Accessibility at Waterloo

Waterloo's commitment

The University of Waterloo is committed to achieving barrier free accessibility for persons with disabilities studying, visiting and/or working at Waterloo. Waterloo stands by their Principles of Inclusivity which were created to acknowledge, communicate, and promote an understanding of the complexity and uniqueness of the University of Waterloo’s campus community, presenting the ideals by which campus members should engage one another — with respect, sensitivity, and fairness. View the Principles of Inclusivity on the Organizational & Human Development's website.

Policy 58 - Accessibility

Policy 58 is the principle policy for the University of Waterloo's requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). This policy is intended to be read in conjunction with, and support the development of policies, practices and procedures that contribute to accessibility to, and equal opportunity for, use of goods, services and facilities within the University community.

The provisions of Policy 58 apply to all University employees, students, visitors, volunteers, applicants, and clients. It also applies to any other party that provides goods, services, and/or facilities on behalf of the University.

Multi-year accessibility plan

Under Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, all public sector organizations, like UWaterloo, must:

  • create written multi-year accessibility plans
  • update them at least once every five years
  • post them on their websites

The Accessibility Committee is responsible for ensuring compliance with the AODA at Waterloo. The Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (MYAP) provides a roadmap for compliance with the AODA regulations and Waterloo's priorities for accessibility. Mandated by the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario, a progress report will also be published every year to ensure that Waterloo is meeting its compliance obligations.

This is not an exhaustive list of the AODA regulations but rather a summary of the key requirements. For a more detailed explanation of the requirements, please visit the Integrated Accessibility Standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005).

Human resources

Visit Human Resources' Accessibility at Waterloo web page for more information on:

  • Accessibility legislation
  • Accessibility resources
  • Accessibility committee
  • AccessAbility services
  • Accessibility training
  • Campus accessibility