Dear members,
Over the last number of years, the APUO has consistently sought to prioritize equity issues in our collective bargaining and, most recently, in the negotiation of COVID-19 Letters of Understanding with the Central Administration. Building upon the equity gains achieved in the 2018 and 2021 rounds of collective bargaining, the APUO is moving forward with another action directly aimed at realizing the APUO’s goal of creating an accessible, inclusive, and equitable university.
Today, we are delighted to announce the creation of a Disability Justice Working Group whose conception of disability includes all disabilities, as well as individuals who identify as neurodivergent and members of Deaf communities. Tasked with identifying priority areas for collective advocacy and with making recommendations to improve APUO internal policies and practices relating to accessibility, the Disability Justice Working Group’s recognizes, and will engage with, the intersections of ableism with other systems of oppression present in our university community.
We invite members interested in joining this working group to contact Alexandre Baril (abaril@uottawa.ca) and Emilio Alarcon (ealarcon@uottawa.ca).
We will provide members with updates as the work of the Disability Justice Working Group progresses in the coming months.