Objective and Philosophy
The goal of Accessibility Services is to create a safe and comfortable environment for students with disabilities. We do this by facilitating access to an equitable and inclusive learning environment, by prioritizing the following:
- Individualized accommodations and services for students.
- Promoting student integration and full participation.
- Respecting a students dignity.
- Maintaining student confidentiality.
In compliance with the definition of a 'disability' by the Ontario Human Rights Commission , Accessibility Services supports students with the following disabilities:
- Physical
- Mental health illnesses
- Learning
- Visual
- Deaf or hard of hearing
- Acquired brain injury
- Speech disabilities
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Chronic medical conditions
Temporary disabilities including, but not limited to: orthopedic injuries, concussions, episode mental health condition, surgery, infections, etc.
Legal Framework
Accessibility Services, in collaboration with the faculty and staff at Tyndale, work towards offering a discrimination-free environment where every reasonable effort is made to provide appropriate accommodations and support services for students with disabilities. We uphold the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC), and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, the following are the guiding principles that Accessibility Services abides by:
Duty to Accommodate
It is the legal obligation of post-secondary institutions to accommodate students with disabilities to the point of undue hardship. Accessibility Services works to remove barriers and provide students with disabilities equal access to post-secondary education upon receiving their requests.
Duty to Provide Documentation
OHRC and AODA recognize that to request accommodations students must provide relevant and recent medical documentation outlining the limitations of one’s disability. We require that students submit medical functional assessments which could include psycho-educational assessments or other related documentation to support accommodation requests. Please refer to the documentation requirements.
Limitations
Tyndale University has a duty to accommodate students with disabilities up to the following points:
- Undue Hardship
- Accommodation requests can be denied if they cause undue financial or administrative hardship where the cost of approving the accommodation is prohibitive; there is a lack of funding sources or; if it poses a health or safety risk.
- Essential Requirements
- Accommodation request can be denied if they preclude the student from fulfilling the essential requirements of the program/institution or interfere with the learning outcomes of the course. OHRC defines ‘essential requirements’ as the critical, non-negotiable components of being a student at a post-secondary institution. Reasonable alternatives will be substituted should accommodation requests be denied.
Individualized Accommodations
It is likely that students with the same or similar disabilities may have different disability-related needs. Accessibility Services will work with each student individually to determine appropriate accommodations to support the limitations of their disability. Students must submit personal medical assessments to access individualized accommodations.
Confidentiality
Accessibility Services abides by Section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 1990 (“FIPPA”). The medical information collected is within the authority of Tyndale University Privacy Policy, 2008 and solely for the purpose of determining academic accommodations. All personal information collected will not be shared with anyone outside of the Accessibility Office unless the student provides written consent and it will be used, stored, destroyed as per Tyndale’s Record Retention Policy.