Who is eligible?

Accessibility Services assists students with permanent disabilities and those experiencing temporary medical conditions that require academic accommodation or encounter accessibility barriers. Our goal is to facilitate equitable access to education and services.

Academic accommodations are available:

• to Athabasca University students who are registered with Accessibility Services (see how to register).
• for persons with permanent or temporary disabilities as defined by the Alberta Human Rights Act.

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How to register

To register with Accessibility Services, you must:

• be an admitted Athabasca University student with a disability.
• provide a completed Verification of Accommodation form including documentation from a registered health practitioner to verify the impact, eligibility, and recommendation of specific accommodations.

Accommodation is the process of adapting the way in which services are provided to eliminate or reduce the barriers that certain individuals experience when attempting to access services at Athabasca University  

Accommodation does not:

1. require that post‑secondary institutions lower academic or non‑academic standards to accommodate students with disabilities.
2. relieve the student of the responsibility to develop the essential skills and competencies expected of all students.

Accordingly, there are programs and courses where it will not be possible to accommodate students with disabilities. For more information on these limitations, consult the section titled "How does a post‑secondary institution determine that an accommodation is not possible?" in the AB Human Rights Duty to Accommodate.

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Disability

The Human Rights Act defines that physical disability means “any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness.”

Some of the disabilities that have been established as protected under human rights law are epilepsy/ seizures, heart attack/heart condition, cancer, severe seasonal allergies, shoulder or back injury, asthma, Crohn’s disease, hypertension, hysterectomy, spinal malformation, visual acuity, colour blindness, loss of body parts such as fingers, speech impediments, arthritis, muscular atrophy, cerebral palsy, and alcoholism. Drug dependence and other addictions may be captured under physical disability and/or mental disability.

Mental disability is defined by the Act as “any mental disorder, developmental disorder or learning disorder, regardless of the cause or duration of the disorder.” Some examples of mental disabilities include: dyslexia, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorders.  

It is not possible to provide a complete list of conditions normally considered to fit in these definitions. The disabilities listed are examples only.

Medical professional verification of the impact on academic activities is required to develop an appropriate accommodation plan.

If you are unsure about eligibility and need more information, please contact Accessibility Services.