Creating accessible and accepting STEM classrooms

Presenter Information

Christine McCullough, University of GuelphFollow
Daniel Grunspan, University of GuelphFollow
Shoshanah Jacobs, University of GuelphFollow
Amanda Ball, University of GuelphFollow

Session Type

Workshop

Room

Physics and Astronomy, room 150

Start Date

16-7-2025 1:30 PM

End Date

16-7-2025 2:30 PM

Keywords

Disability, Accessibility, Instructor empathy

Primary Threads

Teaching and Learning Science

Abstract

The number of disabled students enrolled in post-secondary programs in Canada is on an alarming rise. Self-reported data of first-year undergraduate students indicates that rates increased from 24% in 2019 to 31% in 2022.^1,2 Despite the growing need, budget lines to support these students are not growing proportionately. Further, the current system of accommodation is based on the outdated and paternalistic medical model of disability.³ While the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act guarantees an accessible education for all Ontarians, disabled university students must negotiate an uneven and often inequitable experience across multiple ‘microclimates of access’ created by different instructors.^4,5 These microclimates can range from welcoming to dismissive to openly hostile.⁵ While acknowledging that what is really required is system-wide change, this workshop aims to leverage a community of practice to develop a shared vision for STEM classrooms that are more accessible and accepting of disabled students.^6,7 This will be accomplished via interactive activities, during which we will invite the audience to consider the lived experience of both students and instructors, as they navigate an system that is too often inaccessible to disabled students. The activities will rely on the lived experiences and perspectives of students with disabilities. We hope that this workshop will demonstrate the barriers faced by disabled students, and the costs (academic, financial and health) that come with each barrier.

Please bring your phone, laptop or tablet to access the online interactive surverys!

1. Canadian University Survey Consortium. (2019). 2019 First Year Students Survey Master Report: June 2019. Canadian University Survey Consortium. https://cusc-ccreu.ca/wordpress/?page_id=32&lang=en 
2. Canadian University Survey Consortium. (2022). 2022 First Year Students Survey Master Report: June 2022. Canadian University Survey Consortium. https://cusc-ccreu.ca/wordpress/?page_id=32&lang=en 
3. Olkin, R. (2022). Conceptualizing disability: Three models of disability. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psychology-teacher-network/introductory-psychology/disability-models   
4. Accessibility for Ontarians With Disabilities Act, 2005, SO 2005, c 11, <https://canlii.ca/t/52pzh> retrieved on 2024-01-01 
5. Parizeau, K. (2022). Uneven Learning Landscapes Ahead: Instructor Perspectives on  Undergraduate Student Mental Health. Canadian Journal of Higher Education/Revue canadienne d'enseignement supérieur, 52(2): 67–80.  https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.v52i2.189391
6. Reinholz, D. L., White, I., & Andrews, T. (2021). Change theory in STEM higher education: a systematic review. International Journal of STEM Education, 8 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-021-00291-2
7. Henderson, C., Beach, A., & Finkelstein, N. (2011). Facilitating change in undergraduate STEM instructional practices: An analytic review of the literature. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(8), 952–984. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20439
8. Meyers, S., Rowell, K., Wells, M., & Smith, B. C. (2019). Teacher Empathy: A Model of Empathy for Teaching for Student Success. College Teaching, 67(3), 160–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2019.1579699

Elements of Engagement

The workshop with start with very little preliminary information given, and ask participants to consider a group of students and their behaviour in the classroom, from an instructors perspective. Participants will then be asked to share their impressions of each student and their need for accommodation. This will be followed by a brief summary of the current models used to understand disability and academic accommodations. Next, participants will be asked to take on the role of a student with disabilities, as they navigate a day on campus. The goal is to help participants understand the barriers that students with disabilities face in their day-to-day life, that while not academic in nature, can and do impact their academics. Finally, participants will be asked to reflect on their initial assessment of the group of students, and share if, how and why their impressions have changed.

In-person participants will be provided cards containing information for the interactive segments of the workshop. The same information will be provided in the form of PDFs for online participants. Both in-person and online participants will be given a QR code and/or password to provide real-time input during the workshop.