Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Join disability advocate Rick Hansen for a Hallman Lecture

A message from the Faculty of Health.

Through the power of his own story and the inspiration he’s found in others, athlete and disability advocate Rick Hansen shares his vision and inspires audiences to join his journey to create an accessible, healthy, and inclusive world where people of all abilities can fully participate and contribute. By reflecting on our own actions and beliefs, we can challenge existing standards and dream up new ones – ones that foster hope, inspiration, and acceptance. Hansen encourages us all to fight for accessibility as a human right.

Hansen is best known as the “Man in Motion” for undertaking an epic 26-month, 40,000 km journey around the world in his wheelchair. He is also a three-time world champion, nine-time Pan Am gold medalist, and six-time Paralympic medalist.

For more than three decades, Hansen and his team have been focused on the removal of barriers. The Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) is the only program that rates, certifies and showcases accessible building based on their level of meaningful access for persons with mobility, vision and hearing disabilities. To date, more than 1,915 sites across Canada have been rated through the program, including the Faculty of Health at the University of Waterloo.

Join us for this free Hallman Lecture on Monday, June 10 at 7:00 p.m., in HLTH EXP 1689 with a community reception to follow at 8:00 p.m. A livestream is also available.

Hansen will be presented with an honorary doctorate the next day at the Faculty of Health convocation ceremony.

Make memories this summer on Toronto Island

A message from Advancement.

Don’t miss out on the fun — all alumni and friends are welcome to join us at Alumni Family Day on Toronto Island, Saturday, July 20.

Family fun on the island includes face painting, caricature portraits, lawn games, crafts and frozen treats. You can include a BBQ lunch when you purchase your ticket or bring your own picnic. Tickets include ferry rides to and from the island.

After mingling with alumni at the picnic, spend the rest of the day on the island exploring the beaches, taking in rides at Centreville and meeting barnyard creatures at the Far Enough Farm.

Alumni Family Day always sells out, so get your tickets soon!

New guide makes it easier to improve course accessibility

A message from the Disability Inclusion Team. National AccessAbility Week is May 26 to June 1 and is just one opportunity to share initiatives that advance accessibility and disability inclusion. Share your initiative at Accessibility and Disability Inclusion Initiatives.

The new Postsecondary Course Accessibility Guide, developed by Dr. Christine Zaza, Workplace Accessibility Specialist at the University of Waterloo, addresses a sector-level need for resources that reflect the impact of accessibility on students. The guide was developed to support the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Postsecondary Education Standards 185 recommendations (2022) and reduce the overwhelm of meeting these accessibility requirements.

The Guide adopts a checklist format that links each accessibility criterion to comprehensive support in the form of definitions, rationale, examples of impact on students, and how to meet the criteria and explains their importance. It is designed to help instructors and instructional support staff identify how a course already meets accessibility criteria, how quick and easy changes can improve accessibility, and where additional support is needed.

With funding from eCampus Ontario, the Guide was peer reviewed and user experience testing was conducted through the Centre for Extended Learning. Participants included instructors, students, instructional support staff, and subject matter experts, with and without disabilities, from Ontario universities and colleges.

“Typically, instructors ask me ‘which practices will have the biggest impact on students.’” To begin to address this question, the project’s next step will be to research students’ perceptions of the importance of each accessibility criterion to their learning experience, incorporating feedback from both students with and without disabilities to continually refine and enhance the Guide.

Graduate valedictorian applications are due May 31

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA).

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) is excited to share that for the first time, the University of Waterloo is seeking five graduate valedictorians for the fall (October) 2024 convocation ceremonies.

Graduate valedictorians will have the unique opportunity to reflect on their journey, share their insights, and inspire their peers, faculty, and guests at convocation.

Eligibility criteria

To be considered, candidates must have a strong academic background, demonstrated leadership skills, and effective communication abilities. Involvement in university and community activities as well as professional experiences will be valued in the selection process. Candidates must be able to attend the fall 2024 in-person convocation ceremony.

Application process

Interested candidates must complete an application form, submit a CV, provide an unofficial transcript, and receive endorsement from three members of the university community. These members can be fellow students, staff, faculty, or alumni.

Selection criteria and process

The selection process involves an assessment of academic excellence (30%) and personal characteristics (70%). Academic achievements, including past results, scholarships, and program rigour, are considered alongside interpersonal skills, leadership experience, and community engagement. During the selection process, faculties will review submissions and shortlist their top three for institutional review; these shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview and to present their proposed five-minute speech to an institutional selection committee.

Visit the graduate valedictorian webpage for more information about the eligibility criteria and selection process.  The deadline to apply to be a valedictorian is Friday, May 31.

Euclid space telescope releases early images and data

By Jordan Flemming. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid space mission, which involves collaboration with researchers from the University of Waterloo, has released five new portraits of the universe. These never-before-seen images showcase Euclid’s ability to unravel the secrets of the cosmos, enabling scientists to hunt for rogue planets, using lensed galaxies to study mysterious matter and explore the evolution of the universe.

“The science that Euclid was designed to do requires surveys of large areas, which will take Euclid many years to complete,” says Dr. Will Percival, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and a primary science coordinator for the Euclid space mission.

The full set of early observations targeted 17 astronomical objects, from nearby clouds of gas and dust to distant clusters of galaxies, ahead of Euclid’s main survey. This survey aims to uncover the secrets of the dark cosmos and reveal how and why the universe looks as it does today.

Read the full article on Waterloo News.

Wednesday's notes

The Sexual Violence Awareness Month webinar series continues tomorrow on Microsoft Teams with Get to Know About SVPRO. "Join SVPRO's own Jay Love and Taneah Ugwuegbula to learn about SVPRO's response services and how we support students, staff, and faculty who have experienced ongoing or historical sexual violence and abuse and how we work to make our campus community feel safe, supported, and validated," says a note from the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO).

The webinar takes place on Thursday, May 30 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Microsoft Teams. You can register for this webinar and learn more about the series on Portal.

Food Truck Wednesdays continue today in the Arts Quad from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. On offer today are fried dough delights courtesy of Beaver Tails.

Employers hosting Employer Information Sessions this week and next week include Formlabs, Robinhood, Brock Solutions. Make sure to register through WaterlooWorks and check the calendar for any updates.