National Graduate Experience Taskforce Accessibility and Graduate Education Understanding the Financial Experiences of Students with Disabilities in Graduate Programs Shelley Clayton CASFAA Past-President, Member, National Graduate Experience Taskforce Jeremy Murray Introduction completed by UNB student AACUSS 2016: The Summit of Success

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Contact Information Shelley Clayton – Jeremy Murray Fredericton blogger aims to dispel myths of disabled people (see link below) brunswick/fredericton-blogger-aims-to-dispel-myths-of- disabled-people Jeremy’s tag line in life is: “Life is not easy or hard, it's just the way YOU look at it…”

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Equal Opportunity vs. Equal Outcome The Same Difference - LIW Jeremy Murray, BA.MAACF - YR4

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Equal Opportunity vs. Equal Outcome

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Introduction As the number of students with disabilities entering graduate education continues to increase, disability service providers, graduate departments, and universities as a whole have to develop new strategies to facilitate their success.

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Introduction Currently, there is a critical lack of research and information in this area, as no significant research on this population has been undertaken within Canada or the United States, and demographic data sets are lacking. There is also a significant need to better understand the overall experiences of disabled students in graduate studies.

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Available Demographic Data ~65 universities with graduate programs (CAGS membership) 1,030 graduate students with disabilities receiving federal financial aid (CSLP data, current through ) – ~5% of the overall graduate population receiving federal financial aid Lack of accurate reporting on numbers of graduate students with disabilities registered with disability services providers nationwide – Ontario has the best tracking data nationally – Demographic not captured in reporting to provincial ministries

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Approach and Mandate Establishment of a large, multi-stakeholder group of subject matter experts (National Graduate Experience Taskforce) Mandate: To review and discuss the academic experience of graduate students with disabilities, in the context of the last fifteen years' advances in technology, attitudes and legislation

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Project Goals Examine the experiences of and barriers faced by graduate students with disabilities across Canada; Produce information to develop strategies to facilitate the success students with disabilities in graduate programs; Develop a discussion paper outlining the current systemic issues for graduate students with disabilities; and, Develop recommendations for the continued improvement of graduate experience for students with disabilities that can be translated into policy at a provincial or national level.

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Participating Organizations Provincial/National – National Educational Association of Disabled Students (sponsoring aegis) – Council of Ontario Universities – Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario – Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada – Canadian Association of Graduate Studies – Canadian Association of College and University Student Services – Canadian Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators – Inter-university Disability Issues Association Postsecondary Institutions Represented – University of Toronto – York University – Western University – Guelph University – University of New Brunswick – Simon Fraser University Additional Perspectives – Community legal aid – Community-based service providers – Graduate Students with Disabilities

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Project Goals To examine the experiences of, and barriers faced by, graduate students with disabilities across Canada To develop a discussion paper outlining the current system issues for graduate students with disabilities To produce information and develop strategies to facilitate the success of students with disabilities in graduate programs To develop recommendations for the continued improvement of graduate experience for students with disabilities, that can be translated into policy at an institutional, provincial, or national level Long term: To develop “tool- based” approaches for students, faculty and institutions to use in addressing issues faced by graduate students with disabilities

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Separating Myth from Reality Many perceptions about the nature of the graduate experience for students with disabilities – on the part of the student, faculty, service provider, senior administration, etc. Anecdotal evidence is prevalent – is it backed up by survey data? 12NEADS Summer 2013

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Project Findings

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Discussion Paper #3 Funding Landscape for Graduate Students with Disabilities In development Collaboration with the Canadian Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Funding Landscape for Graduate Students with Disabilities Significant differences in funding profile for doctoral vs. master’s students with disabilities – Doctoral students more likely to receive funding through external and internal scholarships, stipends and academic employment – Master’s students more likely to receive funding through loan and family/self contributions 37% of students with disabilities in graduate school receive government loans and are eligible for disability grants through the CSLP – 27% of doctoral students – 41% of master’s students Institutional student financial aid mechanisms are often reliant on student eligibility for federal/provincial financial aid

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Funding Landscape for Graduate Students with Disabilities As students progress through their graduate degrees, they will potentially lose eligibility for provincial/federal financial aid programs – Concomitant loss of eligibility for institutional assistance – Progressive reduction in ability to fund accommodations Students on external scholarships are often not eligible for federal/provincial financial aid programs and the linked disability grants – Scholarships/fellowships have no provision for associated academic accommodations expenditures – Inadvertent penalty for student success?

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Overall Conclusions Issues faced by graduate students with disabilities in Canadian postsecondary education are complex and multi-faceted – Disability-specific considerations (disclosure, accommodation) – Systems issues influenced by disability (student-supervisor relationships, employment) Perceptual disconnects can exist among students, faculty and service providers as to the “real” issues Student expectation vs. reality – importance of the systemic differences between undergraduate and graduate education Community ownership of the project outcomes is required in order to move toward a universally accessible graduate environment

National Graduate Experience Taskforce Acknowledgements Taskforce Membership Participating Organizations Council of Ontario Universities Adaptech Research Network Canada Student Loans Program Canadian Association of Graduate Studies Discussion Paper Authors National Educational Association of Disabled Students

National Graduate Experience Taskforce When We Don’t Know, We Tend To Think The Worst NEADS Summer 2013