Accessibility for students with disabilities both at Concordia and universities across Canada is the leading cause of access fatigue.
Access fatigue: a term coined by Annika Konrad in 2021 that university students and people with disabilities across the globe have become familiar with over the years. It explains the chore many face of having to justify their disabilities and to explain why they need accommodations so that they can have a fighting chance at succeeding in a higher learning institution.
The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) reports that out of 3.7 million adults with disabilities in Canada, only 42 per cent attend post-secondary institutions.
Students often face physical barriers like a lack of elevators and mobility ramps, or academic barriers when setting up accommodations if they do not have a visibly apparent disability.
Concordia University is not an exception to the lack of both physical and academic accessibility on both of its campuses. For example, many areas on the Loyola campus lack ramps and are physically inaccessible.
“Facilities Management has developed an Action Plan for the coming years for both campuses that addresses all aspects of physical inclusivity and accessibility,” said Concordia Deputy Spokesperson Julie Fortier. “The plan was developed with extensive community input and includes actions like repairing road surfaces to ensure safe and continuous pathways, improving the visual contrast in signage, enhancing lighting, and installing assisted hearing systems in classrooms, among many others.”
However, the reparations listed above may not prove to be very helpful for students who cannot access classrooms due to a lack of ramps and elevators.
“Concordia is committed to improving accessibility, and we encourage the community to report any accessibility issues by visiting the Facilities Management section of the Accessibility Hub,” said Fortier.
Accommodations, and lack thereof
“One hundred per cent, the Concordia campuses are not physically accessible,” said a disheartened Rita Kamel, a first year student in journalism with a minor in adult education, who lives with dyslexia.
When Kamel first discovered that there were support services for students with disabilities like the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities (ACSD), she was hopeful. But Kamel has since faced many struggles with accessibility at Concordia from the moment she walked through its doors.
“I first heard about [the support] for students with disabilities when I came in [to Concordia], and I was very excited because I was hoping that it would be different [from] my CEGEP,” said Kamel.
“At the beginning I thought I would end up having whatever I need, but this was not the case after a while,” added Kamel, explaining that she had multiple meetings with ACSD advisors to prepare for her university transition.
She found her teachers not abiding by her set testing accommodations such as extra time or a quiet room by herself, and the ACSD was nowhere to be found for support, leaving Kamel feeling isolated and disappointed.
“There is support, but it’s not enough,” Kamel said.
Kamel said she experiences access fatigue regularly at Concordia. For example, when she had an exam and was supposed to be placed in a separate room so she could focus, she had to explain to a whole team of test administrators the reasons why people should not be walking in and out of the room, because it went against her accommodation. Unfortunately, she was met with pushback and was ultimately not listened to.
“People were coming in and out, and it was distracting,” Kamel said. “What can Concordia do better? Listen, I feel that if Concordia can listen and not just assume what people need, things would be better.”
William Émond-Vincent is a first year in journalism who suffers from autism and ADHD, a combination commonly referred to as “AUDHD.”
Émond-Vincent states that his disability “is definitely something where it is very easy to see in my work ethic and the work that I do for class.”
This gives less leeway with continuous justifications for the importance and usefulness of his accommodations. Like Kamel, Émond-Vincent had initially hoped he would finally receive the accommodations and support he needed to excel in an academic environment at Concordia.
“The more I talked to them [the ACSD], the more frustrated I got,” said Émond-Vincent.
Émond-Vincent’s experience with the ACSD represents a frustration that is felt by multiple students, as accessibility and the supporting services at Concordia fail to meet expectations.
“It’s neither bad nor good,” summarized Émond-Vincent.
Access fatigue
ACSD manager Adelina Feo commented that “the university supports all students with a disability using the same process, regardless of the type of disability the student is experiencing.”
According to Feo, after a student is set up with an advisor, an accommodation plan is formed with the objective of making their experience equitable. Feo said that there is extended care at the ACSD in the form of ongoing consultations with advisors. The ACSD also offers workshops on different topics, invigilates exams, and is present at the weekly student service station.
But a lack of understanding from professors and peers can result in widespread access fatigue, where students are repeatedly justifying their needs or disclosing personal information regarding their disability to get their point across.
“Students with disabilities can also experience stigma when attempting to advocate for accommodations or support,” stated Concordia’s Equity Office via an email.
This is a structure that ultimately demeans and frustrates students. A study conducted at Western University in 2022 disclosed that 60 per cent of their students who have disabilities have experienced access fatigue that stemmed from post-secondary studies.
“I’m so tired of both asking for the same accommodations over and over again and justifying my needs,” said Émond-Vincent disheartened, one that many students with disabilities at Concordia can relate to.
“Other [students] may decide to leave post-secondary education entirely due to having to contend with inaccessibility and discrimination on a regular basis,” wrote the Equity Office. “The toll that this type of discrimination takes on students is complex and requires a collective response to remove barriers to the full participation of students with disabilities.”
