Government grants additional funding for disabled
Evan French | NEWS REPORTER
Humber College will receive nearly $1 million from the McGuinty government, as part of a new plan to ensure students with disabilities succeed in their studies.
“Full-time students with disabilities are the ones who will benefit,” said an excited Judy Harvey, dean of student services. “Because a reduced course load is an essential requirement for them, they usually wind up paying for the program several times over.”
Until now students with disabilities have paid the same tuition for courses they may have had to repeat at the end of their programs. Harvey said the new changes will make it financially possible for students with disabilities to succeed.
Students who need more time to complete their studies will only pay $20 for each extra course.
Harvey said that although she is thrilled to have more money available, change has been a long time coming.
“What has been added is now covering our costs. We were running deficits. Now they’re meeting our needs, in terms of usage,” she said.
Chris Bentley, minister of training, was at Humber’s Lakeshore campus last week to announce that more than $40 million had been set aside to help students with disabilities enrolled in post-secondary programs. The sum includes a $4 million contribution as part of the Access to Opportunities strategy, designed to provide students with disabilities new services.
“I believe so much in making post-secondary education available to more people,” said Liberal MPP of Etobicoke – Lakeshore Laurel Broten. Bryan Rakowski, 22, a final year social services student, has vision and dexterity issues because of a permanent disability. He said although the policy change is going to make things easier, he hopes there is more to come.
“I’m not going to say they’re done, I would hope that they’re not. As long as the cost of education is going up, the cost of the equipment I use to get my education is also going to go up.”
“For those people coming in, I think it’s a great thing. It’s another way to make colleges more accessible to people, as it should be.”
Rakowski said he’d like to see students with disabilities, who are forced to enroll as part-time students, treated more like full-timers. “I’d like to see every student just get a laptop when they get here, fully loaded with everything they need, but that’s not always possible,” he said.
Sean Cunningham (pictured), 29, is completing his final year in the Journalism program and he only wishes that this change had come sooner.
“I’ve paid for courses and fallen on my butt, you know. Paid a small fortune,” he said.
“For those people coming in, I think it’s a great thing. It’s another way to make colleges more accessible to people, as it should be.”
Cunningham said that so far, students with disabilities have been forced to jump through hoops to succeed in their studies and he is glad to see things are starting to change.
“All these changes that are coming are huge. Is it enough? No, but it’s a start. You can’t run before you walk.”
All Ontario colleges and universities will get their share of the money. In addition to the new tuition policy, services will include new adaptive software as well as arranging note-takers and interpreters for visually or hearing-impaired students.
