UPEI campus community invited to “Access for All UPEI” event on January 13

The UPEI campus community is invited to participate in the “Access for All UPEI” event on January 13, 2025, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, to raise awareness of and advocate for improved accessibility on campus for students.

The event is organized by students Anthonia Bebiem (Mathematical and Computational Sciences), Obed Oluwakoya (Psychology), and Luciana Quiroa Paredes (Business) in partnership with UPEI Accessibility Services and the UPEI Student Union.

“Access for All UPEI” will feature several components:

• A panel discussion to identify actionable steps to create a more inclusive environment, and activities that simulate the experiences of students with visible and invisible disabilities. Among the panelists will be Jaclyn Marie-Borden, Learning Strategist, UPEI Student Affairs; Amirah Oyesegun, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Employment Advisor, UPEI EDI and Human Rights department; and Antwaun Rolle, a UPEI alumnus.
• An activity titled “Decoding Dyslexia” (5–10 minutes per participant) will raise awareness about how text-based materials can pose challenges for students with dyslexia and encourage inclusive educational practices.
• "See Through My Eyes” (5–10 minutes per participant) will give participants a sense of how vision impairments affect learning and everyday tasks while emphasizing the importance of accessible materials and accommodations.
• “Wheels in Motion” (15–20 minutes per participant or group) will highlight physical accessibility challenges on campus by simulating the experiences of wheelchair users.
• “Accessibility Explorers” (35–45 minutes) will engage participants in assessing the accessibility of campus buildings while fostering collaboration and awareness.
• Information will be available about UPEI Accessibility Services, which assists students who have documented visible, invisible, and/or temporary disabilities.

The students plan to develop a post-event report that will be shared with UPEI’s senior administration.

“While education and awareness are our top priorities for the event,” said Bebiem, “we also hope to have diverse student representation so that students with disabilities can share feedback in a safe, supportive environment. We will gather data and report needs to the University leadership so that challenges can be addressed.”

The students came up with the concept after participating in a national youth education initiative called “See Different” from the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI). After completing the “Principles of DEI” and “Emerging Leaders of DEI” certification, they learned about the “Changemaker Grants” program, which provides graduates with financial support to transform their ideas into an impactful project. Bebiem, Oluwakoya, and Quiroa Paredes were successful in securing a $2,000 grant to create positive change within the UPEI community.

They announced on December 3—the International Day of Persons with Disabilities—that they would host the “Access for All UPEI” event.

For more information, please contact

• Anthonia Bebiem, aobebiem@upei.ca
• Obed Oluwakoya, oioluwakoya@upei.ca
• Luciana Quiroa Paredes, lrquiroaparades@upei.ca