After publishing the University of Waterloo’s (“Waterloo”) first Multi-year Accessibility Plan (MYAP)
in 2018, we have been busy putting our plan into action, setting our accessibility priorities in motion
for the next five years.
While Waterloo’s priorities have been driven largely by the standards set within the Accessibility for
Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), we’ve used our trademark innovative approach to address
many of the accessibility challenges.
The MYAP has brought together a new level of collaboration and partnerships within campus
departments and between Waterloo and the community. This has cultivated a spirit of inclusion,
universal access, and consideration for all abilities in everything we do and all the services we deliver.
As we highlight and celebrate our achievements over the past year, we will continue to build
momentum and consider accessibility in everything that we do. We will not be complacent in our
efforts, and recognize that this past year has been a catapult start to our journey of becoming an
accessibility champion, and not the end of a goal achieved.
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 2019. The report also
includes an assessment of the status of each objective, to give the community a snapshot
of Waterloo’s progress. As this is the first year of implementation within our five-year plan, it
should be understood that many objectives are only in the “Started” phase, and will move
towards completion over time.
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 we are on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnawbe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.
The Multi-Year Accessibility Plan - 2019 Progress Report (PDF) is also available for download.
