Carleton University students walked out of class last week demanding the university reinstate services that allow students with physical disabilities to live in residence.
The walkout held on Sept. 22 came after Carleton suspended the Attendant Services Program (ASP) for the fall semester.
ASP usually offers 24-hour on-call attendants who help students with physical disabilities living in residence. Attendants help their clients perform essential tasks such as doing laundry and getting out of bed.
A group of ASP clients organized the event through an Instagram account called Carleton U Care Act (@cucare.act).
Around twenty students and parents gathered in the university quad to protest the suspension of the program, chanting “Disability rights are human rights,” and “Ableism is not acceptable.”
Benjamin Bourne Flosman is a first-year political science student at Carleton. He has spinal muscular atrophy and uses a wheelchair.
Bourne Flosman said he applied to Carleton mainly because of ASP. Carleton is the only university in Canada with an on-call attendant program. Without the program, he cannot live on campus and has to take online classes.
“The educational experience is not just about academia. So much of university is learning about life and I’ve been denied that, which is very unfortunate,” Bourne Flosman said at the walkout.
Steven Reid, a spokesperson for the university, wrote in an email to the Charlatan that “the nature of the ASP does not allow for safe distancing,” which puts participants and employees at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
Bourne Flosman said that the university denied him the option to bring his own attendant even though they would be fully vaccinated.
Kimberley Chiasson is a fourth-year journalism student, ASP client and an organizer of the walkout. She said ASP students attending online lectures while others “enjoy a sense of normalcy” is not enough.
“Let me speak to all who use attendant services. Regardless of the actions that are taking place, I say that you are definitely not a burden and deserve to be here,” Kimberley said in a speech.
Kimberley’s mother, Susan Chiasson, said in an interview that the university’s decision to put the program on hold is unacceptable.
“Kimberley is entitled to not be isolated, just like everybody else that wants to come to school,” Susan said. “I’m very disheartened. And to me, this is ableism.”
Representatives from the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) and the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) also came to show their support.
Callie Ogden, CUSA vice president (community engagement), said it is unfair the university is not providing ASP students with the services that they need.
“Carleton prides themselves on being an accessible university and really the fact that we’ve gone in reverse with accessibility is really disappointing to hear,” Ogden said in an interview with the Charlatan.
Sami Islam, RRRA president, said every student should be welcome on campus.
“[ASP] is an important service that we need on campus,” Islam said. “It’s not fair that our campus has opened up and made a lot of courses mandatory in-person, when there are still students who cannot access the classrooms.”
Reid said Carleton hopes to resume the ASP in January 2022.
Featured photo by Spencer Colby.
