Accessibility Awareness Days 2021 - Program

Group of friends communicating with sign language

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week One: March 2, 2021

Welcoming Disability with the Social Model

This presentation will introduce central tenets of the social model of disability. We will explore how the social model approaches disability differently from common medical and charity models, and the impact that valuing disability can have on our teaching, learning, and practice.

Presenters:

Dr. Jijian Voronka is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Windsor. She teaches primarily for their Disability Studies program, where she uses Critical Disability Studies perspectives to elucidate confluences of power that affect people with disabilities in everyday, community, and institutional life.

Iseonna Silliker is a student at the University of Windsor studying Social Work, with a specialization in Psychology and a minor in Disability Studies. With the influence of Disability Studies courses at the University, Iseonna has become passionate about accessibility, social inclusion, and human rights. Iseonna’s commitment to social change and human development has influenced her to be incredibly involved in the community. 

Group sitting around table in a business meeting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 2: March 9, 2021

Accessibility, Inclusion & the Limits of the Law

How can we achieve greater social inclusion for people with disabilities? This question lies at the heart of a regulatory initiative that has been developing steadily in Canada since the mid-2000s. The question of inclusion has become even more acute during the COVID-19 crisis. Accessibility standards are the newest generation of law established to combat disability discrimination.  Accessibility standards are designed to be proactive. But, Professor Laverne Jacobs argues that in order for this or any equality law to have a truly transformative impact on the lives of people with disabilities, much work still needs to be done. What does this mean for you? Come and learn more at this virtual interview hosted by Law, Disability & Social Change Project Student Researcher, Nadia Shivratan.

Presenters:

Dr. Laverne Jacobs is a law professor at the University of Windsor in Canada. She is a disability and human rights expert, informed through her professional work as a strong advocate for equal rights, as well as personally, as a person with a disability. Dr Jacobs is an innovative researcher and, as the founding Director of the Law, Disability & Social Change Project at Windsor Law, conducts research into current legal and policy issues to help foster disability inclusion. Laverne is a regular consultant and contributor in Canada’s policy development and public debates and has held appointments on the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and the Minister's Advisory Council for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Laverne’s research has a focus on Canada’s accessibility, equality and human rights law, as well as on treaties and conventions.

Nadia Shivratan is a JD student at the University of Windsor and a BBA graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University. She is currently a Research Assistant for Dr. Laverne Jacobs and a Student Researcher for the Law, Disability and Social Change Project. Nadia is a strong advocate for social inclusion and is thoroughly involved in her community. She most recently founded a non-profit initiative called LawLinks that connected over 100 law students who lost employment due to Covid-19 to volunteer opportunities across Canada.

 

Large group of athletes exercising squats with their coach in a health club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 3: March 16, 2021

Supporting Human-Centered Design

Creating environments for people with diverse abilities is the role of the architect. It is their privilege to design everyday physical forms, like buildings, public spaces and structural objects, that are usable and inclusive for all. Enabling people to participate in activities, and interact with others is foundational to the profession, yet we find many situations where designers have failed to achieve this goal. Ideally, our environments should facilitate everyone’s ability to function, yet there is often a huge disconnect between principle and practice. During this presentation we will examine strategies in the planning and implementation of universal design.

Presenter:

Dr. Veronika Mogyorody is Professor Emeritus in the School of Creative Arts at the University of Windsor and founder of the interdisciplinary Visual Arts and the Built Environment [VABE] program with the School of Architecture, University of Detroit Mercy. Trained as an architect and urban designer, her research has focused on learning spaces, sustainable design, and cultural districts/hubs. She is currently a CTL Teaching and Learning Senior Fellow and member of OHREA’s Accessible Built Environment Committee. She sits on CNIB’s Ontario-West Advisory Board, supporting programs that strengthen independence and accessibility for people with sight loss. As former Academic Architectural Advisor, Dr. Mogyorody was involved with the design and construction of several campus learning environments, and as past President of the Art Gallery of Windsor (AGW) and current Board member of Windsor Endowment for the Arts (WEA), she is a strong promoter of arts and culture in downtown redevelopment.

 

Two smiling friends sitting together looking at a computer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 4: March 23, 2021

Accessible Online Education During the Pandemic and Beyond  

Online learning globally has been growing massively for the past two decades, but has still remained a relatively niche teaching and learning experience, with self-selected learners choosing the mode that fits their individual needs. While many learners with disabilities choose to take online courses to provide them the flexibility they need to succeed, the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden shift to online learning for the entire student body has meant that accessible online course design and principles of universal design are far more important than ever before. This session explores some of the core elements of accessible online course design, considerations for selecting accessible educational technologies, and encourages us to reflect on lessons learned from supporting the transition to online learning for all students and instructors.  

Presenter:

Professor Nick Baker is the Director of the Office of Open Learning at the University of Windsor. He has been teaching and researching about online learning and educational technology for two decades and is a strong advocate for accessible education for all learners. He is the Chair of the Ontario Universities’ Council on eLearning, a director on the board of eCampus Ontario, and an award winning educator and leader in Canada and Australia, most recently receiving an Award for Excellence from the Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities for his work in helping universities transition to online learning.

 

Group of students smiling and talking together on campus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 5: March 30, 2021

Inclusion has to be Purposeful

Dave Dame is an internationally recognized leadership coach, enterprise agile leader and trainer. As the Global Enterprise Agile leader with Scotiabank, Dave works with the organization across 5 countries. Born in 1971 with Cerebral Palsy, Dave has overcome many barriers with determination and the support of his parents. He acknowledges that changes to accessibility over the years has improved opportunities for him and others to participate in society. However, Dave explains that accessibility is not enough. Dave shares his journey of going away to University on his own to participation in a highly competitive job market to demonstrate the difference between mere accessibility to meaningful inclusion. Dave brings the perfect mix of humour and inspiration to encourage people to think about what their role is in creating an inclusive world.

Keynote Speaker:

Dave Dame is a leadership coach, enterprise agile leader and trainer with over 20 years of experience, which he leverages to drive large-scale transformation in complex organizations. Focusing on building high performing teams, he has trained over 600 professionals in product management, leadership and agile delivery practices. Dave has worked with technology companies such as OpenText, PTC, and MCAP; in many cases improving delivery times by over 150%. In his role as the Global Enterprise Agile leader at Scotiabank, Dave has built up an agile organization across 5 countries with the goal of engaging Scotiabankers across the organization to embrace agility and change. Dave combines his professional expertise with personal experience to also speak to the importance of accessibility and inclusion.

 

Accessibility Awareness Days Closing Ceremonies – March 30, 12:00-12:10

Kaye Johnson, Executive Director – Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility

Cherie Gagnon, Accessibility Manager -  Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility