Durham College strives to ensure all students on campus have equal access to an education and that any barriers as a result of a disability are prevented or removed.
With an increasing population of students affected by autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger's syndrome, Durham College faculty and staff will hear a student's perspective on how these disorders can affect academic and social behaviour.
Daniel Share Strom, a University of Ontario Institute of Technology student, will deliver a presentation on Friday, November 16 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. He will present his information both from a personal and general perspective to raise awareness of the issues individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience and how others can understand and support these challenges.
"The staff in the Centre for Students with Disabilities each have expertise in the field of disabilities, but so do the students they work with," said Willona Blanche, director of the Centre for Students with Disabilities at Durham College. "As staff members we support both the students and the faculty by assessing and recommending appropriate accommodations for each student based on knowledge and documentation of their particular needs. However, to hear the students themselves share their personal stories can often provide an insight that no one else can."
The Centre for Students with Disabilities describes learning disabilities, such as autism, as genetic and/or underlying neurological factors resulting in impairments to one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These are lifelong and affect an individual's ability to acquire, organize, retain, understand or use verbal and nonverbal information.
"As an educational institution, Durham College has the legal obligation to ensure that all students have equal access to an education and that any barriers to students as a result of a disability are to be prevented, or identified and removed," said Blanche. "Besides our legal responsibilities, our missions and our values reflect our desire to treat all students, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, justly and with respect. To do this it is sometimes helpful to first understand these differences. Much discriminatory behaviour is a result of misconception and lack of information."
Strom has presented at other universities, hospitals and conferences in Ontario. This presentation is in the Community Room, Room A144 of the Gordon Willey building.
"Taking the time to learn about diversity is our responsibility as good citizens. Remember the rest of us are all just TAB - temporarily able-bodied," added Blanche.