Access Justice in Post-Secondary Education: Advancing Remote and Hybrid Options for Accessible Learning, Work, and Community

The surge in options for online participation that accompanied the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was recognized by disability community members as a potential basis for accessibility gains, including in employment and education, where remote and hybrid access accommodations were previously characterized as impossible to implement. As much of the world has “returned to normal” following the cancellation of pandemic precautions, the withdrawal of remote and hybrid access options has resulted in the exclusion of many disabled people. Through this project, I aim to learn from disabled people about how the rollback of remote and hybrid options for working, learning and community participation in the post-secondary education sector in Canada has impacted their lives; and to understand how advocates and activists in this sector enact disability-centred access practices through their work to support options for accessible remote and hybrid participation. In collaboration with Re•Vision: The Centre for Art and Social Justice at the University of Guelph and Surface Impression, an industry leader in accessible digital design, I will create a series of public digital resources to promote awareness of the importance of remote and hybrid access, and practical guidelines for their successful—and fully accessible— implementation.

Faculty Supervisor:

Carla Rice

Student:

Partner:

Surface Impression

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Guelph

Program: