education

Families, Advocates of Students With Disabilities Seek Clarity in School Reopening Plans

Additional funding urged along with comprehensive plans and clear directives Jessica Wong, CBC News
Posted: Sep 05, 2020

Students with disabilities face extra complications heading back to school in a pandemic, including how to access support services, and parents say more planning was needed from governments.

Like most parents, Sharon Roberts was anxious on her son’s first day of kindergarten. However, despite qualms about Alberta’s back-to-school guidelines amid the pandemic, she felt she had little choice but to send five-year-old Kip to school in person this week.

Families, Advocates of Students With Disabilities Seek Clarity in School Reopening Plans. Read full article.

Why Some Parents of Kids With Disabilities are Making the ‘Heart-Breaking’ Choice of At Home Learning

Students with disabilities an afterthought in province’s plan, parent Lisa Thornbury says Julia Knope
CBC News, Aug. 27, 2020

For months, Avery Thornbury, 14, has been looking forward to starting Grade 9 at a new school. In fact, she’s been so excited that she’s had her backpack ready by her front door since June.

“I just want the virus to be done,” she said.

Why Some Parents of Kids With Disabilities are Making the ‘Heart-Breaking’ Choice of At Home Learning. Read full article.

Students With Disabilities Face More Obstacles Returning to Class: Advocates

Osobe Waberi, The Canadian Press
Published Saturday, August 22, 2020

TORONTO — Advocacy groups in Ontario say students with disabilities will face additional obstacles returning to class following the pandemic, leaving parents unsure if their children will be fully and safely included in school reopening plans.

The Ontario Autism Coalition and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance held an online town hall meeting Friday to discuss what they say is the provincial government’s “failure” to put parents at ease with the school year looming.

Students With Disabilities Face More Obstacles Returning to Class: Advocates. Read full article.

Ford Government to Spend Over a Half Billion Dollars on New Schools and Major School Additions, Without Announcing Effective Measures to Ensure that These Schools Will be Fully Accessible to Students, Parents and School Staff with Disabilities

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities
Web: http://www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/

July 30, 2020

SUMMARY

Ford Government to Spend Over a Half Billion Dollars on New Schools and Major School Additions, Without Announcing Effective Measures to Ensure that These Schools Will be Fully Accessible to Students, Parents and School Staff with Disabilities. Read full article.

Three Recommendations for Accessible Remote Learning

Posted: July 17, 2020
by Jackie Pichette and Jessica Rizk

Adapting to the realities of remote schooling has been challenging. Since the COVID-19 pandemic sent our province into a state of emergency, many students have had to turn bedrooms into offices, kitchen tables into classrooms and parking lots into hotspots. While all Ontario learners have had to adapt to overcome barriers, those barriers have been amplified for many students with disabilities.

Three Recommendations for Accessible Remote Learning. Read full article.