Disability Barriers in Academia: An Analysis of Disability Accommodation Policies for Faculty at Canadian Universities

Saltes, Natasha

doi:10.15353/cjds.v9i1.596

Cited by 21Disability Education and EmploymentDisability Rights and RepresentationDigital Accessibility for Disabilities

Disability Barriers in Academia: An Analysis of Disability Accommodation Policies for Faculty at Canadian Universities

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Saltes, Natasha·2020·Canadian Journal of Disability Studies

DOI 10.15353/cjds.v9i1.596

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Abstract

This article examines disability accommodation policies for faculty at 42 Canadian universities. Although universities in Canada are legally required to accommodate disabled employees, fewer than half of all universities have a written disability accommodation policy available. The search for disability accommodation policies revealed that there is a lack of consistency in policy implementation as well as language and content. The analysis revealed that disability accommodation policies contain overtly medical language and provisions that work to isolate disabled faculty by reinforcing the notion of competency as able-bodiedness and emphasizing the entanglement between disability, health and medicine. This article encourages universities to acknowledge their role in establishing accessible and inclusive workplaces and concludes with recommendations aimed at addressing some of the gaps and inconsistencies in disability accommodation policies.

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The AODA provides little direct guidance and compliance mechanisms for universities to adopt consistently.
“Despite being a proactive measure, the AODA provides little direct guidance and compliance mechanisms for universities to adopt consistently [47].”
From Infrastructuring as Collective Resistance: How Disabled Students Negotiate Access Through Technology in Universities (2026) · cites this paper as [47]
In “Disability Legislation in Canada” (p. 58), Saltes describes the AODA as proactive and says anti-discrimination legislation lacks practical guidance for drafting and implementing policies, leading to inconsistent responses to accommodation requests. The passage does not specifically say that the AODA lacks compliance mechanisms; it also notes that Ontario universities have begun adhering to its standards. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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Authors: Saltes, N.
Affiliations: University of Ottawa (CA)
Corresponding author: Saltes, Natasha
Venue: Canadian Journal of Disability Studies
Publisher: University of Waterloo
Published: 2020-02-27
Volume: 9
Issue: 1
Pages: 53-90
ISSN: 1929-9192 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.15353/cjds.v9i1.596
OpenAlex: W3110743406
Cited by: 21
References: 43
Citations by year: 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 1
FWCI: 4.09
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: diamond
doi.org
Licence: cc-by-nc-nd
Locations: Canadian Journal of Disability Studies (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Topics: Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Education and Employment
Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Rights and Representation
Social Sciences › Human Factors and Ergonomics › Digital Accessibility for Disabilities
Keywords: higher education accessibility, medical model of disability, workplace inclusion, policy implementation, Canadian universities

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Disability Barriers in Academia: An Analysis of Disability Accommodation Policies for Faculty at Canadian Universities

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