Access Checks

An access check is a declaration of values, goals, and actions related to accessibility, disability rights, and justice. Doing an access check well requires going beyond an initial statement and committing to proactive, flexible accessibility planning. You should also return to your access check with your students throughout the course to ensure you are meeting the needs of each unique cohort. In many ways, access checks are similar in concept and development to an EDI statement. Developing an access check and sharing it with students during a course welcomes the varied accessibility needs that students will bring to the classroom from their unique social locations1 and lived experiences.

[1] Social location describes the intersectional position an individual holds within their society and is based on varied, entwined social characteristics and community affiliations individuals hold. While some aspects of social location are fixed, others may shift over time. Social location impacts how we move through the world, how we view others, and how others view us.

Accessibility upgrade

While access checks model proactive commitment to accessibility, individual students may still require formal accommodations to address barriers and support learning. Understanding how to provide and sharing campus-wide student supports nurtures a wraparound approach to accessibility and equity.

Strategies: Drafting and integrating access checks

  1. Identify your values (e.g., transparency, flexibility, accountability) and goals (e.g., building relationships; prioritizing accessibility) for the access check.
  2. Draft your access check.
  3. Early in a course, share aspects of your course policies and procedures (e.g., in your syllabus) that align with your access check (e.g., flexible deadlines, options for class participation, multimodal learning materials)
  4. Remind students about accessibility checks at key points, such as in your syllabus, assignment instructions, and during class discussions throughout the term.
  5. Reflect on and update your access check
Dimensions of an effective access check
Image 1. Dimensions of an effective access check.

Accessibility upgrade

Seek feedback from students (anonymously) and colleagues (in conversation) on your access check.


Examples: Access checks

I view access as a shared responsibility. My goal is to create inclusive, welcoming spaces that minimize the need for anyone to disclose personal access needs or accommodations. I distinguish between formal accommodations, which can sometimes be challenging to navigate, and access needs, which everyone brings from their own lived experiences and social locations. Together, we work to welcome disability and the changes it brings, ensuring our space supports everyone as whole people.

How to connect: If your access needs haven’t been met, or if you notice a barrier that could affect others, please reach out in whatever way feels most comfortable.

Today's access options: 

  • Slides are available as a PDF with alt text

  • Automated closed captioning is enabled through Zoom

  • You’re welcome to eat, drink, stim, turn your camera on or off, and participate via chat or microphone

  • Please take care of yourself in whatever ways make sense for you

Adapted from


  1. J. Logan Smilges, Department of English Language and Literatures, University of British Columbia [excerpt, shared with permission]

    I want to take a moment to invite everyone here to occupy this space in a way that is as comfortable and accessible to you as possible. Comfort for you might mean drawing, knitting, rocking, ticking, or stimming while we talk. Access might include standing up, lying down, walking laps, or taking breaks. You might keep your camera on or off. You might need to leave the Zoom for a while and come back, or you might just leave. We all have different bodies and different minds, and I want to encourage you to honor your own bodymind and all its exquisite variations.

Learning journey: Reflective prompts

Reflection questions to support your work towards integrating access checks into your teaching practice:

  1. How does my access check connect my values to our classroom goals?
  2. Does my access check safely and relationally invite students to share their access needs with me?
  3. How can I invite students to provide anonymous feedback?
  4. What is my plan for periodically reflecting on and updating my access check?
  5. What questions do I have about accessibility, disability, and/or Universal Design for Learning?

As you build access checks into your teaching and learning, reach out to the following units for support and consultation, depending on your specific needs:

  1. Centre for Teaching and Learning – understanding the pedagogical purpose of an access check; developing your access check; locating this practice within the frameworks of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Disability Justice, and Students-as-Partners.
  2. Accessibility & Accommodations Services – understanding the at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ; discussing specific student accommodations or broader processes; identifying possibilities for adaptive technologies

Learn more: Additional resources

  1. Reinholz, D.L., & Ridgway, S.W. (2021) . Ed. Bauerle, C. CBE: Life Sciences Education 20(3).
  2. Shew, A. (2021). . Inside Higher Education.

The Accessibility Resource Series is a collaboration between the following units: Centre for Teaching and Learning | Accessibility & Accommodations Services | Online Learning and Continuing Education | Information Services and Technology


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