Post-secondary education opens the door to a better job, greater independence and more financial security. The opportunity to expand your education and build your skill set is one that should be open to everyone in Ontario. For that reason, it is crucial that the programs and services that Ontario's colleges and universities offer be accessible to all Ontarians.

With eight campus locations around the GTA, administrators at Seneca College have already made accessibility a priority.

An accessible elevator and more accessible washrooms and parking have been installed in recent years. The College's website has been revised to include more accessibility features. And a number of programs and services have been developed for students with disabilities which can help them to fulfill their educational goals.

For faculty, the Resolution, Equity and Diversity Centre (REDC) has drafted a set of tips and checklists, which now appear in the annual Faculty Guide, on how to run a more accessible classroom.

The REDC acknowledged that various concerns regarding accessibility were brought to their attention by students and faculty with disabilities. In an effort to reach out to a larger group, and receive greater feedback, the REDC developed the Community Barrier Identification Form. The form allows all students and employees at the College to easily identify and report any perceived barriers that may need to be corrected.

Yasmin Razack, Diversity Officer in the REDC, explains that at a school the size of Seneca, accessibility has to be a primary concern. "One in seven people in Ontario has a disability. Seneca College has over 100,000 students and roughly 3,800 full and part-time employees, so in terms of an academic and a working environment, those environments need to be accessible to as many people as possible."

Razack says that she has heard from a number of students that they would not have achieved the academic success that they did without the support and the inclusive environment they found at Seneca.

In anticipation of the new Accessible Customer Service standard being released, Seneca decided to get ahead of the curve and they have already developed, and test-piloted, a customer service workshop on serving people with disabilities.

Because of the large number of employees at the College who need to receive the training, the REDC will be rolling out a "Train the Trainer" program so that once they've received the training their own employees will then be training their co-workers on the basics of providing accessible customer service.

Student leaders will also be included in training so that they will have a better understanding of what it means to work with and accommodate students with disabilities.

Kim Raymer, Acting Manager of Diversity in the REDC, says that, although the College has made great strides, there is still more work to be done. "Education is about improvement so we're always looking to move forward. We really examine our environment from that place; what can we do to ensure that our environment — regardless of whether it's physical or policy-based – is inclusive?"