Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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• Supporting accessible co-op: Building accessible workplaces through skills, advocacy, and experience
• Agriculture matters more to Canada’s economy than you think
• Test of the ENS system coming tomorrow

Supporting accessible co-op: building accessible workplaces through skills, advocacy, and experience

A message from the office of the Associate Provost, Campus Support and Accessibility.

It is National AccessAbility Week (NAAW), and each day this week we are featuring a different University initiative that demonstrates a commitment to advancing accessibility and disability inclusion. Today, we are featuring the Co-operative & Experiential Education (CEE) team’s work to support accessibility and equity beyond campus during students’ work terms.

This work is led by Sadia Anjum, Manager, Co-op Student Experience (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism). In this dedicated role, Sadia offers one-on-one support and guidance to students while working closely with other campus supports. Central to this approach is the message that “any door is the right door” when it comes to asking for help.

Individualized support for navigating employment accessibility includes the Co-op Accommodation Support Pathway, guidance for on- and off-campus resources, and support with employer and accommodation-related conversations. Sadia also offers programming to support students’ skill development, including workshops on “Disability and Accommodations in Co-op, Careers, and Beyond”, offered in fall 2025 and winter 2026 in collaboration with the Student Disability Community Network.

As Sadia describes, “the work is grounded in relationship-based and student-centered approaches”, emphasizing student agency in deciding when, how, and if conversations with employers take place. CEE’s approach also reflects principles of intersectionality, recognizing the unique barriers that may be experienced by international students, racialized students, and students with other marginalized identities.

This work is further collaborative with Co-op Advisors and the CEE Inclusion Connection Network, a group of staff from different units who work together to advance holistic inclusion. The network identifies common barriers experienced by students and proposes new training opportunities and resources to strengthen disability confidence and inclusive practices across CEE.

Students can learn more about available supports through Accessibility supports and resources and Career Hub: Persons with disabilities. Students are also encouraged to connect directly with the team by emailing co-op.accessibility@uwaterloo.ca.

National AccessAbility Week is just one opportunity to learn about accessibility and disability inclusion initiatives at the University of Waterloo. To stay connected year-round, join the Accessibility Ally Network Microsoft Teams channel or contact aoda@uwaterloo.ca for more information.

Agriculture matters more to Canada’s economy than you think

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Where does your food come from?

“Despite being a huge contributor to Canada’s economy, agriculture isn’t often top of mind for many Canadians,” says Leta LaRush (BA ’11), Vice-President and Head of BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada. “It can be easy to think food simply comes from the grocery store."

In her work, LaRush oversees a team producing innovations that support farmer productivity. BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada provides farmers with seed, crop protection and digital farming tools. InVigor hybrid canola seed is developed using breeding innovations to help select for desirable traits like drought resistance. For crop protection products, research and development focus on technologies that will help crops combat disease or insect pressure. The digital products help farmers make informed decisions about how they manage their crops and increase yields.

“We're one of the largest crop inputs providers in Canada, and that innovation plays an important role in helping farmers produce safe, affordable food.”

Canadian farms and declining productivity

Canada’s agriculture industry is a huge contributor to our economy, and one of our country’s biggest exporters. LaRush proudly shares that Canadian farmers are globally recognized for their sustainable practices, producing some of the least carbon-intensive agricultural products in the world.

While our agriculture sector has seen tremendous productivity growth — thanks to better farm management, improved input efficiency and technological innovation — that growth has slowed since the early millennium. If current trends continue, annual productivity growth is projected to be less than one percent soon, threatening Canada’s competitiveness on the global stage.

Research and innovation, like that coming out of BASF, can help. But LaRush cautions it isn’t that simple.

“One of the most critical elements for Canadian agriculture to remain competitive and sustainable is by improving Canada's regulatory performance. At BASF, every dollar that we make globally, we invest 10 cents of that back into research and development. But the research and development pipeline for new innovation in AgTech often takes more than 10 years. Then the review and approval process can take just as long.”

Out of the 38 OECD countries, Canada ranks 32 for its agricultural regulatory performance. Slow regulatory procedures delay access to technologies farmers need to improve efficiency and yields.

“BASF has already prioritized Canada as one of our key countries for agricultural innovation,” LaRush says. “But to keep that level of investment in global research and development, we're really going to need to improve the competitiveness of our regulatory landscape.”

LaRush says the government’s focus on affordability, food security and economic growth has created a rallying cry to cut unnecessary regulatory red tape — improving supply chains and strengthening the broader economy.

More than that, it could help make Canada a top destination for investment in agricultural innovation.

From arts to agriculture

Though she didn’t plan to lead teams in agricultural innovation, LaRush repeatedly returned to the sector. Today, she’s proud to be part of an industry that directly influences daily life for people worldwide.

She admits that her degree in Business and Speech Communications may seem a little off topic for the agriculture industry but believes that diverse skill sets and perspectives lead to better outcomes.

“Whether your expertise is in data science or engineering, communications or finance, there are so many opportunities to have a meaningful impact in the agriculture sector. And I don't think enough people know that.”

Even for those outside the sector, LaRush believes Canadians should better understand agriculture’s role.

“Canadian farmers are world-leading adopters in innovation and sustainable farming practices. Let's be proud of that and let’s rally to challenge our government to support our industry, so we can continue to bring these new innovations to market.”

Test of the ENS system coming tomorrow

On Thursday, June 4, the University will conduct a campus-wide test of the Emergency Notification System (ENS) provided by Regroup.

The test will send messages through the following channels:

• SMS/text message
• Email
• Regroup Mobile (safety app)
• Desktop Alert
• Campus Safety webpage

What you need to do before the test:

1. Download the Regroup Mobile app and complete the login and recommended settings.
2. Confirm your cell phone number is up to date:
   • Staff: update it in the Regroup app
   • Students: update it in Quest
3. Install the Desktop Alert tool on your computer if it is not managed by the University.

If you have questions about the test or need help installing the Regroup app or Desktop Alert, please email ens@uwaterloo.ca.