Parents and Guardians

After much hard work, ongoing determination, perhaps much frustration, and many well-earned successes your child is going to university!

It is now time for your child to find his/her own wings and let the journey of university begin.

This experience can be just as overwhelming for parents as you struggle with letting go, supporting from afar, and hoping that your child advocates consistently on their own behalf.

There are significant differences between secondary and post-secondary education so we have developed a FAQ section to provide answers to many of the questions asked by parents and guardians around the application and admission process, application for registration with AccessAbility Services, housing etc.  We invite you to review this information and contact AccessAbility Services at 519 888-4567, ext 35082 or access@uwaterloo.ca with any questions.

How parents can help

Students that contact and connect with AccessAbility Services earlier generally adjust and transition better from high school to university. Accommodations and supports can be put in place so that when classes begin they are ready to go and challenges have been addressed. 

Parents can help by:

  • Encouraging the student to apply to AccessAbility Services once an offer of admission has been accepted
  • Ensuring that the student has the appropriate verification of disability
  • Helping the student to develop self-advocacy skills
  • Encouraging the student to contact an academic advisor to discuss the academic program