Mental Health Counselling

The Ability Hub has partnered with Elevate Counselling & Therapy to provide Free Mental Health Counselling to people in Saskatoon who don’t have benefits or cannot afford counselling.

Elevate believes in being an inclusive community committed to serving its clients. They view each person as a unique individual with their own set of beliefs and ideologies and are open and respectful to all backgrounds and lifestyles.

For more details, please visit this link: https://mailchi.mp/bb8d39b30279/nsilc-december-newsletter-17398801?e=e2cc7bcd6c

Join the National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS), the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), and the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) as we celebrate National Accessibility Week with a series of free, virtual webinars!

National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) occurs on the last week of May and celebrates the contributions and leadership of people with disabilities, the work of allies, organizations, and communities removing barriers to accessibility, and ongoing efforts to become a more accessible and inclusive Canada.

Visit this URL for details and sign-up links: https://mailchi.mp/bfaeb419ee84/happy-naaw-joyeux-sna?e=0c8676a236

The Government of Saskatchewan accessibility survey closes this Friday, May 10^th . This survey will help the government to identify accessibility barriers persons with disabilities may experience when they use government facilities, programs, and services.

Please share your experience of accessibility when accessing Government of Saskatchewan services. Feel free to share the survey link with your contacts. Results from this survey will guide the development of the Government of Saskatchewan’s accessibility plan which will be published by December 3, 2024.

The direct link to the survey is available here: https://accessiblesk.saskatchewan.ca/accessibility-plan-survey-2024

If you need assistance in completing the survey or require the survey in an alternate format, please contact the Saskatchewan Accessibility Office at:

14th Floor, 1920 Broad Street
Regina, SK S4P 3V6
Toll-free: 1-877-915-7468
TTY: 306-787-7283
Email: accessiblesk@gov.sk.ca

You’re invited to participate in an online survey to help shape the future of Fighting Blindness Canada

Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC) is in the process of developing a new strategic plan that will define FBC’s priorities and activities over the next five years. I invite you to help identify how FBC can best serve our community to have the biggest impact by taking our survey. Find out more at this URL: https://mailchi.mp/0cc4e2998ed3/strategic-plan-survey?e=a869f7625b

If you require accommodations for any exams in April 2024, please request those now.

11:59pm on March 19 is the deadline to request accommodations for any exams in April, including all midterms and finals.

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We know this email is long! Please skim through and read the sections that are relevant to you.

Different programs, colleges, and campuses that are part of the University of Saskatchewan might ask their students to follow different steps than those outlined below. If anything below contradicts what you have heard from your program, college, or home campus, please check with the student services staff associated with those units or ask us for help by emailing this address: aesexams@usask.ca.

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USE ACCOMMODATE TO REQUEST ACCOMMODATIONS FOR YOUR EXAMS

• Log into Accommodate by navigating to this URL https://paws.usask.ca/aes.
• Make sure you’ve requested your Letters to Professors (LTPs). The system will not allow you to request exam accommodations unless you’ve requested your LTPs. Your AES advisor needs to approve your LTP request, which may take a few days. Do not wait until March 19 to request your LTPs.
• If you need help with Accommodate, please view the how-to guide at this URL: https://canvas.usask.ca/enroll/AFB4WF

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SUBMIT A REQUEST WHENEVER YOU NEED ACCOMMODATIONS, INCLUDING REMOTE EXAMS

Always submit a request for accommodations through the Accommodate system, with only three possible exceptions:

• If the exam is for a lab, contact your lab instructor first. Some lab exams require access to materials and/or specimens and must be written in the lab. Your lab instructor will advise you.
• If the class is not based at the Saskatoon campus, contact the student services staff at the class’ home campus to find out how they want you to submit your requests.
• If your program and/or college has advised you to follow different procedures to access accommodations, follow their instructions, not ours.

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PLEASE UNCHECK IRRELEVANT ACCOMMODATIONS

Please take a few seconds to review your listed accommodations and UNCHECK any that you DON’T need. Some examples:

• The accommodations of “text-to-voice software” and “reader” are essentially the same. Please choose the ONE accommodation you want and uncheck the other one.
• You’re unlikely to need a 5-function calculator for an English exam. Please uncheck it.

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REMOTE vs IN-PERSON ONLINE

Remote exams are those that can be written online anywhere.

In-person online exams are written on campus, using your own device.

In-person on paper exams are written on campus, with a paper-based exam.

You are required to write the exam in the same format as the rest of the class.

Please find out the format before submitting your request. We must understand how the exam will be delivered in order to set up appropriate accommodations.

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CHANGING EXAM TIMES

• If you have an accommodation such as “morning exams only”, “afternoon exams only”, or “no more than one final exam per 24 hour period”, it’s up to you to negotiate a time change with your instructor(s) before the AES deadlines. AES will not arbitrarily change an exam time without knowing that you have discussed the change with your instructor and picked a date/time that the instructor has agreed to.
• AES only supports date and/or time changes for accommodation-related reasons. We can not support a time/date change for personal reasons such as work or family obligations.
• If you have a remote or online exam that you need to start early, you must negotiate that time directly with your instructor, who will adjust the timer for you. We are not involved in setting the times/timers for remote or online exams. This is especially critical for timed online evening exams.

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WHAT TO TYPE IN THE NOTE BOX

Your notes help us to book you into an appropriate space. If there is anything that might impact where you write the exam, please note that here.

We need to know things like: open-book exams, open-note exams where laptops are allowed, and lab exams where specialized equipment/specimens or software is required.

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EVENING EXAMS

We start most in-person evening exams early (usually 5pm for 3-hour finals) so that all students and staff can leave campus at a reasonable hour.

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ACCOMMODATIONS FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS

If you need to change an exam date or time for religious reasons, please use the appropriate tab in Accommodate to submit your request.

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CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR EXAM LOCATION?

We try to have all exam locations indicated about a week prior to the exam date but sometimes we can’t meet that expectation. If your exam is less than 24 hours away and you still don’t see a location indicated, email aesexams@usask.ca to ask. If your exam is more than 24 hours away, please just be patient.

Since remote exams can be written anywhere, we expect that you will not write them at AES. We can provide advice regarding space for remote exams but we do not have extra space to share. If you have nowhere else to write your remote exam, email aesexams@usask.ca for assistance.

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DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?

Ask us! It’s easiest (and usually faster too!) to reach us by emailing aesexams@usask.ca.

Attention Students Interested in Graduate Studies!

The Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) is a is a research partnership of 43 academics from across Canada, the United States and England and 31 partners from Canadian sport, exercise and play organizations and academic institutions. The goal of CDPP is to develop, test, implement and nationally disseminate, evidence-based programs that create quality sport, exercise and play participation for children, youth and adults with physical, intellectual, and sensory disabilities.

CDPP welcomes enthusiastic, creative and curious students to join our team! Please see the attached flyer for more information and visit https://cdpp.ca/get-involved to review our directory of academic partners taking graduate students for the upcoming year.

The application to participate in this online conference is at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWtsaeqT-2LKA9aTHc0zgcwOGFncR1zkiRgG5tbIu9suXMzQ/viewform

A comprehensive information package is appended to this blog post as a PDF.

Background:

We launched this conference last year as a free, one-day virtual Career Conference for 100 university and college students from across Canada facing one or more barriers* in the workforce, to provide professional skill development, real-word education from diverse industry professionals, and opportunities for students to network with companies they might not otherwise have the chance to!

*Our list of eligible barriers includes but is not limited to race, gender, sexual orientation, and physical ability; a full list of eligibility can be found within the application.

The last event was a huge success, with:

• 100% of students reporting that the conference gave them access to new information and panelists they would not have had access to otherwise
• 98% that the conference gave them access to organizations and companies that they would not have had access to otherwise
• 86% that they felt more prepared for job searching, interviewing, and entering the workforce following the career conference
• 98% that they would love to attend the conference again if given the opportunity

The full breakdown from last year, including student testimonials and feedback, last year’s schedule, and photos of the different panels and sessions is attached!

This year promises to be even bigger and better!

What our Virtual Career Conference includes:

Morning: Professional skills-based workshops in the morning led by Deloitte, Executive Director of The Get REAL Movement Chris Studer, and globally recognized Career Strategy Coach & Former Fortune 500 Senior Director Tiffany Uman:

1. Prep Skills Workshop:

• Resumes & Cover Letters
• Personal Branding & LinkedIn

2. Live Skills Workshop:

• Crushing the interview
• Network effectively

Afternoon: Five different educational panels with leading industry professionals from amazing companies and organizations! Last year’s organizations included Kiehl’s, Deloitte, Recipe Unlimited, Purdys Chocolatier, DDB, Peace Collective, Hackergal, LG2, Rainbow Railroad, and WealthSimple.

1. Start-ups & Entrepreneurship
2. DEI in the Corporate Space
3. Non-Profits & Charities
4. Recruiters and Hiring Managers
5. Surprise Panel!

Attendees can look forward to a combination of fan-favorites from last year, along with new incredible new companies and organizations, as well as a new panel entirely!

The day will conclude with virtual breakout rooms where students will have the chance to meet recruiters at ten different companies and organizations, including Get REAL, to ask questions, get face-time, and hear about employment opportunities!

This event is completely free, completely virtual over zoom, and also includes lunch, T-Shirts, and prizes sent out to attendees!”

Independent Living Canada/Vie Autonome Canada is asking for feedback on the accessibility of outdoor, indoor, and virtual festivals and events in Canada. Our survey is collecting the lived experiences of Canadians with disabilities, and those who support us. We want to know what was good, and what made it hard, or impossible, to take part in festivals and events.

We will use this feedback to make accessibility recommendations. Canadian festivals and events can use these to improve accessibility. The recommendations will also inform future standards for Accessibility Standards Canada.

The survey ends on February 2^nd, 2024. You can find the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FestivalAccessibilitySurvey-PeopleWithDisabilities .

More information, and other survey formats, such as Word, ASL, LSQ, etc., are on the Independent Living Canada festival accessibility webpage.

If you have questions, please contact Lisa, the Research Study Coordinator. Email her at festivals@ilc-vac.ca, or call toll free (888) 660-4755.

This project is funded by Accessibility Standards Canada, and the Government of Canada. Independent Living Canada is a national non-profit association of community-based Independent Living Centres. They are run by, and for, people with disabilities.

AES adheres to the U of S examination policy, which may be viewed at this link: https://policies.usask.ca/policies/academic-affairs/academic-courses.php#examinations

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Figuring out your exam location

Your on-campus exam locations are always posted in Accommodate. We have worked hard to update all 3400+ exam requests with their locations. It’s unlikely but possible that we will need to change your location as we do a double check. It’s best to check Accommodate about 24 hours before each exam to make sure you know which room to report to.

To find out the location of your on-campus accommodated exams:

• Log into Accommodate
• Click on the “Exam Accommodation Request” link in the menu
• Scan/scroll the page to find the “Approved Exam Accommodation Request” section
• View each exam to determine the assigned location
• If you do not see a room assigned please contact us immediately at aesexams@usask.ca

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Don’t know where your exam location is?

Please consult the campus map at this link: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/73558aac156f41858fe4f4be232bbe49

We encourage students to either arrive early or to scout out exam locations in advance when they are unsure where to go.

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Aren’t happy with your exam location?

We get it. We understand that some spaces are better than others, for all kinds of reasons. However, it’s a complicated puzzle to slot 3400+ exams/students into spaces based on date, time, accommodations needed, exam format (e.g. paper or laptop), and staffing/invigilator considerations. Also, we have to work with the spaces that the University has available.

We are unable to change an exam location because a student would prefer to write elsewhere.

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Leave all outside materials with your invigilator

AES invigilators are trained to disallow all outside material, except for writing instruments and anything your instructor specifically notes on the instructions they send us. Be prepared to stow your phone, bag, jacket, keys, and any other extraneous materials. Also be prepared to pat down or turn out your pockets and headwear, as appropriate.

Food and drinks are allowed but will be inspected.

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Photo ID Required

U of S policy requires that photo ID be displayed on your desk while you write exams. That policy stipulates that if ID is not available at the time of writing, a form needs to be filled out and the photo ID still needs to be produced to verify the identity of the exam writer. AES will not return a completed exam for marking until suitable ID is produced.

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Evening exams

We usually schedule evening finals to begin at 5:00 so that all exams finish by 9:30.

If you are writing a timed evening exam remotely, please confirm the start time with your instructor. AES is not involved in setting the timers for timed remote exams.

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The University’s 30-minute rule

The U of S exam policy says that:

• No student may enter an exam room more than 30 minutes after an exam has started;
• No student may hand in their exam and leave until at least 30 minutes have passed.

For morning and afternoon exams, this is straightforward. As an example, if your exam is scheduled to begin at 9:00:

• You may start up to 9:30. However, if you come after 9:00, we will not tack on additional time at the end, to make up for your late start.
• You may not leave the exam room before 9:30. Please ensure you use the washroom before reporting for your exam.

The University’s 30-minute rule and evening exams

The University’s 30-minute rule gets complicated with evening exams. If we schedule you to start at 5:00pm, technically, you can still begin the exam at any time up to 7:29pm. But we will not extend your end time. So, whatever time you were originally scheduled to finish (usually 9:30pm), will remain the end time regardless of what time you start.

The flip side of this rule is that you can’t leave the exam room until 7:31. So if you finish before 7:31, you cannot leave the room or access electronic devices until 7:31. If you anticipate a short exam, you are welcome to either arrive late or to bring things along to do, snacks, etc. while you wait.

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Don’t want to or can’t write your on-campus exam with AES as scheduled?

Please cancel your accommodation request in Accommodate if the exam is at least 24 hours away. If time is shorter than 24 hours, email us at aesexams@usask.ca to let us know that you aren’t coming.

If you are planning on writing in the classroom instead, let your instructor know that you have cancelled your accommodations with us.

If you aren’t able to write the exam anywhere as scheduled, talk to your instructor. AES is unable to schedule rewrites in December. Your instructor may be able to provide you with accommodations on an alternate date. If not, you will need to apply for a deferred final by contacting the Dean’s office in the college that you are enrolled in.