT OUT IN OUR UNIVERSITY.
SO THE LEVEL OF --
THE WAYS THAT ABLEISM IS PROTECTED BY LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, ADMINISTRATIVE LUBE HOLES, COERCION AGAINST ACCOMMODATION, ALL OF THESE THINGS NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH SYSTEMATICALLY SO WE'RE NOT OFFLOADING THE LABOUR ON DISABLED FOLKS AND INDIVIDUAL PROFESSORS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, PROFESSORS HAVE TIMED EXAMS BECAUSE THEY'RE TOLD THEY HAVE TO, IN OUR UNIVERSITY.
IT IS A REQUIREMENT, THEY DON'T GET AWAY WITHOUT DOING IT.
AND WE NEED TO HAVE THE SAME RELATIONSHIP TO ACCOUNTABILITY -- OR TO ACCESSIBILITY.
THIS IS NOT A GIFT.
YOU GET PAID TO DO THE JOB.
YOU GET PAID TO DO THE JOB FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, NOT JUST THOSE WITHOUT DISABILITIES.
>> DANIELLE, I WONDERED -- YOU SAID 25% AND I FEEL LIKE THAT IS SUCH AN UNDERESTIMATE OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN TERMS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE REQUIRING ACCESS, ESPECIALLY AS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS PHASE OF LIKE ACKNOWLEDGING MENTAL HEALTH IN A WAY THAT WE'VE NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED IT BEFORE.
AND THE PANDEMIC HAS SORT OF HAD PEOPLE ASKING THE QUESTION, WHY ARE WE SEEING SO MANY MORE PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK?
AND WHAT I WONDER IS IF WE JUST HAVEN'T REALLY EVER MEASURED THIS IN A WAY THAT'S TRUE AND JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE.
>> IF I CAN ADD FOR 30 SECONDS, STATISTICS CANADA HAS DECIDED IT'S 22%.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT'S BASED ON FIRST A VERY FUNCTIONAL MEDICAL KIND OF APPROACH TO THIS.
BUT I WILL ALSO SAY THAT IN THE SMALL PRINT ON AN ADDENDUM DOCUMENT WHERE THEY TALK ABOUT METHODOLOGY, THEY ONLY COUNT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN PRIVATE DWELLINGS.
SO NO ONE LIVING IN GROUP HOMES, NO ONE LIVING IN HOSPITALS, NO ONE LIVING IN DISABILITY INSTITUTIONS, NO ONE LIVING IN SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, NO ONE LIVING --
WHO IS HOUSELESS, THEY ALSO DECIDED, FOR NO GIVEN REASON, NOT TO MEASURE ANYONE WHO IS LIVING ON INDIGENOUS PROPERTY, ON RESERVES, ON ANY KIND OF INDIGENOUS-RUN COMMUNITY.
SO YEAH 22% --
THEY BASICALLY WERE LIKE LET'S WILL COUNT TEACHERS BUT NO ONE WHO WORKS IN SCHOOLS.
SO YEAH 22% IS ABSOLUTELY LOW.
>> YEAH.
WE HAD A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT --
MENTAL HEALTH IS ONE THAT CAME UP A LOT AND LINDSAY, YOU WERE ALSO SPEAKING TO THAT EARLIER AND THERE'S A BIG DESIRE TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE INTERSECTION OF DISABILITY AS WHAT THAT MEANS IS MAYBE GROWING, EXPANDING TO OTHER THINGS, THAT EVERYONE FACES --
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M SAYING THAT RIGHT.
DID YOU WANT TO CHIME IN, LINDSAY?
OTHERWISE I WAS GOING TO HAND IT OVER --
>> I THINK THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS, I THINK WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT PATHOLOGIZING MENTAL DISTRESS.
I THINK WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT EVERYBODY EXPERIENCING MENTAL DISTRESS AND SOME PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES OF REALITY AND ALTERED REALITY OR NOT SHARED REALITY AND HEARING VOICES AND OTHER MORE PERHAPS STIGMATIZED OR PROBLEMATIZEED --
GREATER RISK OF VIOLENCE AND EXCLUSION AND HARM.
I HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO TALK ABOUT AROUND INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT OF MENTAL DISTRESS AND ARTICULATIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH AND WHO IS COUNTED IN THAT AND WHO IS NOT.
AND IN PARTICULAR HOW OUR PROCESSES AT AN INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL AROUND "HELPING INDIVIDUALS AT RISK" ARE DEEPLY PROBLEMATIC AND RELY ON SURVEILLANCE, RELY ON REPORTING ON PEOPLE EXPRESSING DISTRESS, RELY ON CALLING CAMPUS COPS OR 9-1-1 TO ENGAGE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTIONS, AROUND EXPRESSES OF DISTRESS, AROUND HOW WE TALK ABOUT SUICIDE AND SUICIDALITY, AROUND HOW WE COULD ACTUALLY BE ACCESSING THAT JUSTICE ORIENTED APPROACHES TO DE-ESCALATION AND CRISIS RESPONSE.
I THINK THERE IS SOME MAJOR WORK TO DO THAT IS DRAWING ON DISABILITY JUSTICE AND THAT JUSTICE WILL WORK AROUND HOW WE RESOURCE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE AROUND MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL DISTRESS AND THE RECEPTION OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MENTAL DISTRESS AND EXPRESSIONS OF MENTAL DISTRESS ON CAMPUS.
>> YEAH, SO REACTIONARY PIECE NEEDS A TON OF WORK, THE PROACTIVE PIECE NEEDS A TON OF WORK AND THEN ALL OF THE BELIEFS AND HANG-UPS AND --
YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE GOT ENGRAINED IN HOW PEOPLE VIEW MENTAL HEALTH ARE AT PLAY TOO.
>> AND I THINK THE CENTERING OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES BUILT FROM COMMUNITIES WHO DON'T TURN TO THE SYSTEMS THAT TEND TO DIFFERENTIALLY HARM IN PARTICULAR RACIALIZED AND QUEER AND TRANS AND DISABLED FOLKS AND HOW WE --
YEAH, HOW WE CENTER RESOURCES AND PRACTICES THAT ARE BUILT OUT OF PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, IN PARTICULAR THE MORE STIGMATIZED AND PROBLEMATIZED EXPRESSIONS OF MENTAL DISTRESS.
>> JOANNE, DID YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN?
AND THIS IS AGAIN ABOUT TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE AT THE INSTITUTION AND NATIONAL LEVEL, SYSTEMS LEVEL.
>> I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF WHAT COMES OUT OF OUR WORK IS PRACTICAL.
IF WE COME OUT OF THIS WITH SOME SYSTEMIC KINDS OF PRACTICES THAT INCLUDE PROPERLY CAPTIONED VIDEOS, PRERECORDED VIDEOS, ONE THING ABOUT THE A-I AUTO GENERATED CAPTIONS IS THAT THEY'RE GARBAGE, THEY'RE USELESS.
SO I'VE ALWAYS USED CAPTIONED MATERIALS IN MY TEACHING, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS HUMAN VERIFIED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ACCURATE, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE NOT ACCURATE, THEN THEY'RE USELESS.
AND I WAS ABLE TO GET SOME MONEY FOR THAT, FROM --
FOR THE WORK I WAS DOING FOR MY COURSE, THROUGH MY DEPARTMENT.
BUT WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF WE HAD THAT AS SORT OF A UNIVERSAL FOUNDATIONAL REQUIREMENT SO THAT ALL STUDENTS COULD BENEFIT WHO USE PRINT.
AND THEN IF WE LOOK AT INTERPRETING SERVICES, WELL, THAT'S ANOTHER COMPLICATION, RIGHT, PROVIDING INTERPRETING SERVICES FOR UNIVERSITY HOSTED EVENTS, SAY THE PRESIDENT'S TOWN HALL OR THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT OFTEN THE TECHNICIANS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, SO IF THE INTERPRET IS ON SITE AND THE CAMERA IS ON THEM AND THE PRESIDENT AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM BUT THEN A PERSON ON SITE ASKS A QUESTION, THE CAMERA GOES TO THE PERSON WHO IS SPEAKING AND THEN THE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER IS NO LONGER ON SCREEN SO THEN OF COURSE WHETHER IT'S BEING STREAMED TO OTHER PEOPLE WATCHING LIVE OR EVEN THE RECORDING, THEY DON'T GET THE ACCESS TO THE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF BACKGROUND WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
THIS PARTICULAR PANEL HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK.
KEN, YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK TO GET THIS REALLY WELL-ORGANIZED.
SO I JUST WANT TO SORT OF START WITH SOME OF THESE PRACTICAL ACTIONS TO ACCESSIBILITY.
>> NO, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT, AND THAT IS A TRANSITION TO OUR NEXT THEME AND I WANT TO GO THERE, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO JUST PROVIDE SOME OF THE OTHER PANELISTS ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY IF THERE ARE ANY BIG SYSTEMS OR INSTITUTIONAL POLICY PROCESS TYPE THINGS THAT THEY THINK ARE NECESSARY OR MAYBE YOU WANT TO ADD THOSE NOW.
IT LOOKS LIKE, JAY, YOU'RE NODDING.
>> I MEAN, I DON'T THINK I'M SAYING ANYTHING NEW, BUT I THINK LIKE A HARM REDUCTION APPROACH AROUND WORKLOAD, AROUND HIGH STAKES TESTING, RIGHT, I WORK AT A UNIVERSITY THAT'S VERY RESEARCH FOCUSED.
AND YET SO MUCH OF WHAT WE DO IN THE CLASSROOM IS NOT BASED ON RESEARCH AT ALL.
THERE'S NO GOOD RESEARCH FOR HIGH STAKES TIME TESTING, AND YET WE KEEP DOING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
WE WOULD NEVER RUN A LAB THAT WAY.
BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY DOESN'T GIVE US GOOD RESULTS.
IT DOES NOT SHOW US WHETHER STUDENTS ARE LEARNING WHAT WE WANT THEM TO LEARN AND WE SHOULD REALLY CARE ABOUT THAT AS INSTRUCTORS.
BUT WE DON'T.
AND SO THAT'S A PROBLEM.
THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE INVEST IN ON CAMPUS AROUND OPTIMIZATION RIGHT SO THINKING ABOUT SCHEDULING AND GETTING THE MONEY FROM STUDENTS ON TIME AND ALL THIS STUFF, BUT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT WHY THE HELL ALL OF OUR WORK IS DUE AT THE EXACT SAME TIME, ALL OF OUR EXAMS HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME, RIGHT.
WE DON'T --
WE SYNCH UP OUR CURRICULUM AS THOUGH STUDENTS ARE GOING THROUGH IT IN A STEP WISE MANNER BUT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT WORKLOAD ON STUDENTS SO WE WALK AROUND CAMPUS AND WE CAN TANGIBLY FEEL THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR STUDENTS AT MIDTERMS, RIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE.
THESE ARE NOT DIFFICULT THINGS TO DO.
AND THE OTHER PIECE THAT I SEE IS THAT BIG, STRONG HIGH REPUTATION UNIVERSITIES LIKE MIT ARE GETTING RID OF GRADES, ARE GETTING RID OF TIME TESTED EXAMS, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT AT THE U OF A OR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, WHERE WE'RE PROBABLY JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE --
I DON'T KNOW -- SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT OUR REPUTATION, WILL THIS MAKE US LOOK LIKE A NOT A RIGOROUS PLACE?
RIGHT?
THAT WORD "RIGOUR" IS THE ENEMY OF EQUITY.
AND SO ANYWAY, I AM JUST REPEATING THINGS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SAID BUT THOSE ARE BIG PIECES, AND I THINK THEY'RE DOABLE PIECES.
>> MM-HMM.
YEAH.
FOR SURE.
I THINK THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY HERE AND WE JUST HAVE TO TRY.
THE LAST PART OF OUR DISCUSSION --
AND YOU KNOW, THE Q&A HAS BEEN SOMETHING WE'RE KIND OF USING AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE CONVERSATION, SO WE PROBABLY WON'T HAVE THE Q&A PORTION WHERE WE TAKE INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS, BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE HAPPENING IN THE Q&A AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH.
UNLESS WE HAVE TIME.
I DO WANT TO SPEND TIME ON THIS LAST TOPIC, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN GETTING DOWN TO THE SORT OF NITTY-GRITTY OF BEING IN THE CLASSROOM AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT INSTRUCTORS CAN START TO CREATE MORE ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION.
LOTS OF EXAMPLES HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT.
BUT NOW IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PULL SOME OF THOSE INTO ONE PLACE AND MAYBE LIST THEM.
SO I HAD DANIELLE HERE AS OUR FIRST SPEAKER.
>> YEAH, THERE'S AGAIN --
WE CAN'T BE DOING EVERYTHING AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN WORK WITH LIBRARIANS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE RESOURCES WE'RE ASSIGN WILLING SCREEN READABLE.
WE CAN HAVE RESOURCES THAT AREN'T WRITTEN TEXT, THERE'S AMAZING RESOURCES ONLINE THAT PEOPLE HAVE CREATED THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE, DISABILITY JUSTICE, ON ALMOST EVERY TOPIC THAT ARE DESIGNED TO REACH MORE KINDS OF LEARNERS.
FOR SURE, RETHINKING HOW WE'RE GRADING AND TESTING IS MASSIVE.
IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT FOR ACCESS, AT LEAST DO IT FOR PEDAGOGY.
FOR SURE FLEX DAYS.
I'VE NEVER --
STUDENTS ON FINAL EXAMS OR THE FINAL THING TALK ABOUT FLEX DAYS ALL THE TIME SO THIS MEANS THERE'S A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS EVERY STUDENT GETS THAT WITH NO EXCUSE, NO ANYTHING, THEY JUST GET TO HAND IN THINGS LATE.
SO IT MIGHT BE FIVE OVER THE TERM, IF THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH TIMING FOR SOME REASON OF EXAMS, IT COULD BE NO MORE THAN THREE FOR ONE ASSIGNMENT, IF IT'S NECESSARY.
THE AMOUNT OF STUDENTS WHO JUST SAY YOU CANNOT TELL YOU WHAT A DIFFERENCE THAT MADE IN MY WELLBEING, THE LABOUR IT TAKES FOLKS PARTICULARLY WHO HAVE STIGMATIZED DISABILITIES TO COME IN AND MAKE UP SOME STORY THAT'S GOING TO BE COMPELLING TO A PROFESSOR.
I HAD DIARRHEA IS WAY EASIER TO SAY THAN I HAD A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
AND THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DISCLOSE.
USUALLY IT TAKES US FIVE DAYS TO MARK EVERYTHING ANYWAYS, WHO CARES IF IT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE.
SO THERE ARE THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE EASY --
I THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENCE --
WE HAVE TO DO TRANSFORMATION BUT WE CAN ALSO DO HARM REDUCTION IN THE INTERIM AND THESE ARE HARM REDUCTION ACCESSIBILITY MEASURES.
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU, DANIELLE.
JOANNE?
MAYBE YOU'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO SOME OF THIS ALREADY.
BUT YOU MAY HAVE MORE TO ADD.
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK MAYBE I WILL PASS, BECAUSE I DID TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, AND MAYBE I'LL LET ONE OF THE OTHER PANELISTS OR THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS THIS.
>> SURE.
THAT'S GREAT.
ANYONE --
AND I THINK THE CHALLENGE WITH THIS ONE IS WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING EXAMPLES THROUGHOUT, AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU DO IN YOUR CLASSES -- AND MAYBE EVEN SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE IN THE Q&A --
THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE A LOW HANGING SORT OF EASY TO IMPLEMENT ACCESSIBILITY TYPE STRATEGY, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY BRIEFLY THAT I'VE FOUND IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE THAT FRONT LOADING WORK WHEN TIMING COURSE TO TRY AND LIKE THINK ABOUT WHO DO I EXPECT TO SHOW UP, YOU KNOW, AND WHO --
AND DOING THAT WORK UP FRONT, WHICH FOR ME HAS BEEN --
HAS INVOLVED SPENDING A LOT OF TIME DEVELOPING A REAL THOROUGH E-CLASS THAT EACH WEEK HAS LIKE A SERIES OF READING QUESTIONS TO HELP GUIDE STUDENTS, HAS A REALLY CLEAR RUBRIK, EXAMPLES FOR THINGS --
JUST LIKE DOING A LOT OF WORK ON THE FRONT END.
I'M OFTEN SURPRISED HOW FEW EMAILS I GOT DURING THE TERM ABOUT --
LIKE ASKING FOR ACCESS OR FOR EXTENSIONS OR STUFF, BECAUSE LIKE, I'VE ALREADY ANTICIPATED ALL THAT IN SOME WAYS.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT --
SORRY, I WANT TO NAME AND HONOUR THAT THERE IS REAL WORK AND ENERGY AND LABOUR THAT GOES INTO THIS, BUT THERE'S ALSO WAYS IN WHICH HAVING BETTER PEDAGOGY THAT'S MORE ACCESSIBLE AND ALSO I THINK OVERALL MAKES IT EASIER FOR INSTRUCTORS TOO, YOU KNOW SO --
>> THANK YOU, JOSH.
UA.
YOU SAID JOSH WAS FINE AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO NOT MENTION THAT ANYMORE.
NEXT UP WAS A QUESTION ABOUT UNIVERSAL DESIGN.
SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKING ABOUT UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND ITS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AND JAY HAD MENTIONED IT, BECOMING KIND OF A FAD, A THING.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CURIOSITY ABOUT WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN.
AND I'M GOING TO THROW THIS ONE OUT TO JOANNE FIRST AND THEN CIRCLE BACK TO DANIELLE.
>> IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT UDL WAS ALSO DESIGNED BY HEARING PEOPLE AND LIKE WAS SAID FROM THE ARCHITECTURE POINT OF VIEW, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT UDL, IT REALLY FAILS TO UNDERSTAND THE DEAF LEARNER'S NEEDS.
IT HAS THE NINE SECTIONS, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE MODEL, AND IT'S OKAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH IT.
BUT IF YOU REALLY GET --
DIVE DEEPER AND LOOK AT EXAMPLES OF UDL RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED, YOU'LL SEE THAT SIGN LANGUAGE IS MINIMIZED, IT WILL BE IN THE MATERIAL, BUT IT WILL BE SOME SMALL THUMBNAIL OF AN INTERPRETER AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE SOME HUGE HEARING TALKING HEAD.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UDL PRODUCTS HAVE THAT KIND OF A FORMATTING.
SO AGAIN, YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE THE INTERPRETER IN THE PRODUCTS THAT I'VE SEEN.
OR THEY TRY TO MAKE IT VERY VISUALLY INTERESTING SO THAT THERE'S 14 PICTURES ON THE PRODUCT.
SO THEY'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TEXT IMAGE AND THE PRESENTER, AND THEN IF YOU HAVE THE INTERPRETATION THERE OR A DEAF SIGN SIGNER YOU'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT HOW THOSE ALL CAN BE FORMATTED INTO A DESIGN THAT'S AESTHETICALLY PLEASING SO MY COMMENT IS UDL IS MAYBE FOR GENERAL THINKING ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, BUT FOR DEAF PEOPLE, IT'S NOT A MODEL WE CAN REALLY USE.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, GO AHEAD, DANIELLE.
>> I THINK ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS PEOPLE THINK, YEAH, FIRST AS JAY SAID THAT THIS IS --
WE CAN TWEAK SOMETHING AS OPPOSED TO THINK ABOUT THIS TRANSFORMATION ALLEY.
I ALSO THINK PEOPLE THINK UDL AND THEY THINK ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL AND ACTUALLY WHAT WE NEED IS CHOICE AND FLEXIBILITY AND OPTIONS, NOT ONE THING THAT EVERYONE --
IF WE HAD UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR UNDERWEAR, PROBABLY PEOPLE WOULD BE PRETTY UPSET IN THIS ROOM, WHY DO WE THINK THIS WORKS FOR DISABILITY PEOPLE IN THEIR LEARNING OR IN THE WAY THEY MOVE THROUGH SPACE?
SO WE NEED NOT ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL, WE NEED OPTIONS TO ENGAGE IN THE WAYS THAT WORK FOR US.
>> THIS REALLY ALLIANCE WITH TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICE AS WELL, LIKE AN AMPLIFICATION OF CHOICE AND A RECOGNITION THAT PEOPLE NEED DIFFERENT WAYS TO PLUG IN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT MYSELF AND NATHAN FAUS WILL PRACTISING IN OUR TRAUMA INFORMED COURSES TO --
LIKE I THINK IT FEELS OVERWHELMING AT FIRST BUT TO PROVIDE LIKE 17 DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR READINGS, PODCASTS, ARTISTIC ENGAGEMENTS FOR EACH TOPIC AND HAVE PEOPLE CHOOSE WHAT THEY WANT TO ENGAGE WITH, AND START ENGAGING WITH SOMETHING AND FIND THAT THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR THEM AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO WE'RE HEARING FROM STUDENTS THAT THE OPPORTUNITY TO, LIKE, CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE IN THIS WORK IS A SPECIFIC THING THAT'S ENABLING FOLKS WHO MAY BENEFIT FROM ARTISTIC ENGAGEMENT AS A WAY OF PROCESSING KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING ARE ACTUALLY HAVING OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH THAT KIND OF WORK, IN A WAY THAT IS RIGOROUS BUT RIGOROUS IN A WAY THAT AMPLIFIES POSSIBILITY FOR HOW WE'RE REGARDING KNOWLEDGE, OFFERING OPPORTUNITY TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE AND TO BE WITH EACH OTHER IN THAT PROCESS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND WE ARE CLOSE TO THE END OF TIME.
WE HAVE FIVE MINUTES LEFT.
AND I THOUGHT A NICE WAY TO CLOSE WOULD BE TO ACTUALLY WING IT A LITTLE AND HAVE THE LAST QUESTION COME FROM THE Q&A.
I THOUGHT THIS WAS A REALLY WELL STATED AND A TOPIC WE HAVEN'T REALLY QUITE TOUCHED ON --
MAYBE WE HAVE BUT --
HERE GOES.
SO ANYONE, FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN, TURN YOUR MIC ON AND START TO TALK.
THE PERSON ASKS... ARE THERE ANY IDEAS FOR HOW TO MAKE STUDENTS WE BE DISABILITIES FEEL INHERENTLY VALUED, WITHOUT HAVING TO BE EXCEPTIONAL, TO SIMPLY DESERVE TO EXIST?
AND TO RESIST HAVING OUR OWN EXCEPTIONALNESS AS A DISABLED PERSON TO BE USED AS A WEAPON AGAINST THOSE YOU LOVE AND YOURSELF?
SO LIKE, THE SORT OF CULTURE OF HOW DO WE CREATE -- OR HAVE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE AND VALUED, NOT OTHERED IS I THINK WHAT THEY'RE ASKING.
>> HAPPY TO --
I CAN OFFER ONE THING THAT HAS BEEN A VERY SWEET THING THAT I HAVE CHOSEN TO COMMIT MY TIME TO, WHICH IS THAT LIKE I SPEND AT LEAST HALF AN HOUR WITH THE VAST MAJORITY OF FOLKS WHO HAVE ACCESSED ACCOMMODATIONS AND OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS IN MY COURSE TO ALSO DO THE SAME TO CHAT ABOUT WHAT NEEDS MIGHT BE THAT AREN'T COVERED BY ACCOMMODATIONS, TO NAME REALLY EXPLICITLY IN CLASS THAT DISABILITY IS POSSIBLE TO BE DESIRED AND THAT IT IS A SITE [INDISCERNIBLE] TO BRING IN DISABLED ART AND CULTURE INTO PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES SO DISABLED STUDENTS AND NEURODIVERGENT AND DEAF AND OTHER FOLKS ACTUALLY GET TO SEE THEMSELVES IN COURSE CONTENT IN WAYS THAT ARE CELEBRATED AND --
IN WAYS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING OF REALLY VITAL KNOWLEDGE TO THE COURT CONTENT THAT I AM BUILDING OUT.
SO THAT'S A WAY THAT I TRY TO.
I ALSO -- I TALK ABOUT D -- IT'S A CHOICE I'VE MADE, IN MY OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DEGREE THE ONLY THING THAT MADE IT SURVIVABLE IS I HAD A PROF WHO WAS TEACHING MENTAL HEALTH WHO SAID THEY WERE CRAZY AND THE CAPACITY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THAT I MIGHT SURVIVE BARELY THAT PROGRAM WAS LARGELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT I COULD SEE SOMEBODY IN A ROLE OF LEADERSHIP IN THE FIELD THAT MY EXPERIENCE RESONATED WITH SO I MAKE CHOICES TO DISCLOSE AND TALK OPENLY ABOUT MY NEEDS IN COMPLEX WAYS BECAUSE I NEED -- I NEEDED TO SEE SOMEBODY THERE.
>> THAT'S VERY POWERFUL, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
THERE'S ONE MINUTE LEFT.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE COULD TALK FOR ANOTHER HOUR.
I REALLY DO.
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SO MUCH THAT'S COMING OUT OF THIS THAT'S BEEN REALLY POWERFUL AND GREAT.
I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, ALL THE TIME IT TAKES TO SAY YES TO YET ANOTHER THING, I THINK THIS COMMUNITY IS SHOULDERING A HUGE BURDEN WITH TRYING TO MAKE CHANGE AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO JAY FOR STARTING US OFF AND THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND EVERYONE ON THE PANEL FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
AND EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE --
THIS WAS A LONG SESSION, AND THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE WHO STUCK IT OUT, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND WE WILL SHARE OUT THE RESOURCES AFTER THE SESSION ENDS.
WE'LL LOOK THROUGH THE Q&A.
I'M NOT EXACTLY 100% OF EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN SHARE BUT I'LL DO MY BEST TO MAKE IT ALL ACCESSIBLE AND THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYONE.
AND A BIG SHOUT-OUT TO OUR INTERPRETERS, THERE'S SOME BEHIND THE SCENES THAT YOU DIDN'T SEE, OUR PRODUCTION CREW, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WENT INTO THIS I REALLY WANT TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU FOR.
AND YEAH, THANKS, JOSHUA, THANKS, JOANNE, THANKS, LINDSAY, THANKS, DANIELLE.
THANKS, JAY.
THANKS, EVERYONE.
>> TAKE CARE AND HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR NIGHT.