3.1: Principles of Accessible Legislation
Every individual in Canada is entitled to fundamental human rights and to live free from discrimination and harassment. Here in Canada, these human rights are protected by federal, provincial, and territorial legislation (Human Rights Legal Support Centre, 2021).
These laws arise out of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document that was proclaimed by the newly developed United Nations in 1948. Broken down further, each Canadian province and territory have their own law against discrimination that apply to all provincially regulated activities. This includes protecting the fundamental human rights for persons with disabilities.
Activity 1: Case Study
Imagine you are planning a HyFlex (hybrid flexible) course with 250 students. All class sessions and learning activities will be offered in-person, and asynchronously online. You have planned for a mid-term group presentation, where students will be researching information and teaching material to their fellow students (flipped classroom). There will also be a final exam as your assessment for the course.
Two weeks before the course begins, you receive a message from Student Accessibility Services with the following accommodation requests, for three separate students:
- Recording of all in-class instruction
- Access to classmate’s notes, instructor’s notes, or a notetaker
- Captions for all verbal information
- Alternate formats – text descriptions for visual images, machine-readable text format for all print materials
Six weeks into your course, about 2 weeks before the mid-term group presentation is due, you receive the following accommodation requests from Student Accessibility Services for 2 other students:
- Allot 1.5 times the regular testing time for completion
- Allow alternate format to an oral presentation
- Stagger exam scheduling – can only take one exam within a 24 hour period
As you work through this module, think about how UDL supports this HyFlex course you are planning.
You are invited to reflect in the way that works best for you, which may include writing, drawing, creating an audio or video file, mind map or any other method that will allow you to reflect and refer back to your thoughts.
Alternatively, a text-based note-taking space is provided below. Any notes you take here remain entirely confidential and visible only to you. Use this space as you wish to keep track of your thoughts, learning, and activity responses. Download a text copy of your notes before moving on to the next page of the module to ensure you don’t lose any of your work!
References
Human Rights Legal Support Centre. (2021). The Ontario Human Rights System. Government of Ontario. https://www.hrlsc.on.ca/en/how-guides-and-faqs/human-rights-ontario