Increased Funding for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities

Ontario is providing funding to help students with disabilities across the province

June 23, 2015 – Hamilton ON

There are now twice as many students with disabilities enrolled in postsecondary education than there were in 2002-2003. Students with disabilities make up 8.8 per cent of postsecondary students, which totalled 54,300 students last year.

To help colleges and universities support students, the province is investing $4.5 million in the Accessibility Fund for Students with Disabilities and the Summer Transitions Program that:

• Provide a wide range of services to students with disabilities on campus
• Offer workshops and courses for high school students transitioning into postsecondary education

The province is also investing $1.5 million in other programs including:

• Note-taking services for students with visual impairments
• Interpreter services for students who are deaf, deafened and hard of hearing
• Learning assessments to help students determine what accommodations they need
• Computers and tablet applications that change text-to-speech or speech-to-text, provide word prediction capabilities and graphic organizers

Enhancing funding for students with disabilities in colleges and universities supports the government’s economic plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives and building a secure retirement savings plan.

“Improving accessibility for students and ensuring they are well-prepared for transitioning to campus is a primary priority. The government of Ontario’s investment will help students prepare for university and succeed when they arrive here.” David Wilkinson, Provost and Vice President Academic, McMaster University