Postsecondary institutions must listen to students with disabilities to create a safe return to campus: Editorial

Postsecondary institutions should listen to the students who have been impacted most by the pandemic to avoid returning to a “normal” that includes ableism, racism, and classism, write York University Assistant Professor Jessica Vorstermans and YorkU MA Candidate Azeezah Jafry. Vorstermans and Jafry argue that learning should not be put above the needs of those who are more at risk from the pandemic. They encourage institutions to be open to learning strategies such as recorded lectures, virtual access, and flexible deadlines, which became popular during the pandemic and benefitted students with disabilities. “[P]eople should not expect that face-to-face learning will inevitably and universally reduce harm,” write the authors. “Students at intersections of poverty, disability and those with care responsibilities (often gendered) may be forced to choose between their health and their community’s health, and their education.” The Conversation Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.