Today is United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities. At Erasmus University Rotterdam we are committed to creating an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible university and we strive to build an academic environment in which everyone can feel at home and where everyone can develop to their full potential. We want everyone with visible and non-visible disabilities to engage and participate fully, we value an accessible campus and accessible buildings for everyone and we are working on the accessibility of our campus in several ways.
How we are working on a more inclusive university, regarding accessibility:
- Our Real Estate & Facilities (REF) Team is working hard on creating an accessible campus and accessible buildings. In 2022, the Executive Board approved their 'Physical Accessibility Action Plan' and allocated extra funds for the project to improve our campus. This made it a.o. possible to hire a building consultant. Several adjustments have already been made, such as the redesign of accessible toilets. A new design for the campus grounds has been created as well and is being implemented this academic year.
- Laura Hofstee and Ben Kaelen of REF are hosting awareness sessions on the physical accessibility of our campus. They tell more about theory (laws, regulations and standards), they give practical examples, and tell more about plans for improvement. Furthermore, colleagues can personally experience the (in)accessibility of our campus, a.o. in a wheelchair and with blinding glasses and a white cane. New awareness sessions will be announced at the beginning of 2025.
- Our university provides opportunities for people with a functional impairment through Banenafspraak (job agreement). Within the framework of the Participation Act the Occupational Disability Act came into effect. The Dutch government’s intention with this legislation is to create an inclusive labour market and offer equal opportunities to people with a functional impairment. Banenafspraak is a university-wide responsibility, with commitment and effort from all faculties, organisational units and departments.
- EUR’s Library created an elaborate guide on digital accessibility for students, teachers, support staff and anyone else with an interest in digital accessibility. The guide provides information on digital accessibility tools built into applications used at EUR, in EUR websites, in Canvas LMS and in EUR Library databases.
- All students should get a fair chance to make the best use of their strengths. Team Studying with a Functional Impairment (Team SMF) devotes itself to achieving this ambition and is committed to supporting students with a functional impairment. Students with an impairment include students with a physical disability, chronic illness, learning difficulties, and other mental health conditions. The team focuses on creating university-wide provisions, such as text-to-speech software for students with a visual handicap or improving campus accessibility. To make this possible, they work closely together with the Student Advisors, Examination Boards, and Facility Services.
- Yesterday, EUR’s HR department and IDEA Center organised a round table conversation for colleagues with a functional impairment or a disability who would like to share support needs they have (or used to have) and their experiences with obtaining work-related support. It was a good session, with a mix of colleagues with a functional impairment and colleagues who are working on accessibility and allies, where experiences and knowledge we’re shared so we can learn from each other.
- We are joining forces with several teams – Real Estate & Facilities, Team Studying with a Functional Impairment, HR, and IDEA Center, to strengthen the communication about the physical accessibility of EUR.
We are working hard on accessibility, and we are aware that there are still steps we need to take, and things we need to improve.
