UNB News
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This year, the Student Accessibility Centre invited University of New Brunswick (UNB) support staff and the Fredericton community to attend workshops that focused on how to support students with invisible disabilities. 

“We know support staff are interacting with students all the time,” said Jody Gorham, director, Student Accessibility Centre.

“I feel it’s important to empower our support staff with information, knowledge and skills to support our students and their differences.”

Thanks to funding from the department of Post Secondary Training and Labour, the Student Accessibility Centre was able to bring in experts to speak about how to support students with autism, ADHD and mental health disabilities. 

Seven participants attended all three workshops and were presented with certificates at a ceremony on Nov. 12 where they reflected on the benefit of the workshops and their passion for helping and supporting students.

“It also inspires us to continue the fight, you know, to see that we’re not in this alone,” said Judy MacLean, librarian, Science and Forestry Library. “There are other people on campus who are just as passionate as we may be and we can learn to work together so that we can do something better for the students.”

Certificate recipients include: Vicki Allen, finance and admin support, Information Technology Services; Anita Connolly, employment advisor, Career Development and Employment Centre, Student Services; Patricia Eagan, clinic director, Student Health Centre, Student Services; Kelley Flowers, disability resource coordinator, Student Accessibility Centre, Student Services; Francyne Jutras, AIT program officer, College of Extended Learning; Wilfred Langmaid, student advocate, Student Services; and Judy MacLean, librarian, Science and Forestry Library.

“At the end of the day it’s not about us, it’s about serving,” said Francyne Jutras, AIT program officer, College of Extended Learning.