Province contributes $200,000 to enhance accessibility at Mount A

Ensuring all students have equal access to a quality education has always been a top priority at Mount Allison.

From the university's founding in 1839 - when the campus opened up its doors to students from many different religious denominations - to its groundbreaking decision in 1875 to be the first university to grant a bachelor of science degree to a woman, Mount A has been a pioneer in making education available to everyone, said university president Robert Campbell.

"Accessibility is our middle name . . . it is at the heart of what we do here," said Campbell. "It has been that way for the past 170 years."

So Campbell said he was delighted with last week's funding announcement from the provincial government, providing Mount A with money to further invest in accessibility initiatives across campus.

He said the $200,000 contribution to Mount Allison means the university will be able to expand and enhance its services for students with disabilities so that "our entire student body can reach their full potential."

Sarah Carrigan-Kent knows first-hand just how essential this type of funding is. A fourth-year honours psychology student at Mount A, Carrigan-Kent has hugely benefited from having access to the university's Wellness Centre.

"When I first arrived at Mount Allison, I had just been diagnosed with ADHD and was nervous to see how this would affect my university experience," she told the crowd during last Thursday's funding announcement. ". . . I was impressed with how the Wellness Centre treated me as an individual and helped identify what my needs were. This helped me realize my potential."

Carrigan-Kent said the centre's staff has always defended her right to have accommodations for her ADHD, never making her feel as if she was "getting something extra" but that she was simply getting what she needed to be on an equal playing field with her peers.

That helped her go from a struggling mediocre high school student that wasn't able to be involved in extracurriculars to now being involved in a number of activities such as SMILE, Best Buddies, and representing students as the SAC vice-president academic, all while completing her honours in psychology.

So she was quick to thank the province for the funding that will help even more students get the accommodations they need for their success.

"This money will not only help students at Mount Allison who have disabilities reach their potential, but it will give them the tools and opportunity to soar above and beyond," said Carrigan-Kent.

The $200,000 will help fund a pilot project this school year that will include hiring a full-time disability services co-ordinator, purchasing new equipment and software to accommodate students in the Wellness Centre and library, providing additional support for the Meighen Centre, and hosting a pan-regional conference on accessibility at Mount A.

The disability services co-ordinator will offer front-line services to students, setting them up with specific services, and hiring note-takers and tutors if necessary. New equipment and software could include recording devices for classes, hearing-impaired notebooks and computer programs to assist with specific disabilities.

Ron Byrne, Mount A's vice-president of international and student affairs. said the funds received last week will go a long way in turning the university's vision into a reality.

"We'll be able to provide a full a range of services to all of our students," said Byrne.

Minister of Post-Secondary Education Donald Arsenault said this investment will help the government build on its action plan to transform post-secondary education in New Brunswick.

"We are not just investing in brick and mortar, but we are also investing in the development of our students," he said. "And we must work to ensure easier access and improved support for all post-secondary students."