Community Engagement and Consultation Frameworks for Accessibility and Disability Inclusion

Session Description

This session will explore how teams on campus can use community engagement and consultation to advance positive change and impact across our campuses. As the University of Waterloo seeks to employ more inclusive practices, there is a vital need for equitable community engagement and consultation to ensure that lived experiences are the foundation underlying institutional change. In particular, the need for consultation with persons with disabilities is emphasized by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Postsecondary Education Standards (PSES) recommendations, which departments across campus are already working towards. The AODA PSES was developed with persons with disabilities and centers lived experience as a core value. Meaningful consultation with persons with disabilities is vital to advance all campus projects, including using new educational technology or implementing campus construction projects.  

This workshop session will begin with a presentation of the Campus Accessibility Team’s Guide to Equitable Community Engagement for Disability Inclusion as a resource that can be accessed by employees. The session will continue with a participant-driven discussion of two key topics. Firstly, there will be space to discuss how we can engage staff with disabilities in inclusive consultations to ensure their voices are equitably heard. Secondly, the importance of considering intersecting identities will be discussed. The remainder of the workshop will be dedicated to staff working through a community engagement framework to plan consultation in their unique work setting. By the end of the session, participants will understand how to engage with equitable, inclusive, and accessible consultation and compensation.