Our values
Creating inclusive, accessible spaces, services, and communities is a core element of Dalhousie’s aspirations as a university, recognizing that people are fundamental to everything we do.
Dalhousie continuously strives to become a barrier-free institution and demonstrate commitment in how we address accessibility. As an institution, we will meet the core requirements set out by the Accessibility Act. The following shared values and beliefs will guide our activities:
- A diverse and inclusive Dalhousie enhances how we teach, learn, research, work, and engage within and outside the University.
- An accessible environment benefits everyone.
- Removing barriers is key for equitable access to education, research, employment, and services.
- Our approach will be collaborative, accountable, first voice informed, and values based.
Background
In 2017, Nova Scotia became only the third province to adopt legislation focused on persons with disabilities: the Accessibility Act. The Act recognizes accessibility as a human right and outlines how we as a province can identify, prevent, and remove barriers to access
The Act requires “public-sector bodies” such as Dalhousie to craft a comprehensive accessibility plan to address barriers in the following areas:
- built environment
- teaching, learning, and research
- goods and services
- information and communication
- transportation
- employment
Dalhousie’s first plan, released in April 2022, was also informed by the Nova Scotia Post-Secondary Accessibility Framework. The framework identifies a shared vision and commitment and serves as a guide for the development, evaluation, and monitoring of institutional accessibility plans across the province.
The groundwork for Dalhousie’s Accessibility Plan was a series of pre-2022 transformative changes to institution-wide policies and processes; organizational structures; and services and resources for students, faculty, staff, and community. Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act brought broader focus to the importance of barrier removal and created more accountability, transparency, and structure to province-wide accessibility progress.
Community overview
The number of persons with disabilities at Dalhousie has grown over the last five years.
By 2022, 19% of students, 8% of academic staff, and 15% of other staff identified as having a disability. Senior administration included 13% persons with disabilities, and 14% of Senate identified as such. While these numbers show progress, ongoing work is needed to create more inclusive and accessible environments.
Monitoring and evaluation
Listen. Learn. Act. Listening to, learning from, and acting on feedback from across the university and community is a critically important element of Dalhousie’s Accessibility Plan.
Information sources
To inform our updated plan, we drew from multiple sources:
- Student Accommodation Policy review.
- Accessible Course Design Policy development.
- Feedback from students, staff, and faculty through pop-up consultations.
- Data from Dalhousie’s Our Voice Survey, Be Counted Census, Community Equity Report, Employment Equity Plan, Employment Equity Plan Progress Report, and internal surveys administered through Student Affairs.
Evaluation and reporting
Additional evaluation and reporting efforts have included, but have not been limited to:
- Collaborating with the Provincial Community of Practice to define and implement a framework to track progress across Dalhousie and other provincial post-secondary institutions.
- Conducting an annual review of the plan and sharing updates broadly.
- Completing compliance reporting, as required.
- Identifying methods to collect feedback and mechanisms to address that feedback.
What we heard: Campus pop-up consultations
Next Steps
We have multiple opportunities to further identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility in policies, programs, practices, and services.
Short term goals
- Conclude the Student Accommodation Policy Review and launch the implementation plan.
- Conclude the Accessible Course Design Policy Development and launch the implementation plan.
- Review our Accessibility Advisory Committee governance structure and decision-making capabilities.
Medium-term goals
- Re-launch our baseline survey for ongoing evaluation of student, staff, and faculty experiences. Survey results will inform future Accessibility Plan priorities.
- Develop and establish an assessment framework to measure the impact and effectiveness of the Accessibility Plan.
Long-term and ongoing goals
- Continue campus consultations, drawing from existing resources (e.g., survey tools and community reports).
- Collaborate across units to develop and propose Impact Project through the Integrated Budget Planning Framework.
- Ensure Dalhousie’s recommendations align with provincial standards and legislation as they are released. Make note of and respond to gaps.
- Continue to monitor and report on the Plan’s progress.