Currently, there are no AODA education standards. However, two AODA standards development committees have drafted recommendations of guidelines that AODA education standards should include. One committee has recommended guidelines for the kindergarten to grade twelve (K-12) education system. In contrast, the other committee has recommended guidelines for the university and college education system. In this article, we outline the Postsecondary Committee’s recommendations for removing financial accessibility barriers in college and university.
The committee’s mandate from the Ontario government requires recommendations focused on publicly-funded colleges and universities. However, students and educators with disabilities also face barriers in other education settings, including:
- Privately-funded colleges and universities
- Transitional job training programs
Therefore, all these settings should comply with the forthcoming postsecondary education standards.
Removing Financial Accessibility Barriers in College and University
Some financial accessibility barriers happen because part-time students with disabilities have access to less funding than full-time students. For example, full-time students have access to more funding than part-time students through:
- The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)
- Scholarships and bursaries from colleges and universities
However, many students with disabilities may need to register as part-time students, for accessibility reasons. Therefore, when students with disabilities take course loads of forty percent (40%) or more, their college or university, as well as OSAP regulations, should consider them full-time students for the purposes of financial aid. In other words, part-time students with disabilities should be eligible for scholarships, bursaries, and other financial aid usually available only to full-time students. Colleges and universities should have confidential processes to identify eligible students and disperse funds. Likewise, colleges and universities should collect data about how this financial aid impacts retention rates.
In addition, colleges and universities that provide scholarships, bursaries, and other financial aid should consider all students with disabilities eligible for that funding. If a student does not qualify for provincial or national funding, such as OSAP, that student should still be eligible for funding that their college or university provides. Moreover, when students apply for this funding, colleges and universities should assess how students’ disabilities impact their finances.
Furthermore, the government should work with colleges and universities to create resources for students with disabilities, including:
- Subsidies for Indigenous and international students with disabilities
- Assessments
- Tax credits
For instance, colleges and universities should have processes to ensure funding for professional assessments identifying disabilities.
Funding Healthcare
Similarly, student unions should provide part-time students with disabilities access to the health insurance available to full-time students through their schools. Moreover, student unions should ensure that their schools’ healthcare plans provide access to:
- Pharmacies on campus
- Mental health services off campus
- Benefits, including:
- Prescriptions
- Medical devices
- Dental care
- Vision care
- Hearing care
- Medical or rehabilitation care from specialists, such as:
- Auditory skills training
- Physiotherapy
- Speech therapy
Financial Support for Documenting Disabilities
Furthermore, colleges and universities should cover any medical costs for students required to document their disabilities, such as charges for:
- Doctor’s notes
- Assessments
- Letters from healthcare providers describing student accommodation needs
Students may access funding for other types of documentation from other sources, such as:
- OSAP
- An insurance plan
However, if students cannot access these sources, and there is risk that their accommodations will be delayed through lack of funding, their college or university should arrange in advance to reimburse the cost of documentation.