On Sept. 22, Queen’s opened applications for a new senior-level committee aimed at improving accessibility, equity, and engagement throughout the University.
The Accessibility, Community, and Equity Committee (ACE) will bring together members of the Queen’s community to guide the University’s accessibility plans and policies that may affect individuals with disabilities. While applications technically closed on Sept. 27 according to a Queen’s Gazette article, application portal responses are still being collected as of Sept. 28.
Associate Director (Accessibility, Equity, and Inclusion) Erin Clow and Accessibility Coordinator Katherine Brothers, both of whom work in the Human Rights and Equity Office, provided a statement to The Journal to explain the committee’s purpose.
“The ACE Committee provides leadership for a coordinated approach that underscores Queen’s commitment to accessibility, including the identification, removal, and prevention of barriers to persons with disabilities,” Clow and Brothers said in the statement.
The statement said ACE will replace the University’s former Senior Accessibility Advisory Group (SAAG). The change follows recommendations from the Review of Student Academic Accommodations and Considerations Policies and Procedures report.
The report recommended Queen’s “establish a university-wide committee to advise on the provision of accessible and inclusive education.”
ACE will have a new membership structure, terms of reference, and working groups. The committee will include two faculty members, two staff members, two undergraduate students, and two graduate students selected through an open application process. Other members will be selected based on their roles at Queen’s, including professional or student-elected positions.
As stated on the Queen’s Accessibility Hub website, the University is “seeking members of the Queen’s community who identify as part of the disability community to join ACE.”
The committee’s work will be guided by Queen’s 2026-2031 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan, while ACE will be able to respond to new accessibility concerns as they emerge. ACE will also support Queen’s responsibilities under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It also plans to identify larger systemic barriers that may require university-wide action.
“I think it’s a great committee, and it’s something that Queen’s needs,” Issac Ho, Comm ’28, said in an interview with The Journal.
Ho said he hopes ACE’s initiatives become visible across campus.
“I don’t think a lot of people know about this, so maybe some good outreach [to make] sure everyone’s aware of this,” Ho said.
Ho said he would like to see students with different disabilities being represented within ACE, bringing up both learning and physical disabilities as examples.
In an interview with The Journal, Bryn Thompson, ArtSci ’27, shared similar remarks about the committee’s membership.
“The experiences of someone who is disabled because they’re a wheelchair user is a lot different than someone who is disabled because they’re autistic,” Thompson said. “[ACE] wouldn’t be serving its purpose if there isn’t enough diversity on the panel.”
She said the committee’s success depends on whether it listens to the perspectives of persons with disabilities and acts on the concerns they raise.
Tags
Accessibility, disability, Equity, Queen's Committee
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