Canada Post workers are on strike as of Friday, November 15, 2024 after failing to reach a negotiated agreement with their employer. The Crown corporation released a statement early Friday morning confirming that customers will experience delays as a result of the strike. As such, the mailroom would like to inform you that mail and parcels will not be delivered by Canada Post for the duration of the strike. Parcels and important documents can be delivered using UPS, Humber's preferred courier vendor. Incoming deliveries by other companies will be processed and delivered with no changes.

Thank you.

Equal access to all course materials is not just an important aspect of facilitating inclusive learning experiences for all learners. It’s required by law.  

• Adopting course textbooks as far in advance as possible and prior to the start of the semester is crucial. Faculty are encouraged to work with publishers to select textbooks that are already available in multiple formats to facilitate better accessibility for learners. 

• Copyright laws include exemptions in order to accommodate learners with disabilities.  

• Under the Customer Service Standards of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), organizations must serve customers with print disabilities. Educational institutions must serve learners with print disabilities. 

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles emphasize the importance of adopting textbooks that are available in multiple formats such as paper, electronic, audio, etc. to ensure learners with print disabilities can access course materials. 

• Selecting a textbook early will help Accessible Learning Services (ALS) to provide a more accessible format in a timely manner to learners registered with our office who have print disabilities when they encounter a textbook that does not meet their disability-related needs.  

• If a learner with a disability reports that the textbook format(s) available for their course does not meet their disability-related needs, ALS supports the learner in the process of obtaining a more accessible copy.  For example, Adaptive Technologists may request alternative textbook formats on behalf of students directly from publishers or by accessing digital repositories such as AccessText Network, Alternative Education Resources for Ontario (AERO) or the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA).  

• ALS staff support learners who encounter inaccessible required textbooks only. Humber has support available for faculty to ensure they can develop other course materials in accessible formats through Innovative Learning.  

Resources and legislation listed below can provide more details regarding the responsibilities of the institution to ensure learners have access to accessible textbooks: 

• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) - Customer Service Standard 
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) 
• Customers with Print Disabilities (aoda.ca) 
• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines (cast.org) 
• Innovative Learning 

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. 

Please join us for Humber’s Annual Executive Team Holiday Open House on December 11!

Additional details will be shared soon. We look forward to celebrating with you.

World Diabetes Day 2024 

November 14 is World Diabetes Day. Nearly 12 million Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes, representing about 29 per cent of the population. The prevalence of diabetes is higher among certain populations, including those of South Asian descent, where the rate goes up to 16 per cent (Diabetes Canada).  

At the Centre for Innovation in Health & Wellness (CIHW), we are proud to highlight our ongoing efforts to raise awareness and generate new ideas within our community for diabetes awareness, education and prevention. 

In 2022, as part of its strategic vision, CIHW launched its first ‘Health Innovation Challenge’, a unique opportunity to bring together students from across Humber Polytechnic to develop innovative solutions related to prediabetes and diabetes among young adults. The success of the first event led to the establishment of a health innovation challenge as an ongoing annual initiative for CIHW. All Health Innovation Challenge events held so far have brought together students across Humber’s six faculties to share new insights, knowledge, and understanding of the crucial issue of diabetes prevention. When we asked the students why they wanted to participate in the health innovation challenges, nearly 50 per cent of them shared that they have been personally impacted or their family members have been struggling with this chronic disease. 

Based on the success of our Health Innovation Challenges and student feedback, CIHW engaged with Klick Health, a health tech company which was developing a new technology to identify prediabetes/type 2 diabetes using vocal biomarkers. From this partnership, emerged a new research project, “Investigating the use of vocal biomarkers to detect prediabetes/type 2 diabetes in the South Asian population” which was launched in Fall 2024. So far, over 200 Humber students have actively participated in this research project. All participants have received information on prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, and the role of nutrition and lifestyle in disease prevention.  

Through continuous education and hands-on learning opportunities for students, CIHW hopes to change the curve on prevention of this disease and empower young adults to change the course of their lives. Together, we can create a healthier future for all. 

Learn more about World Diabetes Day.   

Do you have an innovative research or project idea? Connect with us!  Email vanita.varma@humber.ca.