The Ed-ICT symposium in Montreal was wonderful! I’ve written about the first and second days of the symposium, so check out those posts if you are interested in the specifics! When I posted in Seattle, I included my reflections at the end of each post. However, these Montreal posts were just far too long to inflate further!
It has taken me a few days to write all of this because I had to get my thoughts together (and I had to hibernate for 14 hours after losing so much sleep for that 5:45am flight…)! Without further ago, let’s get into the main event.
Being an Undergrad in Montreal
If you can recall from my post about the first day in Seattle, you may remember that I wrote about feeling very intimidated. As an undergraduate student, walking into a symposium full of actual adults, or even just graduate students, who are working in the field is a little overwhelming. Add in that these individuals come from international locations, and I’m already making sure that I have an escape route in case I say something too embarrassing. However, being in Montreal, which is about 850 miles from where I live, meant that I couldn’t just run home and hide myself away in shame.
Luckily, I knew several people at this symposium that I originally met in Seattle, so there were a few familiar faces! That put me a little more at ease while I tried to figure out how to say smart things to people. It helped to know that the college we were hosted at was connected to an underground area so I could hop the metro and escape at any time. Of course, I’m kidding; I definitely never thought about doing that! (Maybe.)
Being Serious
All joking aside, the other participants made me feel very welcome the entire time. I always felt as though my views and opinions were valued and appreciated. This symposium was focused on stakeholders, which includes students, so my thoughts were relevant to the conversation. My role as the President of a student advocacy group, the Allies for Students with Disabilities, was seen as important because I work hands-on with students and because I am a student myself. I have dealt with the problems that arise when trying to handle university officials and common student life problems, both vicariously through the students that I have spoken with and through my own experiences.
I also enjoyed the international aspect of this because it allowed me to speak with other students about their experiences, which gave me a lot to think about when I go back to talk to the students that I work with!
Ideas for the Allies for Students with Disabilities
⇾ Videotape all of our meetings and caption them for students who cannot make it to our meetings
⇾ Set up a website for our club so students can find us easier
⇾ Have students blog, anonymously or otherwise, about their experiences on and off campus
⇾ Inform students of their rights at the university
⇾ Work more with the IT Accessibility Working Group about their goals and how we can help
⇾ Ask for more student input on upcoming projects to begin
⇾ Communicate with individuals from all areas of campus (students, professors, staff, higher-ups, etc.)
⇾ Work on developing the workshop for faculty, staff, students, etc. to take about accessibility
⇾ Create a guide to the Disabilities Services Office (how to request accommodations, how to lodge complaints, who to speak with, etc.)
⇾ Talk with the Wolfpack Pick Up service about how to eventually get service on Centennial campus, instead of only on main campus
⇾ Create information for parents on how to help their students learn self-advocacy for university
⇾ Keep giving student presentations and panels to allow people to put a face to an accessibility issue and make it personal
⇾ Encourage professors to work with students, instead of using their leadership solely from the outside
⇾ Actually get people to sit down and think about how we can be better, instead of just talking about change with no action towards it or thinking that we have no need to change.
Important Resources
I found out about so many amazing resources while I was at the symposium! The Adaptech Research Network has put together a list of helpful resources, which are either free or inexpensive. The list includes information about adaptive technologies, accessibility features, and demonstration videos. Please be sure to check out the list here and share it with anyone you think may find it useful!
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the Ed-ICT International Network and the Leverhulme Trust. Without these organizations providing the funding, I could not have attended this symposium and have this wonderful experience! A special thanks to Jane Seale and to Laura King for their help in working out the logistics of my travels, and to Alex for being a wonderful tour guide! I would also like to thank all of the participants at this symposium. Their openness with me and their willingness to hear other points of view really allowed me to get the most out of this trip.
Thank you all for reading! There will be at least one more post to come about my trip to Montreal! That one will be a fun one, for those of you looking for a less technical piece!