Winter is on its way and it’s important to make sure that you are prepared for any emergency that might occur while you’re driving. Snowstorms, ice storms and white outs are just a few of the incidents that we could face while driving during the winter months.

Having an emergency car kit is imperative, especially in the winter months. If you have a breakdown or get stuck on the road behind an accident, in a snowstorm, or other incident, having an emergency car kit can help keep you safe for several hours or even days.

You can purchase an emergency car kit, or make your own, specific to your needs. Some things to consider for your car kit:

• Make your kit specific to your family needs (children, elderly, persons with disabilities, pets),
• Keep extra medication handy if you are diabetic or have another condition that requires medication at regular intervals
• Keep snacks, food, and drinks in your emergency kit
• Blankets
• Flashlights
• Heat packs for gloves or socks
• Don’t forget about your pets! Keep food, water, collar, leash in your car and any medications they may need
• Be specific to the season and current weather conditions
• If traveling on a long road trip, be sure to share your route, scheduled stops, arrival times, etc. with family and friends, particularly if bad weather is expected
• Always keep your gas tank at least half full
• Keep a cell phone charger in your car
• Keep a small amount of cash on hand in case electricity or other systems fail

Here are some helpful links about emergency preparedness:

• Tips on general preparedness
• https://humber.ca/publicsafety/services/emergency-management

For more information, contact Kathy Branton, Manager, Business Continuity and Emergency Management at kathy.branton@humber.ca.

Kathy Branton, MA.DEM.
Manager, Business Continuity and Emergency Management

Labour movements have helped achieve minimum wages, overtime pay, workplace safety standards, maternity and parental leave, vacation pay, and protection from discrimination and harassment. As the nature of work and employment continue to evolve, unions and other labour bodies remain focused on advocating for the improvement of workers’ rights. 

This reading list highlights various aspects of the labour rights movement.

The latest edition of the Humber Magazine is now available in digital and print.

This edition, titled Unleashing Creative Potential, highlights a transformation underway at the Lakeshore Campus, with the construction of Humber’s new Cultural Hub, a new home for Humber’s creative and performing arts programs. Get an inside glimpse of some of the innovative spaces that will be created within the Hub, including a new immersive media technology that will fill a 500-seat multipurpose performance hall.

This edition also pays tribute to the spirit of creativity. A "History of Harmony" timeline commemorates 50 years of music education, a new scholarship was established in memory of esteemed faculty member and music educator, Denny Christianson and a new educational outreach initiative details the work of Humber’s Community Music School, which extends private and ensemble music lessons to children aged three to 18. Among these highlights is a nostalgic retrospective: a visit from Duke Ellington to the college in the '70s.

These are merely a small sample of the many highlights presented in this edition, including a spotlight of Humber's new role as a venue for the popular Nuit Blanche art event. Moreover, we proudly announced the college's distinguished alumni who have been nominated for this year’s Premier’s Awards!

Look out for the latest issue of Humber Magazine located at news stands throughout North and Lakeshore campuses.

Read the digital edition or visit humber.ca/magazine to download an accessible version.

This 2021 study reviewed the experiences of students with disabilities and their professors in obtaining their academic accommodations. The findings were grouped into three main areas:  

1. Reinforced and Naturalized Marginality    

Students with disabilities experienced marginalization which was maintained and naturalized by institutional procedures and through their interactions with faculty.  

Students with disabilities often felt a need to fit with institutional “normative preferences” designed for non-disabled students. This caused some not to seek accommodations or to minimally request what was available. Accepting help was difficult due to their pride in wanting to be viewed as “normal” and a desire to be independent. 

2. Conditional Community Membership 

Interactions between students and their professors demonstrated many ways that students with disabilities experienced a conditional sense of belonging in their post-secondary communities.  

One example involved students using testing centres to write accommodated tests. Learners thought their faculty would be available by email during accommodated exams, so proctors could relay any questions they needed answered. Experiences varied as some professors were willing to communicate, while others refused to acknowledge or reply to exam concerns.  

Students found that if they wanted access to their professors, they were expected to write exams in the class with their peers.  

3. Understanding and Valuing Diversity 

Students found affirmation when instructors encouraged and made themselves available for open conversations about disability and differences. 

Connecting with faculty through shared lived experience emerged as another important validation of student diversity.

View the full study

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.