Accessibility policies

Accessibility Services commits to facilitating equitable access to education opportunities for students with disabilities through accommodation and accessibility services.

Our goals are to:

• Reduce barriers to access of information and function within AU systems and services.
• Provide a level playing field for all students by providing accommodations and services on an individualized basis.
• Enhance the universal design of Athabasca University products and services.
• Collaborate to maintain academic requirements of essential course and program outcomes.
• Provide a non-prescriptive practice that acknowledges the student's lived experience.
• Active participation from the student is necessary for the planning and implementation of accommodations and services.

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Accessibility

Even if you are hundreds of miles from the nearest town, your AU university campus is right there. AU students have completed courses and degrees while travelling abroad, stationed in remote arctic outposts, serving overseas with the Canadian Forces or humanitarian groups, and competing as professional, Olympic Paralympic athletes.

All courses are digitized and are delivered through a learning management system (Moodle) and can be accessed via a web browser. Most assistive technologies work with the LMS, and AU endeavours to ensure all courses and services are accessible.

We continue to develop AU's capabilities to offer all course materials in an accessible format. Accessibility Services has made several strides since its start in 1998 when it was called Access to Students with Disabilities. In 2020 our name was changed to Accessibility Services. We believe that it accurately reflects what we do.

Accessibility and universal design principles are reflected in the Athabasca University Imagine Strategic Plan.

We look forward to working with you and university team members to create the most accessible online post-secondary environment ever!

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Disclosure of disability

Athabasca University's commitment to accessibility ensures students with disabilities have an equitable educational opportunity. Identifying your disability will not affect your access to programs or courses. Instead, it will allow you to access our academic accommodations, expert staff, and services specifically design for your needs related to the impact of a disability, not the diagnosis.

We encourage you to discuss your needs with your tutors to better understand your academic strengths. Open communication improves faculty awareness of how they can be supportive.

Submitted disability or medical conditions information and documentation are placed in a confidential file and a secure location only accessed by Accessibility Services staff.

For example, additional documentation such as a medical letter verifying the need for an extension is kept with Accessibility Services. These files are also secure and confidential.

Specific information regarding diagnosis is generally not provided to AU faculty or administration. A note in our Student Information System indicates your eligibility for academic accommodations and what those accommodations are. When we contact a faculty member on your behalf to identify accommodation requests, we share that you are a student who has a disability. Functional ability on required course outcomes and the need for specific accommodations are the only information shared with staff.

All communication within the institution regarding a student's disability or medical condition is strictly conducted on a need-to-know basis. In other words, the information that is provided is limited to its relevance to the procedure (e.g. information about your disability would not be shared if we are assisting you in registering in a course, but information on exam accommodations that have been assessed would be identified if we are helping you to book an exam).

All communication with any individual, agency, or family member outside of Athabasca University regarding a student requires a signed Waiver of Personal Information from the student. For anyone to act on your behalf, we require a Letter of Authorization signed by the student.

Personal information provided to Accessibility services is collected in accordance with and protected under Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

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International students with disabilities

Accessibility Services welcomes the opportunity and challenge of serving enrolled and prospective international students with disabilities.

International students with a disability must apply and meet the same eligibility criteria as Canadian students. (Please see the information about eligibility and how to apply.) We extend the same assessment and documentation services that students residing in Canada receive, provided:

• the language of communication is English
• communications outside of Canada and the continental United States are conducted by e-mail; and
• we can access the necessary information to provide accommodation.

Concerning variables such as cost, available human or community resources, or technological barriers, Accessibility Services may not be able to extend a full range of services. We will work with you to determine the best possible accommodations. Contact Accessibility Services for further information.

Also visit the our page on international student guidelines.

Policy for Students with Disabilities