2 Disability Rights
As a friendly reminder, disabled students have the right to accommodations, not a privilege. We ask that you, as staff members, ensure that you are appropriately meeting the students’ requirements for accommodation that they have outlined through their SAS accommodations.
At McMaster University, accommodations are put in place through student accessibility services (SAS), where a letter will be produced with a student’s accommodations needs. This letter is a legally binding document between the school and the student, and the accommodations listed must be followed. The accommodations are not up to the discretion of a professor to take away or deem unnecessary for disabled students. SAS services are provided to align with the expectation of the Ontario Human Rights Code, as well as the Accessibility for Ontarian with Disabilities Act (AODA). Organizations such as McMaster University have a duty to accommodate people with disabilities. If you would like to learn more about the accessibility laws set by the AODA, we recommend that you read this: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/05a11.
We also ask that you consider how access to accommodations through SAS can sometimes be a long and difficult process, and that students may occasionally ask for accommodations without official SAS documentation. Ultimately, the decision to accommodate in these situations is up to your discretion, but we ask you to consider how this decision will impact the student’s participation in your classroom and their learning experience throughout your course.
Any discrimination against students experiencing disability (ableism) is not tolerated. Discrimination can include, but is not limited to:
- Belittling a student’s experience with disability
- Not fairly considering a student’s accommodation
- Not adequately implementing a student’s accommodations
If a student experiences discrimination by teaching staff, they are encouraged to file a report to the Equity and Inclusion Office (EIO), which can be injurious to a teaching staff’s professional record if an instance of discrimination is found.
