ABSTRACT

This chapter aims to show how Ryerson University, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has integrated accessibility into an equity, diversity, and inclusion framework with a systemic, organizational approach called "Access Ryerson". It describes several key components of the Access Ryerson Initiative, which aims to make Ryerson fully accessible: foundational principles, leadership structure and components, and working groups. Ultimately, the chapter demonstrates how the Ryerson community is addressing barriers to inclusion experienced by people with disabilities through the lens of disability as diversity, not deficit. In addition to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Access Ryerson created its own set of foundational principles and values that underpin it. Ryerson is committed to accessibility in the classroom, accessibility in the workplace, and accessibility on campus. In order to expand the mandate of the original committee, working groups were created to address barriers in particular areas.