(dis)Ability and Postsecondary Education: One Woman's Experience.

The storied experiences of a (dis)Abled student negotiating postsecondary education in Canada are highlighted within this article, including advocacy strategies and a critique of related policies. Persons with (dis)Abilities are a particularly marginalized population, traditionally excluded from society, with modern day views of pity or heroics (MacDonald & Friars, 2009). While society has made strides in reducing explicit oppression faced by (dis)Abled persons, covert oppressions persist. Pervasive negative assumptions continue to exist about (dis)Abled people and have led to the propagation of policies that inhibit (dis)Abled people from engaging with society, including being part of the university system. Through a storying process, numerous barriers to accessible postsecondary education will be exposed. Universities are the “think tanks” of tomorrow, a place where critical thought is encouraged and “thinking outside the box” is welcomed. Postsecondary institutions have an opportunity to truly effect change, to pave the way to a barrier free zone, one that is truly accessible structurally and intellectually, providing a welcoming and safe learning environment for (dis)Abled students. Through storying the experiences of one (dis)Abled student, it is hoped that the reader’s consciousness will be raised, barriers to postsecondary education will be better understood and ultimately, fully accessible education can be envisioned.