A staff member at St. Clair College known for her work in accessibility has received an award marking her significant contributions to the accessibility services area of the College.
Irene Stewart, a retention coordinator at the College, received the award from the College Committee on Accessibility Issues (CCAI) in mid-May.
As part of the Student Services team, Irene has made tremendous contributions to accessibility for students at St. Clair College and across the province. Through her own research and interest, Stewart has become an expert on accessibility and has made it her mission to share that knowledge.
As part of her work, Irene has worked continuously to promote Open Education Resources (OERs). Her contributions to professional development in areas of accessibility and universal design for learning have benefited both the College's faculty and students. She has collaborated closely with the Centre for Academic Excellence to promote pedagogical practices that support student learning.
Irene worked with St. Clair College's Centre for Academic Excellence and Quality Assurance to apply for a grant through eCampus Ontario's support of the Virtual Learning Strategy to create a Digital Accessibility training resource for our faculty. (Digital Accessibility | CAE)
Stewart led a team of students and faculty to research, create and design a comprehensive training resource not only for St. Clair College faculty, but is available as a resource for all of Ontario through eCampus Ontario.
Her continued work on student course modules continues to support students to overcome barriers. Both online modules provide students with access to resources for self-reflection and improvement as well as a key map to navigate College services.
The College Committee of Accessibility Issues is a province-wide committee operating under the Heads of Student Association (HOSA) and is committed to making recommendations for implementing services for students with disabilities and providing valuable resources to its members.
