Framework guiding our work

We aim to create a community that goes beyond identifying individual barriers to basic inclusion on campus. We envision a community that actively welcomes and values a diversity of abilities and experiences. In other words, a community that is able to adapt to meet the needs of its members, rather than making its members adapt to fit into existing standards.

Principles

UVic’s Accessibility Plan is a positive and meaningful complement to our existing plans, principles and values.

As per the Accessible BC Act, the following principles underpin our plan:

Inclusion
Adaptability
Diversity
Collaboration
Self-determination
Universal design

The Accessibility Plan also reflects the principles outlined in the new Strategic Plan, including:

Operating with excellence. We will pursue excellence in the way we teach, research, engage with the community and operate.

Create a welcoming space. We will cultivate an environment that is inclusive, equitable and supportive. UVic will be a place where each person feels like they belong.

Lifting each other up. We will commit to helping people succeed in their endeavours, because we know that purpose and fulfillment are foundational to the fullest expression of human well-being.

Equity Action Plan

UVic's Equity Action Plan provides strategic direction to advance equity, diversity and inclusion at UVic. It includes goals to create the conditions in which everyone feels a sense of belonging—as connected and respected parts of the university community. Goals related to accessibility include:

Create an inclusive campus community that values diversity and challenges dominant systems of power.
Transform university structures and practices to show value for diverse lived experiences.
Attract, advance, and retain students, staff, faculty, librarians and senior leadership from systemically and historically marginalized communities.
Create equitable support structures that address the diverse access needs of the campus community.

Campus Plan

UVic's Campus Plan provides direction for the physical development of campus. This includes buildings and land use, open spaces and natural areas, and transportation and parking. Goals related to accessibility include:

Encourage increased walking and wheelchair use, cycling, and use of public transit, making these priority modes convenient, safe, and enjoyable for all users.
Maintain and enhance connections, parking areas, building entrances, and open space access so that individuals of all physical abilities are able to move through campus without barriers or impediments.
Reinforce intuitive wayfinding across campus.

Strategic Plan (draft)

Including and supporting diverse and talented students, staff and faculty who want to make a difference in communities and have a positive impact on people, places and the planet.
Addressing systemic barriers to equity and inclusion and progressively integrating our guiding principles throughout all decisions, processes and outcomes, to transform practices within UVic.
Creating a culture of trust, respect and collaboration that will attract and support curious, courageous people who are driven to engage, solve, teach and learn.
Advancing and strengthening interdisciplinary and interdepartmental opportunities to provide new teaching, learning, research, creative works and service solutions.

Aspiration 2030

The UVic Research and Creative Works Strategy aims to create a better world through curiosity, engagement and innovation. Actions include:

Embed equity, diversity and inclusion in research processes and activities to overcome systemic barriers and build and support a diverse research community.

Indigenous Plan

A revised Indigenous Plan is in development. We will provide more information in fall 2023.

All university plans

Existing policies

UVic’s policies related to accessibility and access include:

There are also accessibility elements included in collective agreements with employee unions.

External resources

External resources considered when developing this plan include:

Our approach

The Vice-President Academic and Provost and Vice-President Finance and Operations are co-sponsors of this pan-university plan.

UVic has maximized the involvement of the Accessibility Committee early in the plan’s development. This has helped to ensure UVic students and employees with disabilities are centred in the consultations and process. The development of the Accessibility Plan has been highly consultative.

As a final stage of consultations, the draft plan was shared with the campus community on June 2, 2023 as part of national AccessAbility Week. Feedback is welcomed from June 2–July 16, 2023. Comments will inform the final version and future updates. Executive Council will approve the plan before the Sept. 1, 2023 launch.

Format

UVic's Accessibility Plan is an accessible website, compliant with level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2 standards. As the Accessibility Plan is intended to be iterative and updated as needed, including to better support people with disabilities, it is not available as a print document or PDF.