SLC Accessibility Plan

October 2014-April 2016

Prepared by the SLC Accessibility Committee


This document is available in alternate formats, upon request. Please contact
sco@ams.queensu.ca or 613-533-6000 x74847

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Accessibility Feedback

The Student Life Centre recognizes that feedback is critical to the
process of identifying and removing barriers to participation as well
as improving how we deliver our services to persons with
disabilities.

Feedback can be given by emailing the Student Centre Officer at
sco@ams.queensu.ca or by phone at 613-533-6000 x74847. You may
also send feedback by regular mail:

Student Centre Officer
Queens University
John Deutsch University Centre, Room 146
87 Union Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2N9



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Student Life Centre Accessibility Plan Overview

The Student Life Centre (SLC) is the heart of student life on campus. As such, the SLC
should strive to be as inclusive and accessible as possible for students, staff, tenants,
and the broader community. The SLC Accessibility Plan (hereinafter referred to as the
Plan) aims to align the SLC facilities and operations with the University policies and
guidelines including, but not limited to, the Queens University Accessibility Plan as
approved by the Vice-Principals Operations Committee in 2013 and the Queens Equity
Office Accessibility Statement.
Definitions

Student Life Centre (SLC): Four buildings which are governed by SLC Council and
subject to the Management & Operations Agreement between the Alma Mater Society,
the Society of Graduate and Professional Students, and the University.

SLC Council: The governing body of the SLC which is ultimately responsible to the
University Senate.

Management Team: The day-to-day managers of the SLC comprised of the Student
Centre Officer, the SLC Administration Manager and the SLC Operations Manager.
Where required, this includes the SLC Reservation Coordinator and SLC Facilities
Officer.

Barrier: Means anything that prevents any person with a disability from fully
participating in all aspects of society because of their disability, including, but not
limited to; physical barriers, architectural barriers, information or communications
barriers, attitudinal barriers, technological barriers, or policies and procedures that
inadvertently pose barriers.
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Description of the SLC

The Student Life Centre (SLC) is the heart of student life on campus. Comprised of four
buildings, the John Deutsch University Centre, the Queens Centre, the Grey House,
and MacGillivray-Brown Hall, the SLC serves as the seat of the main student
government at Queens, the Alma Mater Society (AMS) and the Society of Graduate &

1
Queens University, Accessibility Policy, University Secretariat, Accessed July 22
nd
2014, Online,
University Accessibility Policy

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Professional Students (SGSP), as well as numerous club offices, student services, and
bookable spaces. The SLC is governed by SLC Council which reports to the University
Senate.

As per the SLC Constitution, the mandate of the SLC is to:

1. To remember and honour the members of the Queen's community fallen in
war and, further, to acknowledge and celebrate the rich history and traditions of
the University and its students, faculty, staff and alumni in their pursuit of the
essential values of intellectual integrity, freedom of inquiry and the exchange of
ideas, and the equal dignity of all persons;
2. To provide formal and informal gathering places for, and foster
communication among and between, students, faculty, staff and alumni;
3. To offer a home to student governments, faculty societies, student clubs and
organizations and the associated opportunities for self-directed programs and
services;
4. To stimulate and facilitate cultural, educational, recreational and social
programs that support the missions of student governments and the University;
and
5. To house student, university and commercial services that meet the needs of
students, faculty, staff and visitors and contribute to the vitality of the Centre.
SLC Accessibility Policy Statement

The Student Life Centre is at its core the heart of student life on campus and is made rich,
vibrant, and energetic by the diversity of its users and tenants. The Student Life Centre
recognizes that an important relationship exists between the diversity of its users and tenants
and its capacity for cultural, social, and service excellence.

Please contact the SLC in one of the following ways:
Email: sco@ams.queensu.ca
Phone: 613-533-6000 x74847
In person: Student Centre Officer



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Statement of Commitment

The Student Life Centre Council, its committees, and the Management Team are
committed to implementing this plan and working to continue to identify and eradicate
accessibility barriers related to the Student Life Centre in line with our Accessibility
Policy Statement.
Accessible Customer Service Strategies

Pursuant to the above Accessibility Policy Statement, the SLC will strive to establish
accessible and inclusive customer service practices. The SLC recognizes the unique role
played by SLC Representatives who service a diverse range of patrons. Their
responsibilities include welcoming visitors to the SLC and Queens; directing patrons to
the appropriate service or building on campus; giving access to SLC bookable spaces for
student groups, departments, and external vendors; collecting posters for approval, and
a myriad of other responsibilities. As such, SLC Representatives and their managers
should be well equipped to work with a diverse and ever changing customer base.

As such, the SLC Management Team and SLC Council make the following
commitments in order achieve our goal of an accessible and inclusive space on campus:
Mandatory Accessible Customer Service Training for the Management Team and
service staff
Mandatory Human Rights Training for the Management Team and service staff
Special Human Rights Training delivered by the University Human Rights Office
for the Management Team
Mandatory Positive Space Training for the Management Team and service staff
Mandatory Intercultural Competence Certificate training for Management Team
Anti-Oppression Training as delivered by the AMS Social Issues Commissioner
Consistent messaging around accessible entrances and services for the SLC to be
included in staff training manuals and the SLC Conference & Events Package
To make available to staff and patrons resources such as the Human Rights
Services & Programs Guide and the Queens Accessibility Hub
To work with the Built Environment Working Group on identifying areas for
improvement as it pertains to the physical infrastructure of the SLC
To include accessible components in the operational frameworks of the SLC
including the Capital Project Development Framework
To reach out and engage with the student and the broader community about the
Plan prior to approval by SLC Council

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To collect ongoing feedback from the Queens community and bring issues and
ideas to the attention of the SLC Accessibility Committee
To regularly report to SLC Council on initiatives being undertaken by the SLC
Accessibility Committee and the SLC Management Team
Alignment and Coordination

In order to ensure that this Plan is successful, it is crucial that it is closely aligned with
current SLC and University policies and frameworks. As such, this Plan is aligned with
the Queens Accessibility Plan and will help us coordinate the any policies or projects
initiated through the operational frameworks for the SLC. Furthermore, the recent
creation of the SLC Accessibility Committee and the SLC Policy Committee will ensure
that any policy outcomes as a result of the Plan are aligned and coordinated with the
appropriate bodies and policies across the University.

The SLC recognizes that accessibility plays a vital role in our operations and should
guide any governance decisions made by SLC Council. Through the SLC Accessibility
Committee, the Council has acknowledged that accessibility is an ongoing priority for
the SLC particularly as it relates to its function of long-term planning. The SLC
Accessibility Committee and SLC Policy Committee shall endeavour to keep
accessibility at the forefront of the decision making process within SLC Council and by
the Management Team.
Accessibility Framework and Organizational Structures

Reporting to SLC Council, which in turn reports to the University Senate, the SLC
Accessibility Committee provides a broad range of support and advice to the
governance of the SLC. Its responsibilities are outlined within the Committees Terms of
Reference which were passed by SLC Council in March 2014 in accordance with Section
3(g) of the SLC Constitution.


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Figure 1: SLC Accessibility Process & Outcomes


Figure 2: SLC Organizational Structure
SLC Accessibility
Committee
Provides strategic
advice and
undertakes
accessible initiatives
Informs SLC Council
decisions and
Operational
Frameworks

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Barrier Identification

As we move forward with the implementation of the Plan, we must strive to prevent,
identify, and remove barriers. Barriers are obstacles. Barriers to accessibility are
obstacles that make it difficult sometimes impossible for persons with disabilities to
do the things most of us take for granted, things like working, learning, and
participating in recreational activities. When we think of barriers to accessibility, most
of us think of physical barriers, like a person who uses a wheelchair not being able to
enter a building because there is no ramp. The fact is that there are many kinds of
barriers; some are visible, many are not.
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Information or Communications Barriers:
The SLC Information Centre serves as the central hub of the SLC and a directory for
students, faculty, staff, and visitors. As such, there may be some obstacles with
processing, transmitting, or interpreting information. Some examples include some of
the many brochures available at the Centre which may have small font or some of the
SLC signage which is unclear or incorrect leading to way finding challenges.

Attitudinal Barriers:
SLC Representatives and Management deal with a wide variety of customers and users.
Some prejudgments or assumptions that directly or indirectly discriminate may surface
from time to time. For example, thinking that persons with disabilities are inferior, or
assuming that a person who has a speech impairment cannot understand you.

Technological Barriers:
When technology cannot be or is not modified to support various assistive devices
and/or software. For example, a website that does not support screen-reading software
for the SLC website and room booking tool.

Architectural and Physical Barriers:
Features of buildings or spaces that restrict or impede physical access including the
placement of the accessibility ramp on the western side of the JDUC and the small
JDUC elevator. For example, a doorway that is too narrow to accommodate entry by a
person with a motorized scooter or poor lighting for persons with low vision such as
the lighting in the Upper Ceilidh hallway outside of Tricolour Outlet.

2
Queens Equity Office, Accessibility Plan May 1, 2013-April 30, 2016, Queens University, 2013,
University Accessibility Plan 2013-2016

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Related Policies and Instruments

Queens University Accessibility Plan May 1, 2013-April 30, 2016
Queens Accessibility Policy
Queens Accessibility Statement
SLC Constitution
AMS Hiring and Appointment Policy & Procedures Manual
AMS Employee Policy & Procedures Manual