Improving the SAS Peer Support Program
Sachi, Wissam, Arshman, Samardeep
Executive Summary
Group Members
Infrastructure and Build Environment Team I3
Mission Statement
"Our team is passionate about making campus a more accessible and inclusive learning environment for students with visible and invisible disabilities on campus. We value community, inclusivity, and equitable learning opportunities for all."
Description
Students at McMaster University, particularly incoming first years, are often unaware of the resources available to them to assist with mental and physical disabilities. We propose to pair students entering McMaster with mentors who can help them navigate student wellness and accessibility. We are hoping to build upon the existing Student Accessibility Services (SAS) Peer Support Program, since many students do not know about it (based on feedback from other MacChangers students), and the program has the potential to improve the McMaster experience for students with disabilities. We have decided to implement this by creating weekly schedules programs for peer support mentors to follow with their mentees.
Our How Might We Question
How might we assist McMaster University in becoming more inclusive through its built environment to enhance the learning experience and navigation for students with mental, physical and invisible disabilities?
Human Centred Design
Our Research Findings
SDG Alignment
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
Rationale: Our HMW question looks to support and empower people with disabilities to participate in their academic and social experience at McMaster. Disabilities affect people in all walks of life, regardless of demographic, social, economic or political factors. We hope that students will have the accommodations they need in order to receive a proper quality education that will allow them to obtain jobs and careers that increase their economic status (i.e. higher quality jobs).
SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Target 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations
Indicator: Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
Rationale: Our HMW question aims make McMaster’s education and navigation experiences more accessible for students with disabilities. Getting educated at a premier university such as McMaster is a foundational step for someone in their early years of adulthood towards the career they desire and deserve. This indicator aligns with our project and would help to ensure that everyone irrespective of disability status can get a great educational experience, and achieve their personal and professional goals.
Case Studies and Findings
Questions for stakeholders at community night:
1) What other services and initiatives that are not highlighted in the challenge guide are available for students with disabilities?
2) Why has nothing been implemented to help the community yet?
3) What if we are not able to account for disabilities?
Revised Questions After Speaking to the Community
How our conversations with community members have changed our research questions! Swipe to see the change!
Our Timeline
Original How Might We Question
How might we assist McMaster University in becoming more inclusive through its built environment to enhance the learning experience and navigation for students with mental, physical and invisible disabilities?
Brainstorming
The original question is very broad, for example, they target students with mental, physical and invisible disabilities. Our first idea was to narrow down the focus of our target group, so we chose to focus on students with physical disabilities. We also wanted to do some research on what existing inclusive infrastructure practices are in place at McMaster, and where there might be gaps. We also had to think about the cost and timeline of different solutions, as some ideas like smartphone apps, might be relatively quick and inexpensive, whereas ideas like installing more wheelchair ramps or elevators is costly and requires long-term thinking.
Our Revised How Might We Question
How might we increase accessibility for individuals with wheelchairs in the basement tutorial rooms of Kenneth Taylor Hall (KTH)?
First Community Event Feedback + Next Steps
At our community event, we met with George Vadakken, a Project Planner at McMaster Facility Services, and Violetta Nikolskaya, the Senior Analyst, Programs and Advocacy Vice Chair Housing and Homelessness advisory at YWCA Hamilton. We asked them 3 questions: 1) What is the proportion of students with an invisible disability at McMaster University? Furthermore, what proportion of these disabilities are categorized as learning disabilities, sensorimotor disabilities, and neurodivergence? 2) In your previous experience, what are some easy-to-implement accessibility initiatives that you have seen or learned about, that we could potentially implement at McMaster? 3) In your experience what avenues are often able to acknowledge and work towards remediation of unaccounted disabilities or needs? This includes both when the person does not know they might have a disability and the other when they have one but are not sure if they should disclose it due to feeling different or ashamed. George introduced us to some of the accessibility guidelines at McMaster, and shared a report with us on which buildings are the most and least accessible for students on campus. Violetta spoke to us about the importance of inclusive language and the active role that institutions and professors must take in order to make the learning experience more inclusive for students. She gave examples ranging from ensuring that sidewalks were cleared in the winter on campus to ensuring that all lectures were recorded and transcribed for students (especially those who are hard of hearing and rely on accurate transcription).
Final Community Event Feedback
George Vadakken:
Advertising the peer support program is a great idea. We should contact the SAS office - they can tell us the records of the number of people with a disability on campus. We should also inquire how comfortable are people with sharing and disclosing that they have a disability? For example, if you have difficulty sitting down, you can request a better chair or table. We should let people know that these things are available. Also, weekly program for peer support mentors will train them but also help with community building with other students facing same disabilities.
Other MacChangers Students (because our second mentor was absent):
They had a few questions regarding costs (i.e whether mentors be paid or unpaid and how much we estimate it would cost to run our program). One student said they've been an SAS student for four years and were surprised that the mentorship and ambassador program did not exist. They also gave us some ideas, such as having a slide during syllabus week to talk about SAS and the services they provide, which can be done with TAs during the first week of classes. Finally, they suggested that we do consistent check-ins – not only at the start of the year, but also during midterm season and during final exams.
Measuring Success
How will you and your team measure the success of your solution should it be implemented?
- Surveys
- Measure the number of mentors and mentees involved in the program
- Ensure students from all faculties are involved in the program
- Social media - grow the social media platforms to increase the following of SAS
- Successful partnerships with other mentorship/peer support organizations on campus (ex: MSU Spark, Archway, etc.)
Our Solution Ideas
Include all 3 solution ideas and prototypes here!
Solution #1: device prototype + policy prototype: device prototype: an app for students to anonymously report physical accessibility issues on campus (ex: automatic door button not working, icy sidewalks, etc.) and can also anonymously report personal mental health concerns. Policy prototype - require that all accessibility door buttons have a sign with the McMaster Facilities' contact information, so that McMaster students and faculty can report directly to them when the button is not working. This follows a similar model to the water fountains on campus, where they have posters beside them with contact information for McMaster Facilities, so people can report to them when the water fountains are not working.
Solution #2: adding braille to signage posters within buildings to help students navigate. since a lot of the signs rely on people having sufficient vision to read the posters, by adding braille, students with visual impairments can use them
Solution #3: building upon the existing peer support program available with the SAS. ensure incoming students with disabilities, who request it, are paired up with a peer mentor in their first year that can guide them on the accessibility services at McMaster. Similar to how McMaster currently supports international students through the International Grad Navigator or how Archway mentors students entering first year of university. We can also build on the program to ensure that they help with TA training, so that TAs are well-informed about the accessibility services to share with their students. Also do more social media campaigns and partner with professors in classes to promote the program.
image credit: Mac Admissions
Equitable and Inclusive Considerations
Project Viability
Final Solution
Improving the Student Accessibility Services Peer Support Program
Our initial solution prototype.
Our Pitch to Stakeholders
MacChangers Showcase final
Our Experience with MacChangers
Sachi: I’ve enjoyed spending the year working with this team and creating solutions to help make campus more accessible for students!
Samardeep: MacChangers was a great program which gave me an opportunity to work with a fantastic team to create useful solutions for the broader McMaster Community and help me create impact and value for my fellow Marauders.
Wissam: Joining MacChangers has been an amazing experience which allowed me to develop professional skills in a team environment where I felt valued and could contribute to the McMaster community.
Arshman: I have really enjoyed my time with MacChnagers and learned a lot about some of the severe problems being faced by the community. This program allowed me to take a stab at solving one of the major issues faced by incoming students at McMaster University.
