Accessible Education Day 2025

Time 

Session Title 

Session Description  

10:00-11:00AM 

Lived Experiences Panel 

This session aims to increase understanding about panelists’ unique lived experiences with disability, chronic health conditions, or neurodivergence as they study and work at the University of Waterloo. Accessible education must be grounded in lived experiences and this session hopes to provide a foundation for conversations throughout the day.   

Panellists: Garth Yarde (Graduate Student, Faculty of Arts), Karen Cochrane (Faculty Member, Stratford School of Interaction and Business Design), Amanda de Oliveira Fogaça(Staff Member, Writing and Communication Centre)  

Moderator [in session]: Samantha Fowler (Campus Accessibility)  

11:00 – 11:10AM 

Break 

11:10-11:50AM 

When it comes to course accessibility, what's important to students? Findings from two research studies. 

In 2024, two different studies were conducted that capture Waterloo students’ perspectives on course accessibility. In this session, Sonya Buffone and Kathy Becker will describe their analysis of over 87,000 comments on the Student Course Perception Survey and Christine Zaza will provide findings from a survey which examined over 1,500 Waterloo undergraduate and graduate students’ perspectives on the importance of course accessibility practices.   

Presenters: Christine Zaza (Centre for Extended Learning), Sonya Buffone (Teaching Assessment Processes), Kathy Becker (Teaching Assessment Processes) 

12:00-1:00PM 

Lunch 

1:00-1:40PM 

Concurrent Pathway 1 

1a: Introduction to Program-Level Essential Requirements 

As postsecondary institutions prepare for evolving accessibility legislation and policy, understanding and articulating essential requirements (ERs) has become increasingly important. This interactive workshop explores the concept of ERs. Participants can expect short collaborative activities (Vevox polls). Engage in the way you choose, be it listening, unmuting your mic and speaking, or using the chat.    

Key Takeaways:   

• Explore the pedagogical, curricular, and legal foundations of ERs.    

• Distinguish between ERs and intended learning outcomes (ILOs).   

• Learn practical strategies for reviewing program materials to surface potential ERs. 

Presenters: Donna Ellis and Victoria Feth (Centre for Teaching Excellence), Diana Skrzydlo (Faculty of Mathematics) 

1b: How do I know if a course is accessible? 

This session focuses on basic accessibility practices that improve the design and delivery of courses, assessments, and course materials.  Participants will learn how to use the UWaterloo Course Accessibility Guide to assess and improve course accessibility, and where to go for help with course accessibility.    

Presenter: Rachael Verbruggen (Centre for Extended Learning) 
  

1:40 – 1:50PM 

Break 

1:50-2:30PM 

Concurrent Pathway 2 

2a: Disability and Accessibility Education for Student Supporters

This conversational session is intended for student supporters and academic advisors to facilitate a group discussion on disability inclusion and accessibility. The session will introduce a case study to guide how we support students with unidentified, undiagnosed, undisclosed, or unaccommodated disabilities and refer them to accessible support services.   

Presenters: Kate Andrey (Student Success Office), Priscila Carrara (Science Undergraduate Office) 

*note that this session will not be recorded. Thank you for your understanding. 

2b: What are instructors doing to integrate inclusive/accessibility in their courses? 

This panel will showcase efforts by current UW instructors aimed at incorporating accessible design principles into their undergraduate courses at Waterloo. Each panelist will share their strategies and considerations for incorporating accessible design into their respective courses and share their lessons learned for folks interested in integrating accessibility into their courses in the future.   

Presenters: Brenda Lee (Faculty Member, Faculty of Science), Ryan Tennant (Graduate Student, Faculty of Engineering), Jennifer Yessis (Faculty Member, Faculty of Health) 

2:30 – 2:40PM 

Break 

2:40-3:20PM 

How do people use assistive technologies? 

This session will highlight the diverse ways staff, students, and faculty use assistive technologies in their academic and professional lives at the University of Waterloo. Through personal stories and live demonstrations, attendees will gain insight into the tools and strategies that support accessibility—and learn about those that are available for use—on-campus. Demos include: an overview of screen reader options on the market, with a demo of NVDA, a free screen reader, and Equatio, a math-focused accessibility tool.   

Presenters: Maggie Ingleson (Undergraduate Student, Faculty of Science), Michael Clark (Library Accessibility Services Lead, University of Waterloo Libraries), Grace Kaya-Clarke (Undergraduate Student, Faculty of Environment) 

3:20 – 3:30PM 

Break 

3:30-4:30PM 

Keeping the Conversation going on Accessible Education: Next Steps 

The closing session will offer our campus community practical insights, guidance, and support to continue advancing accessible education at Waterloo. Throughout Accessible Education Day, you’ve been introduced to faculty, staff, and students already leading this work—but many more people and resources across campus also play an important role.  

In this session, you’ll learn how to connect with these individuals and supports and hear about upcoming developments in accessible education at Waterloo. You’ll also have the chance to share your perspectives: What should the University of Waterloo invest into further progress toward a fully accessible educational experience for both instructors and students? What would help you most? Your feedback will help shape the future of accessibility at Waterloo.   

Presenters: David DeVidi (Associate Vice-President, Academic), Jennifer Gillies (Associate Provost, Campus Support and Accessibility) 

Moderators [in session]: Kyle Scholz (Teaching Innovation Incubator), Samantha Fowler (Campus Accessibility)