Humber is leading the way in fostering inclusivity by adopting the social model of disability in the student services context, making it one of the first post-secondary institutions in Canada to do so.
Through its Accessible Learning Services (ALS) team, Humber is reshaping its approach to better support students with disabilities by focusing on removing physical, social, and attitudinal barriers.
The social model of disability is a perspective that challenges the physical, social and attitudinal barriers in the environment to accommodate individuals living with disabilities. It emphasizes creating inclusive environments that cater to a diverse range of learners. It promotes equity and inclusivity by encouraging a learner-centered pedagogy and fostering safe, collaborative learning spaces. By adopting this model, Humber aims to create an academic community where all students feel supported, valued and are able to thrive.
To better understand how it could improve the accommodation process, ALS gathered feedback from learners to identify hurdles they felt, including around faculty accommodation requests and power imbalances between instructors and students. Based on this feedback, students recommended several improvements to the ALS services, including clearer information on accommodations, better intake processes and more transparent communication about available supports.
Three guiding principles steered ALS's redesign process: empowering learners to navigate the system, proactively removing barriers to participation, and ensuring clear, streamlined communication.
Desta McCalla, associate director of ALS, emphasized that Humber has moved away from its old model and now focuses on anticipating learner variability and proactively planning for it in alignment with ALS's vision.
As of the fall 2024 semester, several significant changes have been implemented. First, learners can now self-register for ALS services through an online intake form, making the process faster and more accessible. Previously, registration could only be done in person, by phone, or by email. This shift toward self-assessment empowers learners to engage with ALS on their own terms.
Moreover, learners can now choose how they interact with ALS. While they could previously only book 50-minute appointments, they now have the option of a 30-minute session or even a transitional option that requires no appointment. In the latter case, learners receive limited accommodations that are commonly used by learners with disabilities, allowing them to receive timely support.
Appointments can now be booked online with any Accessibility Consultant, giving learners flexibility in accessing support across different campuses. Another key change is that students are no longer required to present documentation of their disabilities at their first intake appointment. Instead, ALS now prioritizes students' lived experiences, emphasizing that many of the barriers they face stem from systemic design flaws rather than personal limitations.
McCalla noted that these changes are designed to help students connect with Humber's services more easily and foster a sense of belonging as they integrate into the academic environment.
"Whether you live with a disability or not, when you come through the doors at Humber, we want you to be able to access the institution the same as everyone else," McCalla said. "We want all our learners to be able to come to our space and be successful."
Humber's commitment to the social model of disability has been a priority over the past six months, with the new service model being launched for the fall 2024 term. To ensure its success, both students and staff were involved in co-developing and testing the new processes. Hannah Pearson, a student from the University of Guelph-Humber's Early Childhood Studies program, participated in the project and noted that the changes have already made it easier to book appointments and seek support.
"I was fortunate to be a part of this project," Pearson said. "My hope is that this will make it easier for people who are new to Humber to connect with ALS."
In addition to these service updates, Humber is finalizing a new Academic Accommodation policy and procedure. Also, several educational modules have been launched to help faculty respond to accommodation requests and reduce barriers in their classrooms. McCalla highlighted that these efforts support Humber's broader upstream goals of addressing institutional barriers and fostering the widespread adoption of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.
More information about these changes and resources can be found on the ALS website.
