Our values
Creating inclusive, accessible spaces, services, and communities is a core element of Dalhousie鈥檚 aspirations as a university, recognizing that people are fundamental to everything we do.
Dalhousie continuously strives to become a barrier-free institution and demonstrate commitment in how we address accessibility. As an institution, we will meet the core requirements set out by the Accessibility Act. The following shared values and beliefs will guide our activities:
- A diverse and inclusive Dalhousie enhances how we teach, learn, research, work, and engage within and outside the University.
- An accessible environment benefits everyone.
- Removing barriers is key for equitable access to education, research, employment, and services.
- Our approach will be collaborative, accountable, first voice informed, and values based.
Background
In 2017, Nova Scotia became only the third province to adopt legislation focused on persons with disabilities: the Accessibility Act. The Act recognizes accessibility as a human right and outlines how we as a province can identify, prevent, and remove barriers to access
The Act requires 鈥減ublic-sector bodies鈥 such as Dalhousie to craft a comprehensive accessibility plan to address barriers in the following areas:
- built environment
- teaching, learning, and research
- goods and services
- information and communication
- transportation
- employment
Dalhousie鈥檚 first plan, released in April 2022, was also informed by the . The framework identifies a shared vision and commitment and serves as a guide for the development, evaluation, and monitoring of institutional accessibility plans across the province.
The groundwork for Dalhousie鈥檚 Accessibility Plan was a series of pre-2022 transformative changes to institution-wide policies and processes; organizational structures; and services and resources for students, faculty, staff, and community. Nova Scotia鈥檚 Accessibility Act brought broader focus to the importance of barrier removal and created more accountability, transparency, and structure to province-wide accessibility progress.
Community overview
The number of persons with disabilities at Dalhousie has grown over the last five years.
By 2022, 19% of students, 8% of academic staff, and 15% of other staff identified as having a disability. Senior administration included 13% persons with disabilities, and 14% of Senate identified as such. While these numbers show progress, ongoing work is needed to create more inclusive and accessible environments.
- In 2018, students with disabilities constituted 10% of the student body (1,508), and by 2022, this figure had risen to 19% (2,900), surpassing national benchmarks for undergraduate and graduate student representation.
- 2SLGBTQIA+ students with disabilities increased from 2% (346) to 6% (908) of the student body. This further highlights the intersectionality within these groups and the evolving landscape of inclusivity in the educational setting.
- In 2022, seven faculties exceeded Dal鈥檚 average for students with disabilities, while five fell below. Faculty percentages ranged from 8% (91) in Medicine to 28% (461) in Arts & Social Sciences.
- Academic staff with disabilities saw growth during the same period, going from 6% (56) to 8% (94), which remains less than both labour market availability and the student body.
- 2SLGBTQIA+ academic staff with disabilities increased from 1% (10) to 2% (26).
- In 2022, most faculties met or exceeded the university鈥檚 average for academic staff with disabilities, with five falling below ranging from 3% (9) in Medicine to 7% (6) in Engineering.
- Similarly, the number of staff with disabilities increased during the same period. In 2018, staff with disabilities made up 7% (119), rising to 15% (257) by 2022. Despite narrowing the gap over the years, a persistent disparity with the labour market remains, particularly in supervisory, intermediate sales and service, and other sales positions.
- 2SLGBTQIA+ staff with disabilities increased from 1% (15) to 5% (82) of staff. This further highlights the intersectionality within these groups and the evolving landscape of inclusivity in the workplace.
- In 2022, staff with disabilities achieved or surpassed the university鈥檚 average in nearly half of the administrative units; however, most units exhibited representation ranging from 0% (Athletics & Recreation, Architecture & Planning, Office of the President) to 13% (Facilities Management, Medicine).
- The representation of senior administrators with disabilities increased from 10 to 12, maintaining a rate of 13%, which exceeds the figures reported by both Universities Canada (7%) and the national labour market (4%) for those at the rank of Dean or higher.
Monitoring and evaluation
Listen. Learn. Act. Listening to, learning from, and acting on feedback from across the university and community is a critically important element of Dalhousie鈥檚 Accessibility Plan.
Information sources
To inform our updated plan, we drew from multiple sources:
- Student Accommodation Policy review.
- Accessible Course Design Policy development.
- Feedback from students, staff, and faculty through pop-up consultations.
- Data from Dalhousie鈥檚 Our Voice Survey, Be Counted Census, Community Equity Report, Employment Equity Plan, Employment Equity Plan Progress Report, and internal surveys administered through Student Affairs.
Evaluation and reporting
Additional evaluation and reporting efforts have included, but have not been limited to:
- Collaborating with the Provincial Community of Practice to define and implement a framework to track progress across Dalhousie and other provincial post-secondary institutions.
- Conducting an annual review of the plan and sharing updates broadly.
- Completing compliance reporting, as required.
- Identifying methods to collect feedback and mechanisms to address that feedback.
听
What we heard: Campus pop-up consultations
- Provide remote options to join class.
- Have more hybrid classes 鈥 in-person/virtual/split class.
- Increase note takers for classes.
- Improve accessibility in classrooms.
- Maintain the same advisor throughout degree.
- Require Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in courses.
- Improve access to information about accessibility supports.
- Record all lectures.
- Schedule classes at non-peak hours (6-10pm).
- 听Improve snow clearing/ice buildup at curbs.
- Add ramps and accessible sidewalks.
- Improved navigation in the Dentistry Building.
- Add a ramp or lift to the Arts Centre sculpture court.
- Remove locked doors to improve access to classrooms in Tupper Link level 2.
- Require universal design in new buildings.
- Improve comfort and accessibility in classrooms and lecture theatres.
- Improve accessible parking on Carleton Campus or provide shuttles between campuses.
- Improve temperature settings in buildings.
- Promote accessibility- and disability-focused courses provided at Dal.
- Require subtitles/captioning on all lecture recordings.
- Require recording of lectures.
- Provide training for staff and faculty on how to properly use IT/audio/mic equipment in classrooms.
- Provide certified and safe food options (e.g., gluten free).
- Small buildings across campus are a physical barrier. No accessibility into or inside them.
- Langille Building entrances are accessible but no vertical circulation causes major barriers.
- Banting Building main entrance is not accessible.
- Accessible parking must be signed to be enforceable, limited accessible signage at parking lots.
- Improved Residence accessibility.
- Lectures should be recorded and posted online.
- Extend time between classes when students must navigate from buildings.
- Provide funding for and develop a strategy to implement the Accessibility Plan.
- Provide online video recordings of lectures.
- Provide more varied lecture styles/formatting, i.e., online options.
- Educate on invisible disabilities to help others manage their own expectations and assumptions.
- Provide more information on what 鈥淎ccessibility鈥 means to Dalhousie and across each Accessibility Plan focus area.
- Improve and add sidewalks on Sexton Campus, i.e., on Sexton Field to O鈥橞rien Hall.
- Improve physical barriers across campus, implement user-friendly campus design.
Next Steps
We have multiple opportunities to further identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility in policies, programs, practices, and services.
Short term goals
- Conclude the Student Accommodation Policy Review and launch the implementation plan.
- Conclude the Accessible Course Design Policy Development and launch the implementation plan.
- Review our Accessibility Advisory Committee governance structure and decision-making capabilities.
Medium-term goals
- Re-launch our baseline survey for ongoing evaluation of student, staff, and faculty experiences. Survey results will inform future Accessibility Plan priorities.
- Develop and establish an assessment framework to measure the impact and effectiveness of the Accessibility Plan.
Long-term and ongoing goals
- Continue campus consultations, drawing from existing resources (e.g., survey tools and community reports).
- Collaborate across units to develop and propose Impact Project through the Integrated Budget Planning Framework.
- Ensure Dalhousie鈥檚 recommendations align with provincial standards and legislation as they are released. Make note of and respond to gaps.\
- Continue to monitor and report on the Plan鈥檚 progress.