Monthly Archives: February 2021

2020 Income Tax Information for Students with Disabilities

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It’s time to starting thinking about filing your 2020 income tax return. For more information about filing your taxes, please visit the Government of Canada website at this link: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/tax-packages-years/general-income-tax-benefit-package.html

All students — including those with a disability — need to include a T2202. The University of Saskatchewan website states that:

The T2202 reports the actual part-time or full-time enrolment status for all students, including those students with a disability. If you are eligible for the disability tax credit or had, in the year, a mental or physical impairment and a doctor has certified that you cannot reasonably be expected to be enrolled as a full-time student because of the effects of this impairment you would note this on schedule 11 of your T1 tax return. This informs CRA that you may be considered full-time for other provisions within the Income Tax Act and various provincial and territorial programs.

The University does not mail out T2202s. You can download your T2202 at this link: https://students.usask.ca/money/taxes.php#TaxReceipts

Please note that neither the University nor Access and Equity Services can provide tax advice. If you have questions, please contact a tax professional or the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Accepting Applications for the 2021 Sarah Gaulin Memorial Scholarship

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The Gaulin Foundation is pleased to announce that it is once again accepting applications for the Sarah Gaulin Memorial Scholarship – a national scholarship that promotes the resilience of individuals with mental illness pursuing post-secondary education.

The $1,000 scholarships are being offered in honour of Sarah Gaulin, who died at the age of 26 after a longtime battle with mental illness. We would appreciate you sharing the attached information with students you work with.

In order to apply, students must be registered in a post-secondary institution and provide documented proof of their mental illness. Scholarships will be awarded to outstanding applicants who meet the criteria of the program. Deadline for applications is April 1, 2021.

Details about the scholarship can be found at www.gaulinfoundation.org

THE AES EXAM REQUEST FORM FOR APRIL FINALS IS LIVE!

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If you require accommodations for any exams in April 2021, please request those now. All requests for accommodations should flow through AES and not arranged directly with your instructors.

11:59pm on March 19 is the deadline to request accommodations for any exams on April 2 or later. This includes all midterms and finals on or after April 2.

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HOW TO REQUEST ACCOMMODATIONS FOR FINAL EXAMS

Log into PAWS –> Go to the AES channel –> Click on “Exam Service” –> Click on the “Final Exam” link –> Fill out the form(s)

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WHAT TO DO IF YOUR FINAL EXAM ISN’T LISTED

If your final exam does not show up when you work through the above steps, it is not in the University’s final exam schedule. This commonly happens with lab finals and any exam outside of the final exam period (such as on the last day of classes). If your final exam does not show up when you use the final exam link, use the non-final exam link instead.

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DO NOT FILL OUT A REQUEST IF:

  • Your final exam is being held in person. Although there are a handful of classes that are being held in person this term, AES staff is not allowed on campus and cannot set up in-person accommodations. if you have an in-person final exam, talk to your instructor.
  • Your class is not based at the Saskatoon campus. In that case, contact the student services staff at the home campus to discuss your accommodation needs.

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NOTES ABOUT EXAM TIMING

  • AES only supports date and/or time changes for accommodation-related reasons. We will not support a time/date change for personal reasons such as work or family obligations.
  • If you need to change the date or time of an exam, you must talk to your instructor BEFORE you submit your request. This includes situations where students have accommodations such as “no morning exams.” Keep in mind that your instructor is the one who is managing exam times in this online environment, so it is crucial to have this discussion.
  • While we work remotely, instructors set up your timing accommodations. Especially for evening exams, it’s crucial to talk to your instructors at some point before the exam to confirm your actual start time.

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DO YOU REQUIRE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS?

If you need to change an exam date or time for religious reasons, visit this link: https://students.usask.ca/academics/exams.php#ReschedulingExams

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DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?

Ask us! Since we’re working remotely, it’s easiest to reach us by emailing this address: aesexams@usask.ca

Fighting Blindness Canada’s Young Leaders Program Webinar February 25

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FBC’s Young Leaders Program returns with a new webinar about the importance of advocacy.

Whether in the workplace, school, or your personal life, thriving with a disability often means that you will have to advocate for yourself. In this interactive webinar, we will be talking about personal advocacy and how you can use this critical skill to help you break down barriers.

TOPIC: Becoming A Strong Self-Advocate
DATE: Thursday, February 25, 2021
TIME: 7 – 8:30 p.m. ET

We will also be sharing important program updates about the Young Leaders Spring Summit and our NEW Young Leaders Mentorship Program!

RESERVE YOUR VIRTUAL SEAT AT THIS LINK

If you have questions about the upcoming webinar or need assistance registering, please email education@fightingblindness.ca