Institutional Obligations and Shared Responsibility

Post-secondary institutions are required to take a proactive approach in addressing disability related issues and in establishing policies and programs that are inclusive for students with disabilities. All members of the University of Windsor community have a shared responsibility to accommodate students with disabilities whose needs have been duly assessed by Student Disability Services. Academic accommodations play an important role in creating an equitable environment where respect for the dignity of the persons with disabilities and respect for confidentiality are realized. The University of Windsor’s current Special Needs Policy (Senate Policy S2) is intended to reflect the University's response to the legislative requirements of Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

It is the responsibility of the University not only to accommodate students with disabilities, but to ensure the specific rights and entitlements which are guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Section 15), the Ontario Human Rights Code (Section 17, Subsections 1-4), the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA - Bill 118) , and University of Windsor Senate Policy S2: Special Needs Policy.

In fulfilling the obligation to accommodate student with disabilities, it is recognized that the needs of each student with a disability must be individually assessed to determine the appropriate accommodations. Not all students with the same disability will have the same needs, and the accommodations available to each student are highly individualized and specific to that student. The University has a responsibility (through Student Disability Services) to notify faculty of the specific accommodations to which a student with a disability is entitled, and to work with faculty to ensure that the rights of the student are met and that the integrity of the course remains intact.

(return to Faculty/Instructor main page)