The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences is excited to introduce the FLAS Grab 'n Go Food Bank located at the North Campus on the 5th floor of the LRC outside of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Designed with convenience and dignity in mind, the FLAS Grab 'n Go Food Bank will help ensure that no member of the Humber community goes without food.

Here's how it works:

1. Members of the Humber community who are experiencing food insecurity or hardship are encouraged to stop by the FLAS Office during business hours (Monday-Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.).
2. There they will encounter a cart with a selection of non-perishable food items.
3. They can take what they need. It's that easy!

Welcome to Safety and Health Week! All week long, Occupational Health and Safety Services will be posting health and safety information in the Communiqué. Be sure to keep an eye on these posts, as there will be a chance to win some prizes at the end of the week.

While health and safety in the workplace is always a top priority at Humber, it does not stop at work. Humber’s Well-being Strategy and Healthy You Hub was developed to help all members of the Humber community prioritize their overall well-being. Visit the Healthy You Hub for a variety of employee resources to assist with physical, mental, financial, and social health and well-being.

Physical activity can play a key role in our personal health and well-being. We would like to provide a reminder that the use of the Athletic Centre is free for all employees! Fitness centres are available at both the North and Lakeshore campuses and provide a wide variety of exercise options (including cardio and strength/conditioning). In addition, once you are in the facility, you may attend any of the fitness classes, ranging from cycling, fitness walks, boot camps, Zumba, yoga, and more. You can also sign up for personal training sessions with fully certified trainers at an additional cost. For more information on the fitness centres, including a current schedule of fitness classes, please visit the Athletics webpage.

Lastly, Occupational Health and Safety Services would like to encourage all employees to practice healthy behaviours at work and outside of the workplace. Small changes can have a substantial impact on your health and well-being. Consider the following:

• Where possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• If you work at a computer workstation, take micro-breaks to break up periods of prolonged sitting.
• Enjoy a lunchtime walk (the Arboretum is beautiful).
• Eat healthy and nutritious meals.
• Take time for yourself outside of work and get plenty of rest!

Photo Contest Tip: Have you taken a fitness class recently on campus? Are you planning a walk in the Arboretum this week? Do you plan on taking the stairs when you finish work today? We’d love to see it (and that Humber pride as well).

In 2017, a committee consisting of representatives from community organizations and 12 Ontario colleges and universities were tasked with identifying barriers for post-secondary learners with disabilities and developing recommendations.  

The Government of Ontario formed the Postsecondary Education Standards Development Committee as a requirement of the Accessibility for Ontarians Disability Act (AODA), 2005. 

The Postsecondary Education Standards Development Committee (PESDC) 2022 Final Report identified nine barriers and 185 recommendations. Biweekly, ALS will be doing a deep dive into the barriers and recommendations. This is the first installment of this eight-part series. 

The nine main barriers were: 1. General overarching barriers; 2. Attitudes, behaviours, perceptions, assumptions; 3. Awareness and training; 4. Assessment, curriculum, and instruction; 5. Digital learning and technology; 6. Organizational barriers; 7. Social realms, campus life; 8. Physical and architectural barriers; 9. Financial barriers.

1. General Overarching Barriers: 

These are barriers that may prevent the implementation and future success of the proposed standards. One of these overarching barriers is that students with disabilities are often considered after the fact during policy development and budgetary decision-making. Secondly, postsecondary institutions and ministries tend to work independently rather than collaboratively which could prevent effective implementation of the standards.  

The following recommendations address this barrier: 

1. When modifying or implementing programs and services for people with disabilities, the Ministry will first conduct a review to determine if, or how, the program would impact postsecondary students with disabilities 

2. The provincial government must demonstrate their commitment to supporting students with disabilities and accessible postsecondary education. One way is to provide funding to institutions and students to help meet the goals of the postsecondary education accessibility standards. 

3. The Ontario government shall continue to advocate with the federal government through their federal/provincial tables to ensure both are working towards the same goals of access for students with disabilities.  

The full report is available: 

https://www.ontario.ca/page/development-proposed-postsecondary-education-standards-final-recommendations-report-2022 

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

Please email us at accessible-learning@humber.ca with suggestions for key accessibility-related topics that you would like us to address through the Communiqué.

Welcome to Safety and Health Week! All week long, Occupational Health and Safety Services will be posting health and safety information in the Communiqué. Be sure to keep an eye on these posts, as there will be a chance to win some prizes at the end of the week.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is one of many options to control or minimize the risk of exposure to an occupational hazard. While priority is given to other means to reduce risk, such as eliminating or isolating the hazard, or changing the way that we work, PPE is sometimes required. Depending on the hazard that needs to be addressed, there are different types of PPE that may be required. Below are some examples:

• Hearing protection (ear plugs and earmuffs) – high noise environments.
• Fall protection – working at heights.
• Respiratory protection – exposure to airborne contaminants.
• Chemical protective clothing, including gloves – working with hazardous materials.
• Eye and face protection – splash hazards and flying objects or particles/dust.
• Hard hats – work on construction sites or where an overhead hazard is present.
• Safety footwear – work associated with a risk of a foot injury.

Your supervisor is responsible for determining when and what type of PPE is required for your work and for ensuring that all workers are trained on the proper selection, use, care, maintenance, and storage of the PPE. If any assistance is needed with regards to appropriate PPE selection and training requirements, please email healthandsafety@humber.ca for assistance.

Remember: PPE is only effective if you wear it properly and consistently. Always follow the instructions and training provided to you with regards to using PPE.

Photo Contest Tip: If you are required to wear PPE on the job at Humber, send us a picture of you wearing your PPE properly.