Learning Technology Coach Podcast

S2E6. A Student's Perspective on Accessibility in Higher Education

May 18, 2023 Hilary P. Hennessey Season 2 Episode 6
Learning Technology Coach Podcast
S2E6. A Student's Perspective on Accessibility in Higher Education
Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Featuring Hilary P. Hennessey - Student's with Disabilities Representative / Young Adult Leader, Newfoundland and Labrador Canadian Federation of Students / National Centre of Learning Disabilities

Hilary is currently working towards a Masters degree in Health Ethics from Memorial University.  Ms. Hennessey uses her voice on a local, national and international (USA) level to be an advocate for students with disabilities.   

In this episode, hear Hilary talk about her experience as a student with a disability and how being the first Canadian to sit on the Young Adult Leadership Council established by the US based National Center for Learning Disabilities has helped her to influence change and work for accessibility and inclusion for all learners, especially those who are part of the neurodiversity community.

https://twitter.com/HilPHennessey
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The Learning Technology Coach Podcast is a CITL production.

Speaker Key:

JA               Javad

TI                Timilehin

HI               Hilary

SP             Speaker

00:00:08
JA |
Hello, everyone, my name is Javad.

TI | And I am Timilehin. And welcome to the Learning Technology Coach Podcast.

JA | This season we engage with accessibility experts and champions.

TI | About creating inclusive learning spaces.

JA | We discuss the opportunities and challenges.

TI | Plus, a whole lot more.

00:00:31
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the studio of the Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning here at Memorial University. These are the voices of your favourite learning technology coaches. My name is Timilehin.

JA | And I am Javad.

TI | Right. We are here again to talk about a big and important topic today. How are you feeling about this today, Javad?
 
JA | I’m really, really happy. Today, we will be discussing the accessibility feature as seen through the eyes of an accessibility champion. What do you think, Timilehin?
 
00:01:03
TI |
Oh well, whatever you feel, Javad, is what I feel right now. Accessibility and inclusion have become increasingly important topics in our society, especially in the realm of higher education. For students with accessibility needs, navigating the complex and inaccessible landscape of universities and colleges can be a significant challenge. From inaccessible buildings to unresponsive faculty, students with accessibility needs often face a wide range of barriers that make it difficult for them to fully participate in academic life.

00:01:37
JA |
That’s true. And since we have started recording this podcast about accessibility, accessibility has been on my mind since then. Two weeks ago, I had a two-days trip to Twillingate and I was staying in an Airbnb place and I saw that the owner took it upon themselves to build a ramp for people who are using a wheelchair to make their place more accessible for all people. And I would also like to thank them for the blueberry jam.

00:02:02
TI |
Wow, how kind and thoughtful of them. In fact, that’s really great, I love that. And if you’ve been following the conversation from the beginning of this season, we’ve been talking to people about accessibility in higher education. We’ve been talking to university leaders, we talked to tech experts, we talked to a representative from D2L. We talked to instructors, we talked to people from different backgrounds and offices in the university.

00:02:28
But now, this is the icing on the cake, we actually had that opportunity to talk to students. In fact, students with accessibility needs and that often advocates for other students with accessibility needs. So, we talked to them about their personal experience on accessibility, we talked about what they’ve been doing in their advocacies, what they’ve achieved, what they thought has been their big moment.

00:02:56
And what they think the university, and in fact university staff, especially instructors, can do to make their content more accessible to students. And it was really an interesting conversation.

JA | So, whether you are a student with accessibility needs, or a faculty member, or simply someone who is interested in learning more about accessibility and inclusion in higher education, I would say this podcast is sure to provide valuable insight and perspectives.

00:03:25
So, join us as we speak with our inspiring guest today, and explore the world of accessibility and higher education. Welcome back to the studio. Today, we will be speaking with a true accessibility champion who has not only overcome these barriers, but has also dedicated her life in advocating for accessibility and inclusion.

00:04:00

As a student, she faced numerous challenges and obstacles in her pursuit of higher education. But although [?] her persistence, creativity and resourcefulness, she was able to succeed in her studies and became a leading voice in accessibility community. Timilehin, would you please introduce our guest to our listeners?

TI | Absolutely, I will do that. Today, we have Hilary Hennessey with us in the production studio of the CITL. Hilary Hennessey is a first-year Master of Health Ethics student at Memorial University.

00:04:31
She is also a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Social Work programme at Memorial. She received the 2022 Leslie Thoms Convocation Award for her leadership efforts as an undergraduate student. Hilary is a member of the neurodiverse community and has been a strong advocate for students for disabilities. Placing a focus on accessibility and inclusion, she is the first Canadian to sit on the Young Adult Leadership Council established by the National Center for Learning Disabilities based out of the United States of America.

00:05:07
That’s huge. She is also the incoming students with disabilities representative on the CFSNL Provincial Executive Committee. Hilary has been recognised for her disability advocacy by Empowered, the disability resource centre, in 2022, as she received the Young Adult Leadership Award for encouraging independent living for people with disabilities throughout this province.

00:05:32
Hilary remains an active member of the student movement while pursuing graduate studies, and she advocates for accessibility and inclusion whenever possible. I would say this is a huge profile for a student, honestly speaking.

HI | Thank you so much.

TI | And for a graduate student who is doing a lot on her thesis, on her research, and still have the time to do all of this, this is huge.

HI | It’s definitely a passion of mine.

00:05:55
TI |
Awesome. So, do you want to tell me what brings about this passion? What motivates you to do all of these things? Not only in the local community, but even on national and international platforms you are doing great. Do you want to tell us more about that?

HI | Thank you. Sure. So, my passion really stems from my individual experience. I really struggled, like you said, growing up, getting the resources I need in order to succeed. So, that really empowered me to try and do that for other people. I think that resources should be made available so that people can succeed in their education and in their everyday life.

00:06:33
So, I strive to do that in institutional levels, provincial levels, national levels, wherever I can get a voice of a person with a disability, specifically in the neurodiversity community, heard, I will take that opportunity to do so. And that’s why I am so grateful for being here today, so thank you for that.

TI | Awesome. So, how long have you been doing this?

00:06:57
HI |
So, I have been doing, well, student leadership since my second year of undergrad, which was I think 2019. Getting accepted into the School of Social Work really empowered me to get involved. We were such a close-knit group of individuals in that faculty, and that’s where my passion for the student movement started. It’s just being so connected with students. But after struggling a lot in my undergraduate, and I’ve struggled my entire K-12 school experience, I finally reached out to my family doctor to try to see where are my struggles stemming from.

00:07:37
So, in 2021, I believe, which was about my third… I think it was 2020 or 2021, I’m not 100% sure, but I got a diagnosis for ADHD. I think it was the end of my second year, going into my third year, I was really getting involved within the disability community because I identified within the community.

00:08:01
I felt like my whole life has been explained to me upon getting a diagnosis, and why I struggled the way I did. And what I needed to do to be empowered in my learning and what I needed to do to empower others, to ensure that they got the same support, needed to succeed, like I did. So, accommodations, advocacy for accessibility and inclusion, really became the forefront of my work, and what I’m so passionate about, because I really understand the struggle.

00:08:31
So, I started getting involved, I think, in the disability realm about three years ago.

JA | Right on. What does accessibility mean to you?
 
HI | That’s a really good question. I could fit so much into that. But I think, plainly, accessibility means reasonable access to supportive services or supportive resources that you need to succeed.

00:08:57
And that can be applied to any place, such as succeed in school, succeed in society, to get involved in your community, like, what resources can we present to you to ensure meaningful access. So, that would be my own definition.

JA | And you mentioned that some years ago, for the very first time, you contacted your family doctor and that was maybe the very first time that you officially recognised that accessibility.

00:09:28
We have a lot of students from different backgrounds that come into our university, or different universities, and they may not be aware of an accessibility feature that they need, or they might be taboo or something in those cultures. Do you have any words to talk to those students?

HI | Yes, I think I would say, whether you’re at Memorial or any institution across Canada, in the United States, reach out to your accessibility department to really see if you can get accommodations.
 
00:10:00
And although that might not be accessible to people, I would definitely encourage you sharing your experiences or your limitations or your learning differences with your professors, and whoever’s really providing that guidance to you, so they know how to help you succeed in that course, for an example, or in the university that you’re studying in. So, I think communication is key there. I understand there might be some communication differences, but whatever way you can get your message across to communicate your needs, that’s really important.

00:10:32
And I hope from sharing this that I encourage you to really advocate for yourself, because you are your biggest advocate when it comes to these things. No one knows your needs or your learning differences, and what you need to succeed more than yourself. So, really just highlighting those for those who are trying to support you is key.

00:10:54
JA |
Speaking of communication, how important it is, how do you communicate your accessibility needs to your professors, university staff, and how do you feel that they are adequately met?
 
HI | Well, I don’t know if I feel that they’re adequately met. But I will say that I communicate it by letting my professors know of my learning differences, what exactly I struggle with, which is particularly long readings. The font of articles is a big struggle for me, so I bought a resource.

00:11:30
Again, the funding is sometimes not there. I’m in my… Jeez, I don’t know how many years I’ve been at university now. But it is hard to get the resources that you need to learn properly. So, I would just communicate what my differences are, so that my professors know what they are, because they can’t do anything to help me if they don’t know. I don’t find reaching out to… I know that the Blundon Centre here is for accommodations, I don’t find that useful to me particularly.

00:12:02
So, I do things, I take things on my own, to make things more accessible and accommodate myself by letting my professors know what would be appropriate and to see if they can accommodate me one-on-one versus going through an external party to get those accommodations.

TI | Right. Have you had maybe an experience with maybe an instructor or university staff, that you tell, well, I have this accessibility need, I have this disability or I’m struggling with…?
 
00:12:34
And they seem to look at you like, well, physically you’re good. Have you felt like that before?

HI | Yes. Yes.
 
TI | So, if you felt like that, what would you say to such people that feel like, if I’m not seeing any physical disability, I’m not seeing anything on the physical, why do I have to provide anything to you?

00:12:59
They see it as a favour, like they are trying to maybe do you some sort of favour. What do you have to say to such maybe faculty members or even students?

HI | Yes, so I feel like I’ve definitely experienced that. Being in small class sizes as well, it’s hard to communicate your needs in those with professors, because then they single you out, like you’re different. Although my difference may make me excel in other areas, versus other students, it also might make me restricted in others.
 
00:13:34
So, I have felt singled out before and not being understood by my professor in the past. And in those situations, I would go to my supervisor. So, I’m very grateful that I have a very understanding, accommodative supervisor that really strives to make sure that my needs are met and that my concerns are heard.

00:13:59
So, just receiving that validation is amazing, to know your struggles are real. Your treatment that you’re experiencing is unfair, but what can we do about it? So, I guess, I would… If you are experiencing this differential treatment in your classrooms by professors who are not really understanding your disability, or not having your needs met, I would reach out to the Head of the Department that you are involved in.

00:14:29
Or I’d reach out to maybe a supervisor, if you’re lucky enough to have one, or just a professor that you trust. Because, again, just because one person isn’t meeting your needs or listening to you, doesn’t mean that another person won’t. So, I just would recommend building relationships within your faculties to try to have that supportive person that you feel you can always go to and who will always understand you.

00:14:56
JA |
And that’s exactly one of the things that we try to do with our Learning Technology Coach Podcast, we want to raise this awareness. In your opinion, what changes could universities make to better support students with accessibility needs? 
 
HI | Oh my gosh.
 
JA | And I’m not just talking about Canada, we can go internationally, Canada and the US.

HI | Where do I begin? Well, I guess for… I’ll say it just generally, but I think that a lot of students struggle with getting a diagnosis for a start.
 
00:15:32
If you do not have a diagnosis, you’re not able to get accommodations. So, it’s really important that we create meaningful access to doctors, anyone who can provide this diagnosis that you need. Or we make things universal, make accommodations available to everybody who needs them without this proof, like medical documentation.

00:15:58
Because that medical documentation is very costly, for one, and two, difficult to obtain, regardless of costs, because of the lack of physicians available to be able to provide this documentation. So, that creates issues all in itself, not being able to get a diagnosis, not being able to get the support you need, even though you know you struggle and you notice these differences within yourself, that creates a big issue.

00:16:27
But afterwards I think that getting accommodations that are individualised, so meet the needs of an individual person, not just general accommodations, because you’re not considering that individual’s need in particular. So, like listening to the concerns of students, I would encourage every professor, anyone at an institution, to strive to meet that individual student’s needs, and not just the general requirements, or whatever you have available.

00:16:58
Really strive to ensure that that student has their needs met in whatever they think their accommodation should look like, and not what the university deems the accommodation should look like.

TI | Okay. Would you say having an accessibility department in each academic unit would go a long way?

HI | Yes, for sure. Yes, because it would create that safe space, again, for people who are struggling within their departments and have nowhere to go to.

00:17:25
And if there is, like say the Blundon Centre, if there’s so many people trying to access this one resource, it creates backup, it creates an inaccessible resource.  So, not everyone is able to attain it in a timely, effective manner. So, I think that placing accessibility departments or accessibility offices in each department, whether that’s at this institution, or any institution, would be really important.

00:17:54
Because I think it would eliminate some of those timely concerns that we have with obtaining accommodations and meeting the needs of a student right there and then.

TI | Okay, makes sense. So, now that we’ve been critical of institutions and departments, and even faculties, has there been a time that you really felt fulfilled, that you made your accessibility known or visible to your professor or to academic staff? Has there been a time that you feel like, this person took into consideration my needs and I now I think I can learn better, I can perform better than I used to?

00:18:34
Has there been that time that you felt like, okay, my advocacy is working?

HI | Yes, but I would only say recently. And I have been an advocate for myself for a few years now. So, most recently, after this faculty strike that we had at Memorial, my professor came back and said, we’re erasing all deadlines.

00:18:57
We’re erasing all deadlines, whenever you’re able to submit an assignment, submit the assignment. There’s no pressure of these deadlines. If you need an extension past that, we’ll work to accommodate you. But just having… Because deadlines are something that stresses me out, and sometimes I’m not always able to meet them, and I would need extensions and I need to explain myself. Having that freedom to do things on my own schedule, is amazing, not only as a graduate learner, but as a student with a disability.

00:19:28
Because I can take the time when I feel able to do so, when I’m able to contribute fully, to my full capacity, and not rush something. Not feel like I have to do it right now, when I’m not in the right headspace. So, just having that flexibility, I would encourage all professors to have flexibility with your students, all students, especially those with disabilities. Because, again, these are just different ways to have those students’ needs met and creating almost a universal approach to that.

00:19:59
TI |
Again, are you saying that elimination of deadlines is not as a result of your advocacy, it’s as a result of the strike?

HI | It’s a result of the strike, yes. But I would say that for accommodation reasons, for example, you have to submit, you have a test this date, this date, usually four or five weeks in advance of your examinations, which some students, they need reminders, they forget to do that, they don’t achieve it.

00:20:30
So, I think for my own advocacy as well, I’m always advocating to meet students’ needs, in whatever way that is. And after the strike, professors started to really see that, okay, what can we do to meet students’ needs. Right? And that is cramming them with deadlines? No. That’s letting them have the freedom to do things on their own time. And I think that that is a reflection, not of my advocacy, of course, but just students speaking up on behalf of themselves.

00:21:01
And it shows how important it is to self-advocate, because some people will encourage… Will meet your needs, in whatever way that looks like. And there were unfortunate situations that contributed to this, in particular one, but it was the first time where I felt like the pressure was completely gone. And that I was able to learn and contribute to my full capacity when I was able to.

00:21:27
JA |
Well, what you said made total sense, but as a person who also teaches at the university, I want to ask you, if you remove the deadlines, we cannot post the solutions for the other students who can use the benefit of having the solutions out. So, how do you answer to that? Yes, it’s good not to have a deadline, but that means we cannot post the solutions for the students.
 
HI | Do you mean solutions as in assignment feedback?
 
00:21:55
JA |
No, let’s say I’m a prof and I give all the class one assignment, and I want all the students to do the assignment by this date, and I’m going to extend it for two or three days more for students with accessibility needs. But at some point, I need to put solutions for the assignment out, so students can study those answers for their mid-terms or final exams.
 
HI | Okay, that is a very good, I guess, response to what I’ve said.
 
00:22:24
But I think when I go back to the Blundon Centre, for example, and having to request that you need an accommodation so far in advance for this particular deadline. If there were no deadlines, then students wouldn’t have to worry about meeting those accessibility deadlines so much, so that there be more flexibility, okay, well, I forgot to do it, now if my deadline is moved or non-existent, I can schedule that in for when I need it.

00:22:58
I understand obviously there are some barriers with getting the feedback, but I think, again, it’s working to accommodate that individual. Although everyone may need feedback, what can you do to meet that individual’s needs. Obviously, this approach isn’t going to work for everybody, people need structure in their lives, I understand that, they need structure in their courses, but some people don’t work well within walls.

00:23:23
So, I guess, breaking down walls for some to meet their needs, such as removing deadlines, might be good for them to really ensure that their accessibility needs are met in different areas.
Because there’s different battles that they face when it comes to even getting support to write an examination versus other people. So, is it streamlining feedback to provide it generally to people, and not individualized feedback, to say this is what we have learned from everybody.

00:23:59
And this is what is important for you to take away from this examination for your next examinations, whenever that may be, for this individual student. I think, again, it’s just changing the structure. We cannot have accessible spaces without breaking down those inaccessible walls for people. So, we just need to change the way we do things, and although it might be scary, it could be really empowering for some.

JA | Okay. Let’s try to look at it from another angle. I’m trying to see the other side of the glass.

00:24:35
Have you ever experienced any positive or rewarding experience as a result of your accessibility needs? Such as developing new skills or something like that?

HI | So, yes, I definitely learned how to build professional relationships and speak to people on a professional level. I think that the way you communicate your needs is super important.
 
00:24:59
So, I’ve definitely built communication skills, and the professional relationships to really help me get the resources I need to succeed, and the accommodations that I need. I would also say that my disability advocacy got me to the place I am today in regards to my employment, because I’m contracted from a disability office.

00:25:30
So, disability funding funds my position at the Human Rights Commission. So, again, this is why it’s really important to get a diagnosis, to be able to avail of that, because there’s so many more supportive resources available to you that opens up a lot more pathways, regardless of education, in the real world, to provide you that support. And I think that if I didn’t have to advocate and put myself out there and get a diagnosis, which is really, really hard to get, and I’ve never had until I was in my 20s, my early 20s.

00:26:04
So, yes, I think that it opened up a whole new world for me, and not just academically, but professionally.

TI | Okay. So, speaking of opening doors and getting to places as a result of what you do… When I was reading your bio, I was talking about your place on the Young Adult Leadership Council in the US. So, that means you have seen things beyond the Canadian perspective, right?

00:26:31
Now, what would you say are the common things, or differences, between learning disability accessibility between Canada and the US?

HI | Honestly, there’s not much difference. And I’m surprised in that, because obviously their government structure is different. The way they do their advocacy is different. And the structure that they had to work in versus the structure that Canadians have to work in.

00:27:00
But the issues that students with disabilities face in the United States is relatively the same. The lack of funding to support student programmes that would ensure accommodations. The lack of accessible diagnosis. So, the lack of doctors available to provide a diagnosis for a person who may feel as if they have a learning disability or are neurodiverse or have a disability in general, that need that verification, it’s very hard to get in the States as well.

00:27:31
I would say the costs associated are just as high in the United States than they are in Canada, which is extremely difficult for students to afford. Especially young students who are just making their way into the university realm potentially, and don’t have a job. There are financial barriers within their family, things like that. There’re all these types of different intersecting things in Canada and the United States that make, I guess, getting accommodations very, very difficult, which makes our world then inaccessible.

00:28:03
TI |
So, Hilary, you’re speaking about advocacy, especially within the university community here. Has there been a time you felt really fulfilled that, well, your advocacy actions had yielded some rewards?

HI | Definitely. So, while I was a social work student, I was on placement at the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association of Newfoundland and Labrador.

00:28:29
And I was also an executive director of external affairs, communications and research with MUN Students’ Union, which is our students’ union on campus at Memorial, undergraduate students’ union. And in that space, I really built a connection between these two organisations, to ensure that the needs of students who were hard of hearing were met. So, I advocated and worked the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association to get funding.

00:28:55
So, we both funded a resource to help students who were hard of hearing participate in their student community and be really included in student events that we have done. So, we successfully got a group hearing device, which is assistive hearing technology, to ensure that anything we do related to sound and related to student events, such as at The Breezeway, for example, can have these resources available to the students who need it, so they can be included in the events that we do on campus.

00:29:30
So, that was a big win for me, and I think for the community as well, because that partnership will always remain there. We did a whole communications policy around it. So, the needs of students who are hard of hearing will be met from here on out by MUN Students’ Union.

TI | Awesome. And that’s impressive.
 
HI | Thank you.
 
JA | And that’s been for all of us, not just you.
 
HI | Yes. Yes. So, my efforts, but benefitting everybody.
 
JA | And I guess for the last question, I want to ask about our university, Memorial University.
 
00:30:02
What has Memorial University been doing that is great to accommodate accessibility needs? So, they can continue what they do. And how can we improve what we do?

HI | So, I think that MUN did the new SAFE app, so that was really good to see. You’re able to report any accessibility issues through this app. You can also reach out to people to really make that connection personally.
 
00:30:31
So, if you see an elevator broken, for an example, you can go on the app and report that. And I’m assuming that someone will fix it in a timely manner. But, again, the effectiveness, I’m unsure of, but I do know that that resource is there, and it’s just the resource being there is great to see. And I’m very proud of that. So, I think I would definitely encourage other universities as well to consider different outlets, different ways that they can encourage a safe space for students with disabilities.

00:31:01
What was the other part of your question, sorry?

JA | What can we do to be better? Let’s say in ten years from now, what do you suggest to the faculties and management?

HI | I think that it will be great to see accessibility departments in each faculty to really alleviate those concerns that I mentioned earlier about the effectiveness of the accommodations. Providing supportive people for students to go to, counsellors, providing physicians.

00:31:28
Funding different things for students with disabilities. Creating scholarships, grants. All of the things that would make resources available to us, to help us learn better. Because we know, this economy, it’s not cheap to get anything extra, and students with disabilities need those extra technology, extra resources to really succeed in each programme.

00:31:53
So, I would encourage you to, again, listen to your students, meet their individualised needs, and figure out ways to fund them, to ensure that they get the resources that they need to succeed in their education.

TI | Thank you very much. And just to add to what you said now, I mean, the CITL Learning Technology Coach Programme is really big on accessibility at this time, so I would encourage students to reach out, even faculty members to reach out. If they have any of their courses they really want to make more accessible, they can reach out to the learning technology coaches, or the TLX, in the CITL. So, we are always available to do that.

00:32:27
And I really thank you again, Hilary, for coming in to the production studio of the CITL to share this valuable information with us. We appreciate you. And we just want to thank you.


HI | Thank you so much for having me, again. It’s, again, my passion to speak on these issues and really help to achieve accessibility and inclusion in universities and all schools. So, thank you for giving me this opportunity today.
 
TI | Awesome. Thank you. And that’s good work. And that will be the end of the interview today. Thank you, Hilary. Until we see you again, bye-bye.
 
00:33:10
JA |
Wow, that was a very inspiring interview. I really, really enjoyed and learned a lot about all Hilary shared with us. What was your big learning moment, Timilehin?

TI | Right, Javad, thank you. I agree with you, it’s a beautiful conversation we had with Hilary there. I had learned a lot of things, but I would just want to say something that stood out for me.

00:33:30
And it’s the fact that despite Hilary’s accomplishments within Memorial, outside of Memorial even, up until she went to the US, she accomplished a lot of things in terms of advocacy for people who need accessibility, and not until recently did she feel really helped. And that just says a lot about how easily masked accessibility or disability could be. It could really be invisible.

00:34:02
She has done a lot of things. She has achieved a lot. And yet she’s still feels… She struggles with a lot of things right now. And it all comes down to the advice or the advisor she’s lucky to have, the communities, the networks, the people that have come together to create a more inclusive environment for people. And then I appreciate the fact that she was really very able to talk about her needs, to talk about her experiences, and all she has accomplished. So, it’s really a good one.

00:34:32
JA |
Well, Timilehin, that’s it for the second season of the Learning Technology Coach Podcast. It’s been an incredible journey, and we couldn’t have done it without you, our amazing listeners.

TI | Absolutely. And I will just like to reflect at this moment how far we’ve come from the beginning to the end of this series. I mean, it’s been an informative session for me, I mean, I have learned a lot, I’ve enjoyed the conversation, and I hope that our listeners enjoyed it as much as we do.

00:35:01
Thank you all so much for tuning in each week and for your support throughout this season. It’s been an absolute pleasure to share our thoughts and insights with you.

JA | We’d also like to take a moment to thank our guests for taking the time to share their stories, their expertise with us, their experiences. We’ve had some truly inspiring and thought-provoking conversations this season, and we are grateful for their contributions.
 
00:35:26
TI |
And, of course, we can’t forget our incredible CITL production team. Our friend from media services. A big shout out to Adrian, Mark and Philip. They actually worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this podcast a reality, we are so lucky to have you all. And a big shout out to our LTC team, our fellow learning technology coaches, thank you all for your encouragement and your support.

JA | But let’s not be sad. We’ll be taking a break now to regroup and re-plan for the next season.
 
00:35:58
But don’t worry, we’ll be back before you know it with more exciting content and guests.

TI | In the meantime, we’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this season. What topics did you enjoy the most? Who were your favourite guests? You can reach out to us on social media or via email.
 
JA | Once again, thank you all for listening and for your support. We’ll see you in the next season. Bye for now.
 
00:36:24
SP |
The Learning Technology Coach Podcast is a CITL production.

 

Episode Introduction
Guest Introduction
What it means to be an advocate for accessibility and inclusion
Defining accessibility
Communicating your needs to instructors
Being singled out when seeking accommodation
Institutional changes to support learners with disabilties
Canada vs. USA in providing accessible learning environments
Advocacy successes
Summary - Big Learning Moment!