Projects

Faculty Awareness and Training in the Post-Secondary Community: An Annotated Bibliography

Confederation College

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Speakers' Series/Wheelchair Poker - Faculty Awareness Ideas

Letter from Jeff Howie - November 7, 2000

Faculty awareness is addressed at Confederation College through activities and speaker sessions. Presently in the works at this institution is a speaker series. It will take place during Confederation College's weekly common hour. Every Monday from 11:00 a.m. to noon is the time this series will commence when there are no classes scheduled. Confederation College will invite guest speakers from organizations such as The Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Canadian Hearing Society, and the Canadian Mental Heath Association to share their expertise. These sessions will be targeted to faculty and staff for training purposes, but students are welcome to participate as well. Understanding and awareness is the key to faculty's positive change!

Another method of faculty awareness at Confederation College's campus is a fun physical activity called the "Wheelchair Poker run." Teams of two are required to navigate the College in wheelchairs stopping at various stations to pick up cards for their poker hand. They are required to navigate to and through a variety of areas including the library, an elevator, a washroom, up and down a wheelchair ramp, to the Registrar's area etc. It takes approximately 30 minutes to navigate the course through the school. Participants are asked to put their thoughts down in writing at the end of the course. Then, they have an opportunity to discuss how they felt about their experience in the wheelchair and to describe any difficulties they encountered. Some of the responses are listed in the department newsletter for further faculty awareness. A reception is held at the conclusion of the event where awards are given for the best hands as well as some gag prizes to add to the spirit of the event. This event is a collaborative effort between the Learning Centre (disability services), the Student Equity Committee, and the Student Union.

Contact:
Jeff Howie
Supervisor, Learning Assistance
Confederation College
P.O. Box 398
Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 4W1
Phone: 807-475-6618
807-475-6461
TTY: 807-475-6669
Fax: 807-475-6475
Email: howie@confederationc.on.ca
Web site: http://www.confederationc.on.ca (follow the Learning Centre link)