Students with special learning needs say they’re being left behind amid Ontario college workers strike

Bianca Salvo says she's concerned an Ontario college workers strike affecting the availability of accessible learning staff could put her semester in jeopardy. (Supplied)

College students with accessibility needs are expressing concern about how they will get through the rest of the semester with educational support staff on strike.

Some 10,000 support staff at Ontario’s publicly funded colleges walked off the job on Sept. 11 after talks with the council representing their employers fell apart over job security, wages and benefits.

Those striking include college accessibility staff.

Most colleges have accessible learning staff to support students with physical or mental disabilities, learning disabilities and other barriers to academic achievement. These staff help students receive appropriate learning accommodations and act as advocates and points of contact within the school environment to help communicate students’ learning needs to professors and instructors and to help troubleshoot problems.

“Without that support that I need, I’m afraid that I’ll fail, and I’m scared that will lead to me dropping out,” Bianca Salvo told CP24.

Salvo is a student in the Early Childhood Studies program at the University of Guelph-Humber. Because she has cerebral palsy and a learning disability, she typically receives accommodations such as a seat at the front of the class, use of a recorder for lectures, use of a laptop, and tutoring services.

She started her program at Humber, where she had weekly meetings with an accessibility adviser to make sure her learning was on track. But she transferred to Guelph-Humber for her third year, an experience that has been made difficult because of the strike, she says.

“I’m more anxious with the strike because the accessibility advisors are not there, so I can’t speak to them at all,” Salvo said.

The strike has also meant that some of her courses have moved online, making it more difficult for her.

“I’m very stressed and anxious because I don’t do good with school being online, and I’d rather be in person,” she said.

Salvo’s schedule also doesn’t line up with the availability of tutors, something she said accessibility staff would typically help her sort out.

She said she’s spoken to a number of her peers who receive learning accommodations and have similar concerns.

CP24 spoke with another Guelph-Humber student who receives accommodations for a learning disability but did not wish to be named. She said the strike has taken a toll on her mental health because she doesn’t know who to turn to if problems with her accommodations arise.

As the two sides duke it out, Salvo said, she and her peers are caught in the middle.

“I don’t think this school, let alone the union, cares about people with disabilities, cares about people with accommodations,” Salvo said.

In a statement, the University of Guelph-Humber said that some of its accessibility staff are still on the job and that student success remains the school’s top priority, despite the strike.

“Whether in-person or online, learners—especially those with disabilities—have access to flexible, timely support through their instructors, peer services, and Humber’s Accessible Learning team,” the statement read.

“Students still have access to daily peer support through career support peers, learning support peers and computer support assistants. Students can still access drop-in services for academic advising, financial questions and career and placement questions.”

The university said it is also asking instructors to be understanding of students who may have accommodations but don’t have their paperwork outlining those accommodations ready yet.

Some programs halted entirely

While some students are scrambling to ensure they receive accommodations without the regular staff in place, others have been sent home altogether because of the strike.

Erin Reibel’s daughter, Sydney, just started the Community Integration through Co-operative Education (CICE) program at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont. The program offers students with exceptionalities and significant learning challenges a chance to experience college life and potentially build toward further study.

Reibel said Sydney, who has a mild intellectual disability, was excited when she was one of just 20 students selected to enter the program this year.

“She was super excited to be starting it, because she wasn’t ready yet to kind of join the regular workforce,” Reibel said. “So, she still wanted to do school. She very much loves being in school and learning and also the social aspect of school.”

Sydney’s program allows her to take early childhood education courses as well, with modifications from a full-time learning strategist, who tailors the course to Sydney’s learning style and abilities.

But just a couple of weeks into the program, college workers—including the specialized CICE staff—went on strike, shutting down the program.

“Basically, we were left in a situation where she had nothing to fill her time during the day, and she could be home on her own, alone, she’s capable, but it’s not ideal,” Reibel said.

The family was left “scrambling” to coordinate their schedules to fill the gaps, Reibel said.

Sydney also “relies heavily” on having a regular routine and knowing what she’s doing day-to-day, she added.

“What’s frustrating is that the colleges are kind of saying that everything is running as normal. And it’s not, really that’s not true,” Reibel said. “I know that there’s some other programs that also rely on support staff for students’ clinic hours, say, in the massage therapy program, and that’s affected. So the majority, yes, of classes are still running, but there is a percentage of stuff that is disrupted, and in our case, entirely not running.”

She said she worries that the impression that classes are continuing as normal may contribute to a lack of urgency when it comes to getting a deal to end the strike.

College exploring other supports

In an email, Conestoga College said it’s impossible to run the program Sydney attends without the specialized workers who are on strike.

“The CICE program relies on the specialized support of Learning Strategists, who are part of the full-time support staff bargaining unit. They are integral to the success of our CICE students by providing individualized learning support tailored to each student’s unique needs.

“This is a core element of the program that cannot be replicated without their expertise. Their absence during the strike means the program cannot be delivered in a way that meets standards of quality and inclusion.”

The college added that it is “actively exploring supports” for affected students with available staff.

“While these options may not fully replace the program’s comprehensive structure, we are committed to helping maintain connection and continuity for our students,” the college wrote.

No bargaining dates set

The College Employer Council, the government-mandated bargaining agent for Ontario’s 24 publicly funded colleges, told CP24 in an email that each school is deciding how to handle the shortage of accessibility staff in its own way.

“Colleges continue to work to support all students during the strike and each college is approaching the situation as they feel is best for their specific situations,” College Employer Council Spokesperson Bill Steinburg said in an email.

He said there are currently no dates set for negotiations or mediation.

In a statement Wednesday, OPSEU said the support staff they represent have seen “the disastrous impacts of government underfunding,” including cuts to accessibility services at some colleges this year.

“We’re fighting for the future of student support to make sure that every learner that comes through college campus doors has what they need to succeed,” the union said.

“We encourage concerned students to contact their college and urge the employer back to the table to settle a fair agreement that will protect jobs and services, and thank the many students who’ve expressed their support already. Our desire is to be back on campus as soon as possible, and are waiting for the employer to return to the table ready to bargain.”