The technologies that are currently available through the Accessibility Lab are Kurzweil 3000, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and Read&Write. Students may face unique challenges in their academic journeys, but Retief knows that overcoming these obstacles can make “a huge difference.…” “It’s a great example of how it’s been helpful for a student,” said Corman.” Through the Lab, they were able to identify a software that better supported the student, and made the materials more accessible. Retief recounted a recent experience with a student who was struggling to read course materials the way they were presented by the professor. We carried it forward into meetings with the Centre for Accessibility Services and the Academic Success Centre coordinator, and they’ve been able to implement it into something that I think is quite innovative.” One of the topics was inclusive space and services, and Phil had written out on one of his Post-its, the idea of an accessibility lab. Chilliwack’s ASC is located in room A1204, and both Corman and Retief encourage students who attend the Chilliwack campus and are interested in the program, to book a peer tutoring appointment with Retief.Ĭorman spoke of how the Accessibility Lab came to be: “Through the Academic Success Center… each semester we have an all-staff training day, and in the fall we had one that included some brainstorming around different values and priorities for the Academic Success Centre. The Accessibility Lab, less than two months old, currently runs out of room G126 at the Abbotsford campus on Tuesdays from 12-2 p.m., sharing a space with the Abby ASC. Retief says that the purpose of the lab is to help students “explore adaptive technologies that can help them or aid them in their academic journey.” Corman specified, “we wanted to make adaptive technology more available to all UFV students.” The ASC is currently offering a new program, facilitated by Retief: the Accessibility Lab. Tara Corman and Phil Retief both work at the Academic Success Centre (ASC) at UFV, where Corman is the learning strategist and Retief is a peer tutor.
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