Office of Human Rights

Accessibility Awareness Day proves educational

Accessibility Awareness Day photo

Dion Carter, equity and human rights manager, and Denise Livingston, administrative assistant in the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility, staff a booth during Accessibility Awareness Day activities Tuesday in the CAW Student Centre. Students, faculty and staff learned about a variety of topics during the day-long series of sessions on the theme “Building an Accessible Community.”

Day dedicated to accessibility awareness

About 1.85 million people in Ontario have a disability—one in seven Ontarians. Over the next 20 years, this number will rise to one in five.

Agnes MacKillop, compliance assistance training officer with the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario Keynote Speaker, will discuss how we can all help to ensure they are able to participate fully in society in her free public presentation, “Join our Journey toward an Accessible Ontario,” as the opening keynote of today’s Accessibility Awareness Day.

Hundreds entranced by cultural festival

The Celebration of Nations was a wonderful opportunity to share his culture, said Navpreet Singh. The master of engineering student was part of a group which performed a traditional Punjabi dance marking the harvest.

“We thoroughly enjoyed our folk dance,” he said following the performance Thursday in the CAW Student Centre. “We are showing our culture to the whole world.”

Open house donations “priceless” for Colombian children

Donations by guests at the Office of Human Rights Equity and Accessibility open house on December 10 have put a smile on the faces of some children in Bogota, Colombia.

The office collected clothes and a variety of school supplies for the Children of the Andes Foundation as well as a gift of $30 from an off-campus donor and one of $250 from a campus “secret Santa.”

Organizers issue call for participation in Accessibility Awareness Day

Organizers of Accessibility Awareness Day, March 5 on the University of Windsor campus, have issued a call for proposals inviting presenters to share their expertise and experiences on the theme “Building an Accessible Community.”

The interactive day will provide an opportunity for members of the University community as well as members of the broader Windsor-Essex community to come together to learn about and discuss accessibility initiatives.

Topics to be discussed include:

Open house to outfit Colombian schoolchildren

An open house reception in observance of International Human Rights Day, December 10, will support schoolchildren in Bogotá, Colombia.

The Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility is hosting the event Monday from noon to 2 p.m. at 310 Sunset Avenue. The campus community is invited to mingle, to enjoy some light refreshments and finger foods, and to help to a good cause.

New Convocation tradition reflects diversity on campus

The institution of a moment of reflection to replace prayer during University of Windsor Convocation ceremonies will create a more inclusive atmosphere, says Kaye Johnson, director of the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility.

“We operate to make things as inclusive as possible—widening the circle,” she says. “A moment of silent reflection will allow people to use this time as they need to, not as someone else decides.”

Funding available for women’s campus safety initiatives

The Women’s Campus Safety Grant Committee is seeking applications for funding for initiatives to promote safety for women on campus.

A presidential standing committee established to address women’s safety issues on campus, it invites creative, innovative proposals from members of the university community, including individuals or groups, faculty, staff and students. The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has funded the grant since 1991.

Submissions are required to support one of the following broad categories/objectives:

Specialized maps to assist visually impaired in navigating campus

New maps will help people with visual disabilities to make their way through the campus, says Anne Mullen of the office of human rights, equity and accessibility.

The maps are available in large print format and in Braille—which employs raised print for interpretation by touch.

“It boils down to independence,” says Mullen, manager of accessibility and human rights. “Everyone should have the opportunity to navigate the campus on their own.”