Discrimination and Disability
Discrimination on the grounds of disability is unfair, differential treatment of individuals and groups based not on individual merit, but on systemic, structural or attitudinal assumptions and stereotypes about a physical or mental disability.
Decisions based wholly or in part, upon real or perceived disabilities, which impose unfair barriers to employment or study at the University can amount to discrimination.
Under Policy on Discrimination & Harassment (PDF), a physical or mental disability can be a temporary or permanent condition that may involve some mobility, learning or sensory restrictions on a person's ability to function in some areas of the work or learning environment unless reasonably accommodated.
Discrimination and harassment on the grounds of disability is often talked about using the terms ableism and inclusion.
Ableism is based on societal values and personal belief systems which dictate that everyone is, or should be, able-bodied. It is intentional or unintentional privileging of non-disabled persons, and assigning inferior, negative or no value to people with disabilities (or those perceived to be disabled).
Ableism is reinforced by many institutions and life patterns in society. The policies and practices of institutions that exclude, deny, erase or discriminate against people with disabilities contribute to systemic ableism. For example, continuing to create built environments that are inaccessible for people with disabilities perpetuates ableism.
Inclusion on the other-hand is based on societal values and belief systems which dictate that all services, opportunities and resources ought to be fully accessible, welcoming, functional and usable by as wide a range of ability levels as is reasonably possible. In an inclusive society, differences are expected, recognized and integrated into structures, planning and decision-making models.
Disability discrimination can include:
Physical
- Refusing reasonable requests to modify existing facilities to make them physically accessible to persons with disabilities (for example, having accessible washrooms, modifying the height of desks and equipment or installing adaptive technologies such as computer screen magnifiers or TTY devices)
- Harassing behaviours such as derogatory gestures or physical assault
Verbal
- Refusing to implement academic accommodations recommended by the Disability Resource Centre to ensure that students with disabilities have equitable access to course materials and evaluation procedures
- Treating persons with disabilities as though they are asking for special, not equitable, accommodation
- Harassing behaviours such as name-calling, mocking or making derogatory comments
Non-verbal
- Rejecting candidates with disabilities from the pool of applicants for a job on the assumption that they cannot adequately perform the required duties
- Denying appropriate accommodations to persons with medically certified "invisible" disabilities because of a doubt that the disability really exists
- Considering any accommodations made as a favour, not a right
Last reviewed 
2/17/2011 6:39:22 PM
