USask group impacts accessibility on campus

Students, staff, and faculty with disabilities face various obstacles in getting to class or their workspace depending on the building they need to access. USask is actively working to address these challenges. In 2022, an accessibility committee was assembled, driven by conversations between student leadership and senior leaders. 

Tasnim Jaisee has been a part of the group since its inception, transitioning from a student leadership position as president of the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU) to now working as an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Project Specialist at USask. 

As a person with disabilities, and a wheelchair user, Jaisee is uniquely positioned to lead conversations on accessibility.  

“It’s just been really cool to see how a student idea ended up coming so far to where we are at now,” said Jaisee.  

Over the past three years, the committee has played a part in several wins, including improved access to the workout space in the College of Education, and a new vantage point for wheelchair users at Griffith Stadium.  

Prior to the new platform, wheelchair users were on the front lines, right where the action was happening. 

“The raised platform allows you to be elevated, so you can look down and see the plays happening,” said Jaisee. 

Major projects like the one at Griffiths Stadium might get more attention, but other smaller upgrades are also making a big difference. 

“We’ve done a lot of work on power-actuated doors, upgrading washrooms, signage, and curbs,” said Colleen Macdonald, manager of capital and business planning, and member of the accessibility committee.  

Updates seen across USask include updating doors, improving floor patterns for the visually impaired, adding companion washrooms with adult change tables, and minor work in residences to address specific needs of individual students.  

Although many members of the USask community may take for granted the ease at which they can enter a classroom or workspace, it’s important to remember the impact upgrades like the power-actuated doors with push buttons can have. 

“For someone using a wheelchair or a different mobility support, being able to get through the door is critical,” said Jaisee. “We are trying to ensure that it doesn’t take heroic effort to independently move through our spaces.”  

The next initiative the USask community will see is simple, but effective.  

“We’re going to put stickers in classrooms across campus,” said Jaisee.  

The stickers will serve to identify which seats are accessible seating, freeing up what is often limited to accessibility seating in a classroom for the students who need it.  

Moving forward, the committee will continue to identify opportunities to make a difference at USask.  

“Accessibility doesn’t just affect people with disabilities,” said Jaisee. “Accessibility affects everybody at large, and that’s the mindset that we go into this work with.”