Meet the uOaccessible Advisory Board

The University of Ottawa is committed to respecting the dignity and independence of all members of its support and teaching staff, its students and visitors to the campus. We seek to ensure that persons with a disability truly enjoy free and unhindered access to University programs, services, facilities, housing and employment opportunities.

With this in mind, the Human Rights Office has created the advisory board uOaccessible to assist it in monitoring matters affecting accessibility for members of the University community living with a disability.
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Manprit Rai, Board Member

I am enrolled in the Juris Doctor program. Prior to this, I worked as an Ontario certified teacher for several years. During this time, I developed great insight into the unique needs of students. I strive to apply the knowledge and experience gained as a teacher to my time serving on this board. My goal is to listen to concerns expressed by students and to use my position to bring awareness to these issues. It is an honour to hold this position. I look forward to serving students at uOttawa.
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Megan McMeekin, Board Member

I have been working at the University of Ottawa as the Inclusion Librarian since October 2019. I have a background and personal interest in accessibility services, having worked previously at the Ottawa Public Library doing accessibility work from 2011-2019. I am excited to be part of the uOaccessible board and hope to contribute to creating a more accessible and inclusive campus.
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Gladys Omage, Board Member

I am a JD/MBA student of the Faculty of Law (Common Law) and the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. I hold a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA), Carleton University and a Graduate Certificate from Algonquin College. I have gained policy and legal experience with the legal sector, federal government departments, non-profits, and a variety of academic institutions. I joined the uOaccessible Board to participate in consultation processes, provide advice and recommendations to authorities responsible for accessibility, assist in assessing the fulfilment of commitments and advise the Human Rights office on emerging issues related to accessibility. I believe one never stops learning and having a disability should not hinder the process. My goal is to ensure that persons with a disability truly enjoy free and unhindered access to University programs, services, facilities, housing, and employment opportunities in an inclusive environment.
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Willow Robinson, Board Member

I am the Coordinator for the Centre for Students with Disabilities (CSD) (external link). I am a permanently disabled student majoring in psychology with a minor in Russian language and culture. I believe that taking steps to ensure accessibility is equally important as taking steps to ensure bilingualism and the disparity between the two is why I became a part of - and strongly believe in - UOAccessible. This is one of my steps to leaving the university better than I arrived and having a hand in the change I want to see for myself and for the accessibility needs and concerns of other students, both now and in future.
Centre for Students with Disabilities (CSD)
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Marie-Claude Gagnon, Chair

As a research leader and a bilingual organization responsible for knowledge sharing, I strongly believe that our university holds a unique position in terms of accessibility. As the Senior accessibility policy officer at the Human Rights Office and a Veteran for the Canadian Armed Forces with an invisible disability, I have a personal duty and responsibility to address ableism in our working, learning, and living environments. I am looking forward to listening and learning from the various experiences, and expert advice, of our campus community members facing accessibility barriers and to facilitate discussions with key decision makers at our university. Together, we can help make our campus more accessible and inclusive.

Reference Documents

Please read Annex 1: Report feedback from uOaccessible board members of the Status Report 2020-2021 (pdf, 403 KB).

Contact us

Human Rights Office

1 Stewart St.
(Main Floor – Room 121)
Ottawa, ON, Canada
K1N 6N5

Tel.: 613-562-5222
Email:  [email protected]

Office hours

Monday to Friday, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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Accessibility hub