Empowerment
The OSD considers it its ancillary mandate to create awareness regarding Disabilities and to promote a healthy dialogue on both campuses concerning issues of Access. Such efforts have included launching in March 2011 McGill's first Disabilities Awareness Week. The second Disabilities Awareness Week will take place from March 18th to 22nd, 2013.
Representation
The OSD also has duties with regards to representation. At the individual level it will accompany any student experiencing barriers in learning, through administrative procedures or processes requiring self-advocacy. This may be as straight forward as acting as an advocate in a dialogue between a student and a specific faculty or representing graduate students in particular requests with Graduate & Postgraduate Studies (medical leave, late withdrawals, etc.). At an institutional level, the OD also represents students with Disabilities on the Joint Board Sub-committee on persons with Disabilities and the Joint Board Sub-committee on Equity.
Promotion of Disabilities Studies
The OSD has long advocated the creation of Disabilities Studies courses at McGill. The OSD lobbies actively for this cause and regularly facilitates round-tables to promote progress towards this objective. For more information on the Disabilities Studies Group, please contact heather [dot] mole [at] mcgill [dot] ca (Heather Mole).
The Student Advisory Committee
The Student Advisory committee meets twice a semester with the Director, Frederic Fovet, in order to review policies and objectives of the unit and to record student expectations and aspirations. The Student Advisory Committee plays a key role in giving service users a voice and in offering guidance in the future development of the unit and its goals. If you would like to be part of the Student Advisory Committee, please email frederic [dot] fovet [at] mcgill [dot] ca (Frederic Fovet).