Equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives at Canadian universities
Université du Québec à Montréal launches inclusive education
In response to a growing number of students with a disability, the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) launched a working group on inclusive education in 2017.
Inclusive education uses teaching practices that support “atypical” students without discriminating against “typical” students. Indeed, typical students can also benefit from these new approaches to teaching.
Between 2010-15, the number of students with a disability tripled. By 2017, more than 1,500 students had registered for a service that offered support for those with disabilities. This group, which represents 3.6 percent of the student population, can be further divided into those with disabilities that are visible and those that are invisible (such as a learning disorder or mental health issues).
For UQAM, the growing presence of students with disabilities is a positive. Not so long ago, students with mental health concerns, for example, might not have had the opportunity to attend university. Their presence shows how far society has come in diagnosing, understanding and accompanying people who have invisible disabilities.
