2020 has been an unprecedented year for the University. As our campus community grapples with changes in our society amidst a global pandemic, ongoing climate change, and demand for social justice, our plans to meet the objectives laid out in our Multi-year Accessibility Plan (MYAP) 2018-2022 remain unchanged. We continue to push forward in all areas of our MYAP, making progress in several of the initiatives set forth.
Our campus pivoted to an online environment in March 2020, and it remains largely unchanged. As a result, priorities were mainly focused on providing quality education and a supportive virtual work environment. This led to Waterloo providing more support, creating more tools, and developing more strategies to bolster an inclusive environment on digital platforms. Waterloo has always delivered bestin-class virtual learning through our Centre for Extended Learning, and we exceeded our plans in offering training to instructors on universal instructional design and accessible technology to meet the demands of our virtual teaching and learning environment. Subsequently, while we progressed with our accessibility initiatives for our physical campuses, the momentum did not gain the same amount of traction we had planned back in 2018.
This year has taught us to be flexible, responsive, and resilient to the ever-changing environment we live in. Waterloo continues to be committed to inclusion and accessibility for persons with disabilities, and the foundational initiatives we laid out in our MYAP will remain relevant regardless of the current climate. We will continue to use our innovative spirit and be flexible in our approach to achieve these goals.
About this report
This summary report highlights examples of progress towards each of the seven themes that were identified in Waterloo’s MYAP 2018-2022. The report describes relevant projects and initiatives that have occurred at Waterloo up to and including December 2020. The report also includes an assessment of the status of each objective, to give the community a snapshot of Waterloo’s progress. This is a non-exhaustive list of work that Waterloo has undertaken. Many departments and individuals have engaged in accessibility initiatives and activities to create an inclusive environment at Waterloo. Only objectives that were highlighted within the MYAP have been specifically noted and assessed using the “progress assessment” model.
Acknowledgement: The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Indigenous Initiatives Office.
