Higher demand for accommodations not surprising, say P.E.I. post-secondary institutions

Post-secondary staff on Prince Edward Island say they aren't surprised that over a third of Maritime university students report having a disability.

The number of students with disabilities could even be higher than the reported number, since some students with disabilities aren't registered to receive accommodations, said Sandra Griffin, manager of accessibility services at UPEI.

"Without these accommodations, students will often struggle, experience lower grades, sometimes fail courses entirely because they haven't used the accommodations that they're eligible for or that they need in order to demonstrate their learning," Griffin said. 

The number of university students who report having a disability has grown across the country, with Maritime institutions leading the way, according to the Canadian University Survey Consortium. 

Why the increase? 

The increase in the number of students reporting disabilities and seeking accommodations has likely gone up for a variety of reasons, Griffin said. 

For one, there's less stigma around accessing accommodations, Griffin said, adding support and information from professors and classmates can make students feel more comfortable asking for help.

The fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is another factor that may be contributing to the increase in accommodation requests, she said.

Murray MacInnis, director of student well being, accessibility and supports at Holland College, agrees that there are many factors influencing the increase in demand for student accommodations. 

MacInnis said there's a distinction between students who are accessing services and those that have individualized academic accommodation plans, but in both cases, the number of students using those supports are increasing.

"They're more willing to ask for that help now and advocate for themselves in many cases," he said. 

Improvements made to accommodation supports at the high school level also means that more students have prior experience accessing accommodations and often times have diagnoses and documentation by the time they enter post-secondary learning environments, MacInnis said.

Identifying needs early 

Holland College has connections with P.E.I. high schools that allow the college to better understand the needs of incoming students before they arrive and being able to identify those needs early is a benefit, he said.

"I don't always see the increase in needs as a bad thing. It may be just that we're getting to students before it's too late and we're trying to support them along their journey," MacInnis said.

"The numbers alone can paint a picture but it doesn't tell the whole story." 

When it comes to the learning environment, "our classes are more diverse than ever in terms of learning needs," MacInnis said. 

While that can present challenges, it also creates great opportunities, he said.

"There's a lot of learning that happens from having diversity within the classroom and it can lead to a better society in general."

Although it's good more students feel comfortable accessing support, increased demand for accommodations means there is more strain on post-secondary staff, faculty and resources, said Margot Rejskind, executive director of the UPEI Faculty Association.

"As the numbers go up, the… amount of time and resources that are required go up as well, and may not be keeping up with what is happening on the ground." 

Ensuring that students have the support they need while also leaving time for faculty and staff to address other concerns that would be of benefit to students is a "difficult balance," said Rejskind.