Bridge the Gap: Transitioning to Post-secondary as a student with a disability

EXPERT: Dr. Ana Pardo

As a student with a disability, the transition to post-secondary can feel overwhelming, exciting and nerve-racking all at the same time. One of the shifts from high school to post-secondary is the amount of self-advocacy you have to do, the post-secondary institution nor the instructors will do things “for you”, instead they will do them “with you”. For example, if you require any academic accommodations, it is up to you to ensure that you have the right skills and materials to put them in place.

This information session is for parents, students, and other interested professionals who have a Gr. 12 student who experiences a disability-related barrier in the learning environment, who will be attending a post-secondary institution this coming fall.

Session topics will include:

• The differences between high school and post-secondary institutions regarding accessing and using academic accommodations;
• The transition challenges for Gr. 12 students;
• What Academic Accommodation Advising – Bridge the Gap can offer to help students navigate the academic accommodation process at the post-secondary level.

Register via email at academicaccomm.bridgethegap@gmail.com. More sessions will be offered in February.

The presenter, Dr. Ana Pardo, has spent the last thirty-five years of her career examining disability, diversity and equity issues. She has also had the opportunity to work with post-secondary students by teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the areas of equity and disability. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Disability and Multi-Cultural Organizational Change. Most recently, she has been the Director of Access and Inclusion Services at
Mount Royal University and was previously the Director of Accessibility Services at the University of Calgary.