Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in College and University-Sponsored Activities Jennifer Dunn National Educational Association of Disabled Students

Outline  Project Team  Project Objectives  Phase I Activities  Phase I Results  Phase II Activities  Phase II Preliminary results  Training material

Project Team Core Team Chris Gaulin Jennison Asuncion Jennifer Dunn Frank Smith Advisory Committee Alison Beattie Lena Cook Jennifer Finlay Partners Canadian Federation of Students Canadian Organization of Campus Activities

Project Objectives  Determine how accessible extra-curricular activities are for students with disabilities  Outline specific barriers  Distribute surveys to campus programmers and students with disabilities  Create a training package for campus programmers  Develop Best Practices

Benefits of Participating in Extra- Curricular Activities  Promotes personal growth in areas such as leadership, team building, etc.  Encourages health and wellness  Builds and grows social and professional network

Benefits of Participating in Extra- Curricular Activities  Introduces or improves skills  Promotes a sense of belonging  Allows for exploration of personal interests  Leads to increased commitment to school and academic achievement

Phase I  Questionnaire sent to campus programmers nation-wide  May 31 st – June 30 th, 2004  Survey asked questions regarding activity planning and accessibility  Focus group with campus programmers

Focus Groups - Saskatchewan  Described most popular activities  Orientation  Intramurals  Sports events  Programmers assume activities are inherently accessible since venues are  Deal with accessibility issues on case-by-case basis

Phase I Results 88% stated that most or all facilities are accessible 72% do not have barriers to making activities more accessible Popular activities: Orientation, Sports events, pub events 58% have access to funding for making activities accessible Many SU willing to make accommodations if they know what’s needed Only 39% stated that accomdations were addressed when planning student elections

Practical Tips  Provide event material in alternative formats  Advertise using a variety of methods  Sensitivity training for the leaders of clubs/organizations  Include students with disabilities in planning and running events  Make sure location and washrooms are accessible

Phase II  Survey distributed to students with disabilities  Currently in progress  Distributed through student union offices and electronically  Asks about participation in extra-curricular activities

Preliminary Results - Barriers Lack of time Not interested in activities Interpretation not available Older building not accessible Transportation barriers

Training Workshop  Individuals met to discuss how to make activities more accessible  Discussed campus programmers’ perspective on making activities accessible  Examined best practices for inclusion of all students

Next Steps - Training Package  Online and offline packages made available to campus programmers  Will include:  Accessible Checklists for activities/events  Best practices from across Canada  Ideas for promoting accessible activities  Etc.

You can find the survey at… wwww wwww wwww.... nnnn eeee aaaa dddd ssss.... cccc aaaa //// iiii nnnn cccc llll uuuu ssss iiii oooo nnnn ssss uuuu rrrr vvvv eeee yyyy 2222Or contact Thank you, and enjoy the conference!