Executive Summary

This report is a product of a two-year research project led by the Collective Inclusion Pathways to Access (CIPA) team. The report aims to communicate the need for immediate, concrete changes to address oppressive academic accommodation systems at York University and introduce possibilities for more just pathways to academic access. We undertook a systematic literature review, targeted web search, and key informant interviews to better understand how access is negotiated within academic accommodation processes and envision alternatives.

The findings, drawn predominantly from our interviews with 37 access leaders, are divided into three sections.

First, we examine pitfalls in the typical approach to access and academic accommodations in higher education. Key findings indicate:

• A disconnect between institutional promises of inclusion and access, on the one hand, and the actual experiences of students, on the other.
• A reliance on individualized and piecemeal approaches to access leads to inconsistency in the delivery of academic accommodations and supports.
• Faculty are ill-equipped to support students’ access needs due to a lack of training and institutional support.
• Students experience humiliation and exhaustion from intrusive application processes, exacerbated for students experiencing interlocking oppressions.

Second, we explore existing practices that provide potential models for institutional change. Findings show:

• Some institutions are de-prioritizing medical documentation as a required step in the accommodation process or removing it altogether.
• Individual accessibility advisors are implementing systemic solutions to address ableism.
• Individual faculty are intervening with commitments to meeting students’ access needs without relying on medical documentation.
• Students engage in many different practices to mobilize systemic responses to ableism and build access in their own institutions.

Third, we highlight the aspirations of students, faculty, and staff for further change. Findings suggest:

• Institutions need to follow through on their commitments to education for all, inclusion, and access.
• There is a need for systemic and upstream approaches to access, shifting responsibility from individual students to the institution.
• Faculty need training and incentives to adopt accessible pedagogies.
• Students need resources to meet their basic security needs and support their advocacy and peer support work.

We argue that immediate changes are necessary to create equitable pathways to access for York University students and community members. We end this report outlining 3 calls to action that require immediate attention:

1. Recognize that change to existing racist, ableist, and classist accommodation systems is needed now!
2. Move towards a more systemic, upstream approach to providing access and dismantling bureaucracy (including medical documentation) around access requests that place burdens on students!
3. Educate, train, and provide resources and mentorship for a collective approach to access and compensate students when they are involved in doing this work!

Please click here to view the infographic version of the report.