Accessibility and accommodations are important parts of creating equitable access to education. Students may encounter these concepts when navigating disability-related barriers that affect their ability to participate in academic programs, access campus services, or engage in university life.
Understanding how accessibility and accommodations work can sometimes feel complicated. Students may encounter policies, procedures, accommodation plans, documentation requirements, and multiple offices with different roles and responsibilities.
This page provides an overview of the academic accommodation process at the University of Waterloo, the policies and principles that guide it, and the broader concept of accessibility on campus. It is intended as a starting point for understanding how accommodations and accessibility fit within the University's policies, processes, and responsibilities.
Policy and Practice: Understanding the Bigger Picture
Students often encounter accommodations through practical processes such as registering with AccessAbility Services, providing documentation, or implementing accommodations in a course. While these processes are important, they exist within a broader framework of human rights, accessibility, and institutional responsibilities.
Understanding that framework can help clarify why accommodations exist, how decisions are made, and what responsibilities the University has in creating accessible learning environments
What is an Academic Accommodation?
An academic accommodation is an individualized adjustment that helps reduce or remove disability-related barriers to learning while maintaining the essential requirements of a course or program.
Academic accommodations are intended to provide equitable access to education, not an academic advantage. They may affect how a student:
- Accesses course materials
- Participates in academic activities
- Completes assessments
- Demonstrates knowledge and skills
Examples of academic accommodations may include alternative testing arrangements, assistive technology, note-taking supports, alternative formats for course materials, or accommodations related to labs, fieldwork, and placements.
While accommodations may change the way a student accesses or demonstrates learning, they do not alter the essential academic requirements of a course or program.
What is Accessibility?
Accessibility is the broader effort to identify, reduce, and remove barriers that may prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in university life.
Unlike an accommodation, which is tailored to an individual student's circumstances, accessibility focuses on creating environments, services, and processes that are usable and inclusive from the outset. Accessibility can include:
- Physical access to buildings and campus spaces
- Accessible technology and digital resources
- Accessible communication methods
- Inclusive policies and administrative processes
- Access to programs, services, and events
While accessibility and accommodation are closely connected, they are not the same thing. Accommodations are often used when accessibility measures alone are not enough to address a student's individual needs.
How Waterloo Applies These Principles
At the University of Waterloo, disability-related academic accommodations are governed by Policy 19: Student Academic Disability Accommodations. The policy outlines the University's responsibilities, the roles of students and employees involved in the accommodation process, and the procedures used to request, assess, and implement academic accommodations.
Consistent with the principles identified by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Policy 19 identifies respect for dignity, individualization, and full participation as key principles that guide the University's approach to academic accommodation.
Accessibility and Accommodation at a Glance
Seeking Academic Accommodations
At the University of Waterloo, disability-related academic accommodations are coordinated through AccessAbility Services. Under Policy 19, AccessAbility Services is responsible for receiving accommodation requests, reviewing supporting documentation, developing accommodation plans, and facilitating the implementation of accommodations.
While every student's situation is different, the accommodation process generally follows a similar path.
Step 1: Connect with AccessAbility Services
Students can connect with AccessAbility Services before beginning their studies, after a disability has been diagnosed, when a new condition develops, or whenever disability-related barriers begin affecting their academic experience. Policy 19 encourages students to contact AccessAbility Services as soon as they become aware of, or suspect, a need for accommodation.
Step 2: Discuss Your Circumstances
The accommodation process is individualized. Students work with AccessAbility Services to identify barriers and discuss how those barriers affect their academic experience. Documentation may be required to support the accommodation process, depending on the circumstances.
Importantly, accommodations are based on the barriers a student experiences and the supports needed to address those barriers. There is no single accommodation that applies to every student with a particular diagnosis or condition.
Step 3: Develop an Accommodation Plan
Where accommodations are appropriate, AccessAbility Services works with the student and, where necessary, instructors or academic units to develop an accommodation plan. Accommodation plans are intended to support access and participation while maintaining the essential requirements of a course or program.
Accommodation plans may include a range of supports, depending on the student's circumstances and academic environment.
Step 4: Implement the Accommodation Plan
Once accommodations have been approved, implementation may involve multiple participants, including students, AccessAbility Services, instructors, supervisors, and academic administrators. The specific responsibilities of each participant are outlined in Policy 19.
Accommodation is an ongoing process rather than a one-time event. Effective implementation may require communication and collaboration throughout a student's academic journey.
When Circumstances Change
Accommodation needs do not always arise at the beginning of a term. A student may develop a new condition, experience a temporary disability, receive a diagnosis later in their studies, or find that an existing accommodation plan no longer reflects their circumstances.
Policy 19 recognizes that accommodation needs may evolve over time and that accommodation plans may need to be reviewed or revised in response to changing circumstances.
Students are encouraged to connect with AccessAbility Services when:
- their accommodation needs change;
- an existing accommodation no longer reflects their circumstances;
- a new barrier emerges; or
- there are academic requirements for which an accommodation has not yet been established.
Policy 19 also includes processes related to interim accommodations and retroactive accommodation requests in certain circumstances. These processes recognize that disability-related needs do not always arise, become known, or receive formal documentation at predictable points in a student's academic journey.
Understanding Rights and Responsibilities
Academic accommodation is a shared process. Policy 19 outlines responsibilities for students, AccessAbility Services, instructors, supervisors, and academic administrators. While each participant has a different role, successful accommodation often depends on communication and collaboration among everyone involved.
Students
Students play an active role in the accommodation process. Under Policy 19, students are responsible for:
- Making AccessAbility Services aware of accommodation needs when they become aware of, or suspect, a need for accommodation.
- Participating in discussions about their accommodation needs.
- Providing required documentation where appropriate.
- Following established accommodation processes and deadlines.
- Communicating when circumstances change or when an accommodation plan may need to be reviewed.
Students also have the right to request academic accommodations, participate in accommodation-related decisions, and have their accommodation information handled confidentially
AccessAbility Services
AccessAbility Services is the University's central office for disability-related academic accommodations. Under Policy 19, its responsibilities include:
- Receiving accommodation requests from students.
- Reviewing supporting documentation related to accommodation needs.
- Determining accommodation needs and developing accommodation plans.
- Collaborating with students, instructors, and academic units to facilitate accommodations.
- Coordinating processes related to interim accommodations and retroactive accommodation requests.
- Maintaining privacy and confidentiality throughout the accommodation process.
AccessAbility Services is also the only University office authorized to collect and review medical documentation for the purpose of determining academic accommodations.
Instructors and Academic Units
Instructors, supervisors, and academic units have an important role in implementing accommodations and supporting accessible learning environments. Under Policy 19, their responsibilities include:
- Collaborating in the accommodation process when needed.
- Implementing approved accommodations within courses, programs, and academic activities.
- Consulting with AccessAbility Services when accommodation questions arise.
- Working to identify appropriate alternatives when a proposed accommodation may affect an essential requirement of a course or program.
- Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of accommodation-related information.
Instructors are not responsible for determining whether a student is eligible for accommodations. That role belongs to AccessAbility Services.
Shared Responsibility
Academic accommodation is often described as a collaborative process. Students, AccessAbility Services, instructors, and academic administrators each have responsibilities that contribute to identifying barriers and implementing appropriate accommodations.
At times, challenges or misunderstandings may arise. When they do, understanding the responsibilities of each participant can help clarify expectations and support productive conversations about accommodation needs and implementation.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Accommodation processes often involve sensitive personal and health information. Policy 19 states that accommodation information should only be shared on a need-to-know basis and handled in accordance with applicable privacy legislation and University requirements.
Students are generally not required to disclose medical diagnoses directly to instructors. Instead, accommodation needs are typically communicated through the accommodation process coordinated by AccessAbility Services
Key Concepts and Common Questions
The accommodation process includes a number of terms and concepts that students may encounter when working with AccessAbility Services, instructors, or academic administrators. Understanding these concepts can make the process easier to navigate.
Temporary and Permanent Disabilities
Academic accommodations are not limited to permanent disabilities. Students may seek accommodations for temporary disabilities, injuries, medical conditions, mental health conditions, or other disability-related circumstances that create barriers to participating in their education.
The accommodation process focuses on understanding the impact of a barrier on a student's academic experience rather than categorizing a condition as more or less significant.
Key takeaway: Both temporary and permanent disabilities may result in accommodation needs
Individualized Accommodation Plans
Accommodation plans are developed based on a student's individual circumstances, needs, and the barriers they experience. Students with similar diagnoses may receive different accommodations, while students with different diagnoses may receive similar accommodations.
Accommodation plans may also change over time as a student's circumstances, academic environment, or accommodation needs evolve.
Key takeaway: Accommodations are based on individual barriers and needs, not diagnosis alone.
Essential Requirements
Academic accommodations are intended to remove barriers while maintaining the essential requirements of a course or program. Accommodations may change how a student accesses learning, completes assessments, or demonstrates knowledge and skills.
The learning outcomes, academic standards, and core requirements of a course or program remain in place for all students.
Key takeaway: Accommodations support equitable access, not changes to academic standards.
Interim Accommodations
Sometimes a student requires support before all documentation is available or before the accommodation process has been completed. Policy 19 allows for interim accommodations in certain circumstances while accommodation needs are being reviewed.
These temporary measures help address immediate barriers while additional information is gathered or a longer-term accommodation plan is developed.
Key takeaway: Support may be available while the accommodation process is still underway.
Retroactive Accommodations
Sometimes a disability-related barrier is only recognized after an assignment, test, examination, or academic decision has been affected. Policy 19 includes a process for considering retroactive accommodation requests in these situations.
Requests are reviewed individually and are assessed based on the specific circumstances and available information.
Key takeaway: Accommodation concerns that emerge after an academic event may still be considered.
Duty to Accommodate
The duty to accommodate comes from the Ontario Human Rights Code and forms the foundation of accommodation practices in Ontario's educational institutions. It requires institutions to take reasonable steps to address disability-related barriers and support equitable access to education.
This obligation guides the development of accommodation policies, procedures, and individual accommodation plans.
Key takeaway: Accommodation is part of the University's legal and human rights obligations.
Undue Hardship
Undue hardship refers to the legal limit of the duty to accommodate. While the University has a responsibility to accommodate disability-related needs, accommodation requests must be assessed within the context of individual circumstances and institutional obligations.
Where challenges arise, different approaches or alternative accommodations may be explored while maintaining essential academic requirements.
Key takeaway: The duty to accommodate is significant, but it is not unlimited.
Dignity, Inclusion, and Participation
Accommodation is guided by principles that extend beyond providing academic supports. Both Policy 19 and the Ontario Human Rights Commission emphasize respect for dignity, individualized assessment, inclusion, and full participation in education.
These principles help ensure that students can access education while maintaining their autonomy, privacy, and sense of belonging within the university community.
Key takeaway: Effective accommodation supports both access to education and meaningful participation in university life.
Accessibility Beyond Academic Accommodations
Academic accommodations are one way of addressing disability-related barriers, but accessibility extends beyond the classroom.
Students may experience barriers in many aspects of university life, including physical spaces, technology, services, communication methods, administrative processes, and campus events. While some concerns may be addressed through academic accommodations, others may fall within the responsibilities of different policies, departments, or service areas.
Policy 58: Accessibility
While Policy 19 focuses on disability-related academic accommodations, the University's broader commitment to accessibility is reflected in other policies and initiatives. Policy 19 specifically recognizes that accessibility responsibilities extend beyond academic accommodations and references Policy 58: Accessibility as part of the University's broader accessibility framework.
Policy 58 addresses the University's commitment to accessibility and barrier reduction across the institution, supporting efforts to create a more accessible campus environment for students, employees, and visitors.
Accessibility and Accommodation: Different but Connected
Accessibility and accommodation are often discussed together because they both aim to reduce barriers and support participation.
Accessibility focuses on creating environments, services, and processes that are as inclusive as possible from the outset. Accommodation focuses on addressing an individual student's disability-related needs when barriers remain. In practice, both work together to support meaningful access to education and university life.
Physical Accessibility
Physical accessibility focuses on the design and maintenance of campus spaces so that members of the university community can access and participate in university life. This may include building access, pathways, seating, signage, elevators, and access to programs, services, and events.
Examples: Building access, accessible routes, classroom spaces, event venues, and campus facilities.
Digital Accessibility
Digital accessibility focuses on ensuring that websites, learning platforms, software, documents, and online resources can be accessed and used by people with a wide range of disabilities and accessibility needs. As more aspects of university life move online, digital accessibility plays an increasingly important role in equitable participation.
Examples: Websites, course materials, online forms, learning technologies, and digital communications.
Accessibility in Services and Processes
Accessibility can also be affected by how services, programs, and administrative processes are designed and delivered. Sometimes a barrier is not related to a course or physical space, but to a process that is difficult to access, navigate, or participate in.
Examples: Registration processes, service delivery, communications, campus programs, and student-facing administrative procedures.
Looking for broader accessibility resources?
Campus Accessibility provides information about accessibility services, supports, accessibility planning, feedback processes, campus navigation, and other resources related to accessibility beyond academic accommodations.
Need help?
Understanding accommodations and accessibility can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when you are trying to determine which policy, process, or office is relevant to your situation.
If you are navigating a disability-related concern, consider starting by identifying the nature of the issue:
Academic Accommodations: If your concern relates to disability-related academic accommodations, accommodation plans, documentation requirements, interim accommodations, retroactive accommodations, or the implementation of an accommodation, AccessAbility Services is typically the starting point under Policy 19.
Accessibility Concerns Beyond Academic Accommodations: If your concern relates to physical accessibility, digital accessibility, campus services, administrative processes, or other accessibility barriers, the University's Campus Accessibility resources may help identify the appropriate office, process, or support.
Understanding Policies and Processes: If you are unsure how a policy or procedure applies to your situation, reviewing the relevant policy and related resources can often help clarify available options, responsibilities, and next steps.
Remember: Accessibility and accommodation concerns are often interconnected, but they are not always addressed through the same process. Understanding whether your concern relates to an academic accommodation, a broader accessibility issue, or another University process can help you identify the most appropriate next step.