Accessibility
Memorial's plan
Memorial University aims to have all campuses accessible to all who study, work, enjoy recreation, visit or live at the university. To achieve continuous improvement around accessibility, and to meet our obligations under the Accessibility Act, we seek to apply an accessibility lens throughout all university operations across all campuses for those it serves. In addition, we aim to prioritize accessibility advancement based on feedback related to the lived experiences of our internal and external stakeholders. We especially aim to prioritize the perspectives of those people with intersectional identities.
Memorial University’s Accessibility Plan (PDF or Word) is our starting point in terms of meeting our responsibilities under the new Accessibility Act of Newfoundland and Labrador. This is a living document and will continue to be responsive to the needs of Memorial University’s stakeholders. We will continue to include any new standards added to the Accessibility Act of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Memorial Accessibility Plan Update
December 2024
Focus areas
To demonstrate this commitment, Memorial University will continuously improve accessibility of its campuses by removing barriers especially in the areas of:
- Communications, Policy and Procedures
- Design of Spaces
- Employment
- Teaching, Learning and Research
- Customer Services, Goods, and Services
Teams across Memorial have accomplished great work in the area of accessibility and a list of achievements is also available (Excel or PDF). We acknowledge there is still much work to do.
Consultations
Phase One Consultations 2023
During phase one consultations for the draft plan, an Accessibility Steering Committee (ASC) was established. The ASC approved draft focus areas for consideration of other university stakeholders. More than 20 meetings were held with internal and external stakeholders to discuss the Act as well as the draft focus areas. Next, more than 75 members of Memorial’s internal and external community attended a virtual focus area group event to discuss accessibility in those areas. Groups submitted a list of barriers in their respective focus areas as well as goals as we move forward with the accessibility plan.
Phase Two Consultations 2024
In 2024, additional stakeholders will be consulted with a continued focus on getting feedback from people with lived experience. This work will involve asking stakeholders to provide feedback on the current draft plan in an effort to continuously improve Memorial’s commitment and efforts in the area of accessibility.
Looking to the future
To achieve true accessibility, we require further and ongoing collaborative work with stakeholders to develop, monitor, assess and continuously improve Memorial’s accessibility plan. Ultimately, an accessible environment will benefit the entire Memorial University community. It is also one of the strategic areas of focus in Memorial’s Strategic Plan.
As noted in the Transforming Our Horizons Strategic Plan:
“Memorial’s future lies in a culture where equity, inclusion and accessibility are embedded into the very fabric and physical structures of all we offer. We are intentional and deliberate in our commitment towards equity, inclusion, antiracism, Indigenization, decolonization and reconciliation. We must continuously act against discrimination in all its forms, including racial discrimination, anti- Black racism, gender identity discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination and disability discrimination. We stand for the acceptance of all people.”