Additional Resources
Cultivating a Culture of Accessibility, Accommodation, and Respect
Please note that this is a working/living set of ethical terms that will grow and change throughout the course. This is not an official policy but rather a guide to help ground both students and the professor in the practice of accessibility and a respectful classroom. This guide may be relevant to disability, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, language, economic status, citizenship status, and even personal hardships. You can help build this guide by proposing edits to the document.
While we collectively strive to build a barrier-free world, we must also recognize the challenges of implementing full universal accessibility, autonomy and self-determination in the classroom (and at the university) due to the systemic, institutional, and structural configurations of power. Even as we call for systemic change to achieve more accessible, inclusive, sustainable, and respectful classrooms requires our collective collaboration. In the spirit of collaboration, we commit to the following:
- We prioritize respect for self-determination over achieving universal consensus in the classroom. We strive to hold space for our varying levels of knowledge, skill, and experience in the classroom and engage with one another with compassion and patience, except in circumstances where harm is ongoing and/or intentional.
- There is no single universal model of accommodation because barriers, violence, and precarity may emerge and subside unpredictably, they can be temporary, relapsing and remitting, or long-term, and they may be experienced individually or collectively. Therefore, should any change occur in someone’s engagement in this course (including attendance in class, work in groups, or completion of course work, returning assignments, etc.), we will discuss accommodations as soon as possible with the appropriate person/people to help adapt to these changes.
- Decisions to disclose and not to disclose reasons for accommodation requests should be respected. No one should be compelled to disclose personal details relating to accessibility; and conversely, disclosures around accommodations should be met with respect and consideration for the privacy of others.
- In prioritizing self-determination and respect, we collectively endeavour to use the language people choose for defining themselves both within the classroom and outside of the classroom. If we are uncertain about what language to use and when we will ask in a respectful manner for clarification.
- We recognize that language is not universal but cultural and contextual. As such, we strive to use appropriate language in the classroom while also recognizing that such terms may be contested, contradictory, or different across various contexts.
- We strive to individually and collectively consider our own participation in class to encourage a safe and respectful learning environment. We strive to practice respect by reflectin