A new report from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) reveals a shift in accessibility service use in the Ontario postsecondary sector: In 2022–23, the percentage of university students accessing Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) services (13.4%) surpassed that of college students (12.9%) for the first time since 2013-14. HEQCO links the decline in college OSD registrations in large part to rising international enrolments—making up nearly half of all college students in 2022-23—who access OSD services at much lower rates (1.2%) than domestic students (23.5%). Barriers for international students include limited awareness, cultural stigma, and challenges with documentation and funding. As the number of students with disabilities continues to grow, HEQCO emphasizes the need for OSD services to scale accordingly.
