Accessibility involves providing barrier free environments and services to enable people of all abilities to fully participate in every aspect of day-to-day life on our campuses. Accessibility actions and initiatives are grounded in the principles of ensuring people with disabilities can learn, live and work at Laurier with independence and dignity, and with a fulsome sense of belonging and inclusion. And we also recognize that accessibility measures benefit our entire campus community, not only those with disabilities.
An accessible Laurier means our campuses are best able to foster engagement from the widest possible range of community members, and in doing so, we build and encourage a talented and diverse workforce and student body. An accessible Laurier means stronger relationships with the communities in which our campuses are situated and a richer culture of diversity and inclusivity. And an accessible Laurier means that everyone has equitable opportunities to achieve academic excellence and take part in a culture that inspires lives of leadership and purpose.
An integral part of Laurier’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion, our accessibility plan outlines how Laurier intends to continue identifying, preventing, and removing barriers for persons with disabilities in our communities and on our campuses. The plan describes Laurier’s accessibility-related goals, as well as the policies, practices and strategies that will be utilized to achieve them. Initially written in 2016 and spanning to 2019, this plan has been amended to include updates for 2020-2022, and then again to include work done (and to be continued) from 2023-2026.
The contents of this plan were developed with input from Laurier’s Accessibility Advisory Committee and the University Employment Equity Advisory Committee, in combination with feedback gathered from persons with disabilities through Laurier's formal and informal feedback processes, and considering best practices in accessibility, and it is guided by the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulations (IASR).
This plan aligns with the social model (rather than a medical model) of disability to address accessibility issues and initiatives. This means that we aim to focus on the limits people face because of the structures in our society and want to call attention to the ways in which societal barriers are disabling – emphasizing the foundational principle that accessibility is everyone’s responsibility.
Development of a new multi-year plan was paused, and this bridge plan was created to guide our work, as Laurier pivoted to support:
Co-creation of our next multi-year accessibility plan, in accordance with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, will be led by the employment equity and accessibility officer in collaboration with persons with disabilities and campus partners leading accessibility and equity work, beginning early 2026, with the goal of developing a five-year plan running from 2027 until 2031. This work will involve campus partners and community members with lived experience of disability working together to evaluate our current structures and supports, and from there, setting new goals and priorities.
Integral to our Accessibility Plan is our ongoing goal of a university environment in which the channels for communicating feedback about accessibility are always open, and concerns are addressed in a timely manner, and in a way that respects the dignity and independence of all people.
If you are interested in learning more about Laurier’s accessibility planning, and/or have feedback about how the university provides goods, services and/or facilities to persons with disabilities, please contact Employment Equity and Accessibility at accessibility@wlu.ca who will direct to campus partners as relevant. Feedback regarding accessibility-related issues can also be directed to the department offering the goods, services or facilities.
“Recognizing the history of discrimination against persons with disabilities in Ontario …”, the purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is “to benefit all Ontarians by:
Through the AODA, the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation was created (and continues to be updated). Applicable to all public sector organizations in Ontario, this Regulation establishes the accessibility standards for each of the following areas:
The AODA also outlines how new standards can be created, such as the anticipated upcoming Post-Secondary Education Standard which will outline a “series of recommendations on what accessibility standards for postsecondary education should include.”
Of note, the AODA works in tandem with the Ontario Human Rights Code, which affirms that “every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability.”
The following policies are most relevant to accessibility at Laurier, and outline how we are achieving, or intend to achieve, our accessibility obligations and goals:
All university policies are available online or by contacting the university secretariat.
Laurier’s accessibility plans work in alignment with the following strategic initiatives and plans:
