30 Student Support and Service Delivery Upgrades
Embracing Neurodiversity, Support Group
Starting in August 2023 an on-going bi-weekly drop-in group for neurodiverse students was launched. This programming was created during Summer 2023 for incoming students via the MacStart transition program. All were welcome, students did not need to register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) or have a formal diagnosis. This group was designed to allow incoming students to connect over shared experiences navigating life and university. Facilitators for this group are also neurodivergent.
Weekly topics included: labels, diagnoses, and self-diagnosis; stimming, masking, and unmasking; family, society and culture; connection, vulnerability and self-compassion; safety and emotional regulation. Embracing Neurodiversity has continued into the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 terms.
Contributors: Student Success Centre: Sean Beaudette and Julia Millington, Student Wellness Center: Cathy Jager, Zeinab Khawaja and Roseanne Kent, Student Affairs: Andrijana Olaizola
Health Sciences Library Study Space Directory Update
In response to accessibility feedback from our user community, a content review of the study space descriptions was conducted on the Health Sciences Library website. Fixes included adding images that provide a more accurate picture of what’s available in each of our study rooms. In addition, a more descriptive and detailed floor plan was added to the website, which includes information on study room numbers and locations as well as the location of the elevator.
Contributors: Jennifer McKinnell, Health Sciences Library
OneCard McMaster ID Updates
With the upcoming change to McMaster ID cards, the student and employee cards will be getting a redesign that makes them more accessible. The font will be size 12 Arial, the ID photos will be larger, the orientation of the card will change to allow for 30 characters per name, and all font will be high-contrast colours. More changes to increase accessibility even more will be coming in the future, with the launch of a mobile card. The mobile card will allow students and employees to use the accessibility features built into their smartphone, providing an even greater ease of use.
Contributors: Jennifer McDonald, Jana Gardner, Dianne Creamer and Rob Morrallee, OneCard Project