Campus Accessibility
The University of Ottawa campus is ideally situated in the centre of the city, near two accessible public transit stations (Laurier and Campus). Most of the buildings on campus are accessible to students with physical disabilities; however, there are a number of accessibility issues facing students on campus. Students who have not registered with Access Services may be placed in inaccessible classrooms—for example, a student who has difficulty walking may be placed in a classroom on an upper floor in a building that does not have elevators. The CSD recommends that students register with Access Services or disclose their disability to their professor. This way, the professor will understand and more readily accommodate the students’ needs.
Campus accessibility resources
More on accessibility issues
- Here is a list of accessibility obstacles present on our campus:
- Limited or no wheelchair access to some buildings (e.g., Hagen)
- Poor snow clearance in winter
- Lack of clear signage indicating accessible entrances
- Improperly painted and poorly identified steps
- Ongoing construction that interferes with accessible routes (e.g., the Skybar project, which closed the UCU / Thompson bridge in 2005 – 2006)
- Lack of information in alternative formats (e.g., print versions of schedule information and electronic versions of workshop materials.
- Attitudes
Report an accessibility issue
If you—or someone you know—encounter an accessibility issue on campus, please submit a brief description of the issue to csd@sfuo.ca. Provide detailed information:
- include the date and approximate time the issue occurred, the prevailing weather conditions (if applicable) and the approximate duration of the issue;
- specify whether alternative routes were indicated; identify the closest alternative route and the impact that this alternate route had on you (e.g., caused you to be 20 minutes late for class).
- We will publish these stories (preserving your privacy and anonymity) so that students follow recent campus accessibility issues, find alternate routes and check the status of identified issues (solved or pending).
Campus accessibility resources
The University of Ottawa Accessibility Plan (2006-2007)outlines the accessibility issues that the University has acknowledged and intends to correct this year and in the future.