Accessibility Conference

The conference will be held virtually on May 29-30, 2024. Workshops are scheduled for Friday, May 31, 2024.

All conference sessions will be hosted virtually via Zoom Events conference platform. Zoom Events Platform Access instructions have been emailed to all registrants.

Session recordings for the two-day conference will be available to all registrants for 30 days post conference. Workshops and pre-conference sessions will not be recorded.

Mission

The University of Guelph Accessibility Conference is an annual event that raises awareness and encourages action across the education, government and private sectors to make communications, services, education, and spaces inclusive and accessible. The conference supports the University of Guelph’s vision to Improve Life through the promotion of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and the sharing of accessibility standards, best practices, tools, strategies, and technologies that remove barriers. The conference promotes advocacy and the sharing of the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities and is committed to creating an environment that celebrates inclusion, diversity, intellectual curiosity and community.

In keeping with the motto, “nothing about us, without us”, we encourage individuals with disabilities to take part in the conference as planners, presenters, session leaders and attendees.

Vision

To provide a high-quality educational experience that fosters community and advances inclusive and accessible practices in academia as well as other key sectors.

Goals

The conference aims to:

• Create an environment that encourages a shared responsibility in addressing accessibility
• Promote the accessibility and inclusion needs of individuals with disabilities in both academic and non-academic settings
• Focus on practical steps and methods for making communities, classrooms, workplaces and other venues accessible
• Create opportunities to network and share ideas, strategies and stories that collectively contribute to the advancement of accessibility and the removal of barriers
• Provide information and strategies to assist individuals and organizations with achieving accessibility requirements
• Encourage a universal design approach in the creation and dissemination of information