Appointment of an Accessibility Officer – King’s has hired Michelle Mahoney, its first full-time Accessibility Officer.
In accordance with the Accessibility Act, King’s has developed an Accessibility Plan that builds on the pillars outlined below. These pillars outline a comprehensive approach that will guide the university’s actions and enhance the educational and community experience King’s offers.
Recent improvements include:
King’s is renovating its largest residence building, Alexandra Hall, to make it more accessible. Changes include the creation of an accessible entrance and the addition of accessible washrooms, bedrooms and an accessible laundry room. A new wheelchair-accessible elevator with ground-level access has been installed. This elevator will run from the basement to the third floor. The project will be completed in fall 2022.
Academic initiatives pertaining to accessibility will be directed toward the following areas, as identified by the Education Working Group (EWG):
Climate of ableism and a relative neglect of accessibility issues – gather information on disability and accessibility issues on campus; initiate campus-wide conversations; promote awareness.
Agency and Capacity-Building – create opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to learn about accessibility issues.
Teaching and Learning – remove barriers to accessing an education at King’s.
Accessibility Services and Resources – provide services and assistive technologies (formats, training, assistive technology licences, etc.).
Research/Scholarship and Expertise – develop faculty expertise about accessibility practices and generate information about accessibility issues specific to King’s, using surveys and special inquiries if surveys reveal especially problematic issues. This includes college-wide issues as well as program-specific ones.
Accountability – develop robust reporting structures and oversight, and building in regular community assessment by means of a yearly survey, a scorecard, etc.
The Registrar’s Office will now inquire about accessibility needs on forms for appointments (academic advising) and campus tours (student recruitment), as well as receive feedback from on accessibility issues on follow-up surveys.
The Registrar’s Office, Bursar’s Office and Human Resources is in the process of ensuring that all required forms are accessible in both physical and digital forms.
The Advancement Office is developing a photo asset bank that will includes alt descriptions for each photo. Videos shared on King’s social media accounts will soon include captions in a .srt format.