Enhancing the accessibility of co-operative education in post-secondary institutions

WatCAT (Waterloo Co-op Accessibility Team)

WatCAT's mandate is to maximize the work term experience for all Waterloo co-op students, including those with disabilities. Comprised of staff from the University's departments of AccessAbility Services (AAS), Co-operative Education, the Centre for Career Action, and Waterloo students, WatCAT will develop a support model to ensure students with disabilities can engage in the University's robust co-operative education program.

In summer 2017, WatCAT was awarded the province of Ontario's EnAbling Change grant which will be instrumental in achieving the initial stages of the project’s vision.

Background

Disability support offices in post-secondary institutions across Canada have collectively developed standards of practice which give students with disabilities access to reasonable academic accommodations
- When the learning environment extends to experiential and work-integrated learning, there is room to enhance the standards of practice to determine how to best accommodate students with disabilities - many of whom have reported significant barriers to full participation
The University addresses the needs of students with disabilities in the work-integrated learning environment on a case-by-case basis in an effort to ensure they experience the success and benefits of participating in the co-op program
- Although these efforts have resulted in success for students with disabilities in co-op programs, known and unknown barriers to accessing and succeeding in a co-op program for some students with disabilities still exist
Supports and services offered to students with disabilities pursuing co-op opportunities are not well established from a strategic and systemic perspective, which is needed to support such a large number of students in co-op
- The project partners have collaborated on an initiative to engage students, employers, faculty and staff in the creation of a more proactively inclusive educational experience that enables all students to meaningfully participate in the exploration and pursuit of co-op experiences
- The purpose of the project is to enhance access to and participation in Co-op’s competitive employment process and work terms
The project aims to build student capacity and readiness to enter a co-op experience and support the University and co-op employers in strengthening an inclusive co-op experience
The project seeks to create a culture of accessibility that is visible and tangible for students, allowing them to more comfortably access resources and supports that will build their capacity and leverage their existing skill sets and knowledge in a dignified and systemic manner

Objectives

Develop a screening tool that will direct students with disabilities to targeted supports that address gaps in these foundational competencies (e.g., AccessAbility Services) by using a baseline set of foundational competencies that strongly influence a student's experience of and success in a co-op program of study
Encourage more students with disabilities to access services that will enable them to be more successful in co-op
Enhance access to, and participation in, Co-op’s competitive employment process and work term support for students with disabilities in a dignified and meaningful way
Support students with disabilities in building their capacity and readiness to enter a co-op experience by developing an experiential learning accommodation plan
Support employers in providing an inclusive co-op experience for students with disabilities

Key deliverables of the grant project

Develop and pilot a co-operative education self-assessment screening tool for students
Create a toolkit to enable staff to provide more robust service to co-op students with disabilities
Through consultation with Co-op, the Centre for Career Action, and AccessAbility staff, devise a customized accessibility plan and new appointment type related to the co-operative employment process
Revise and update materials and resources (both in-print and online) targeted at employers, in order to promote a culture of inclusivity and accessibility

About the EnAbling Change grant

The EnAbling Change Program is an initiative of the Government of Ontario
Through the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario (ADO), the program provides financial support and expertise to incorporated non-profit organizations, such as industry umbrella organizations and professional associations that have wide reach to help obligated organizations comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
The program funds a limited number of projects, such as targeted education campaigns across a sector or industry to promote and distribute existing accessibility tools and resources
Learn more about the EnAbling Change grant (pdf)

Get involved

The Project team aims to provide opportunities for staff and students to offer their feedback at critical junctures within the project timelines. New feedback opportunities will be posted here, and you can always contact us with questions or concerns.