The Postsecondary Education Standards Development Committee (PESDC) 2022 Final Report identified nine barriers to access. Biweekly, ALS will be doing a deep dive into the barriers and recommendations identified.  

The recommendations were founded upon principles that accessibility efforts should be proactive, that all areas of an institution have a shared responsibility in promoting access and that students need to navigate a transparent and seamless system. 

This week’s focus is on organizational barriers. 

• The recommendations to address organizational barriers in postsecondary were guided by the principles that postsecondary institutions need to create environments that facilitate full participation of all stakeholders and that students with disabilities must have barrier-free access at all stages of postsecondary experience.  

• The report recommends all admission documents, including applications and tests, be readable using assistive technology and all multimedia material related to admissions be closed captioned. 

• Postsecondary institutions shall develop policies and practices outlining the extensive documentation required to access academic accommodations including a practice to provide interim accommodations while waiting for documentation. 

• Institutions shall also develop policies and procedures related to priority access requests (for example, request for priority enrollment in a course, accessible housing placement, etc.) and ensure experiential learning partners are aware of the requirement to accommodate. 

The full report is available online

Visit our ALS Information for Faculty website to learn more about accommodating students with disabilities.