Pathways to Belonging

Co-Creating Inclusive Academic Communities

August 18-20, 2025 | University of Victoria

Sngequ House | Sŋéqə ʔéʔləŋ | Conference B

RSVP for the Symposium
Post-secondary institutions are at a turning point. As requests for accommodations rise and students call for more inclusive learning environments, it’s time to shift from reactive fixes to proactive design—and from compliance to belonging.

Pathways to Belonging is a 3-day, in-person symposium bringing together a cross-section of scholars, students, practitioners, and community voices to co-create a new vision for academic accommodations in Canada. Our aim is to build a flexible, community-informed “Affirming Framework” that supports all learners by centering diverse ways of thinking, learning, and being.

Symposium themes

Reimagining Accommodations

From policy to practice—what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to evolve?

Challenging Ableism & Fostering Resilience

How do institutional norms unintentionally create barriers—and what does real support look like?

Decolonizing Accessibility & Centering Belonging

How can we move beyond Western models of access to something more relational, inclusive, and just?

Review the Agenda

What you will experience

Six powerful keynote speakers from across sectors

Dynamic panel conversations with scholars, students and practitioners

Lived-experience storytelling and open dialogue

World café breakout sessions to dig deep into shared challenges

A hands-on priority-setting session to shape future recommendations

This symposium is part of a national initiative led by researchers and educators from UVic and Queen’s, and it reflects our shared commitment to inclusion, accessibility, and transformation in post-secondary education.
Read Speaker Biographies

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