3.5: Assessment and Resources
Module Activity: Responding to Accommodation Requests
Now that you understand the legal implications in managing accessibility and Human Rights Code requirements:
- How has your approach changed in considering the accommodation requests in the case study?
- Has your response to the requests changed based on the application of UDL principles?
- How about meeting accessibility requirements upfront?
What you should notice is that by applying UDL principles and accessibility requirements, many of the accommodation requests would have been addressed. This means, likely, these accommodation requests will no longer exist in your course. This is the intent of creating equitable access—that everyone is able to consume and access the information you provide in the manner that they need to.
What you will also realize is that there will be individual accommodations that, no matter how closely you apply UDL and accessibility principles, will continue to exist. However, the intent is that with flexibility and multiple avenues to deliver information and allowing students to transmit their understanding of course materials back to you, your options to adjust for individual accommodation requests will increase and the subsequent work required will be significantly reduced.
You may consider using this Word or PDFchecklist to help you respond to accommodation requests.
Further Learning
The following are some resources to deepen your learning about the AODA and OHRC and their application in post-secondary education:
- Reg. 191/11: Integrated Accessibility Standards under AODA Part II section includes regulation on:
- 15. Educational and Training Resources and materials etc.
- 16. Training to educators
- 17. Producers of educational or training material
- 18. Libraries of educational and training institutions
- Guide to the Act summarises what is in the AODA, including where to look in the Act to find exactly what it says about the topic. There is also an index for the Act at the end of the guide.
- Accessibility Services Canada (formerly Accessibility Ontario) has detailed information about AODA Questions & Answers
- OHRC eLearning program provides all Ontarians with free online courses to learn about their human rights and responsibilities, including:
- Working Together: The Code and the AODA
- AccessForward website provides free government recommended training resources specifically developed for organizations to meet their accessibility training requirements, such as:
- Information and Communications Standard module covers the requirements for providing and receiving information and communications in ways that are accessible to people with disabilities.
- Many Institutions also provide accessibility training for their Administrative, Faculty, and Support Staff. Here are some of them:
- Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) & Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) Training by the AODA Colleges Committee
- AODA Accessibility in Teaching Training Module from King’s University College at Western University
- Module 1 — Understanding the AODA and the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service from Council of Ontario Universities, University of Toronto
- Accessible Services for Colleges, Customer Service Standards: Training for Administrative Staff from Algonquin College