A common perception about disability is that it is visible and identifiable. Contrary to this perception, however, not every disability is visible, and often, it is a subject less spoken about.
At a time when raising disability awareness has become more important than ever before, and in response to feedback from individuals with disabilities in the UBC community, the university launched the Centre for Workplace Accessibility in April 2022. The creation of the centre has also been informed by the university’s Inclusion Action Plan.
The Centre for Workplace Accessibility is a central hub for resources, tools and programs to create inclusive workspaces for UBC faculty and staff with disabilities and medical conditions, with the team being committed to normalizing the idea of having conversations about accessibility and disability inclusion in the workplace.
Faculty and staff are at the heart of the team’s work, and people are at the centre of the decision-making process. The team meets people where they are in their journey, and gives them the flexibility to choose how they want to meet. Whether faculty and staff need to discuss accommodation or simply want to learn more about accessibility resources available at UBC, they can get in touch with the team to meet in person, over a virtual call, or speak over a phone call. The centre also manages the Workplace Accommodation Fund, which enables faculty and staff with disabilities or chronic medical conditions to access equipment or services to support their work and remove or reduce barriers, in a timely manner.
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Through Strategy 4: Inclusive Excellence, UBC is working to cultivate a diverse community that creates and sustains equitable and inclusive campuses