Equity, Diversity and Inclusion on Campus

News and Events

Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM)

September 29, 2023

Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) has been observed in October in Manitoba since 2010, to celebrate the tremendous contributions persons who experience disability make to our workplaces and communities, and to create opportunities for employers to raise awareness about disability employment issues and promote the benefits of inclusive hiring.

RRC Polytech’s commitment to pursuing equity, diversity and inclusion in everything we do involves removing barriers to access and participation; and fostering work and learning environments that are welcoming, supportive and respectful of the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. Throughout October, we will be featuring examples of how the college advances this commitment and sharing resources to help us advance this commitment in our daily activities.

Keep checking this post in October, as we add new resources or accessibility tips each day, to support us in creating an inclusive and accessible work environment.

If you have any questions or feedback, please email diversity@rrc.ca.

Accessibility Staff Forum Page

To help our staff in finding accessibility resources easily, we have created an Accessibility home page on Staff Forum. Please review and bookmark this page to access information on or links to accessibility related resources including Supportive Employment, Student Accessibility Services, Accessibility Training and Accessible Content Creation Resources.

RRC Polytech Accessibility Plan

RRC Polytech is committed to continuing its work to remove barriers to education and employment, and to promote access and participation in all aspects and activities of the College.  We believe in inclusion and we will continue our work to meet, and exceed where possible, the mandate of The Accessibility for Manitobans Act and the mandate of The Human Rights Code.  To advance its commitment to accessibility, RRC Polytech has created an Accessibility Plan. The plan is updated every two years, and the current 2022-2024 focuses on the Information & Communication Standard.

Accessibility Working Group

The Accessibility Working Group at RRC Polytech, representing programs and departments across the College, leads the implementation of the Accessibility Plan. With input and feedback from the College community, they report on progress; demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the Accessibility Standards; and, identify further initiatives to address accessibility barriers and support access to programs and services. Many of the initiatives identified within the Accessibility Plan are led by smaller inter-departmental working groups (Example: Policies & Procedures Working Group).

Manitoba Accessibility Fund Project

RRC Polytech was successful in receiving a Manitoba Accessibility Fund grant this Summer. As part of the project funded by this grant, we have engaged an external consultant:

  • to review existing informational material, instructional material, accessibility guidelines/standards at the College; and
  • to provide recommendations for:
    • creating or updating accessibility guidelines/standards to support the development of accessible instructional and informational materials
    • communicating, training and implementing the established guidelines/standards

We are planning to use these recommendations to develop guidelines for creating accessible informational and instructional materials.

Supportive Employment

Supportive Employment is a specialized area within human resources which focuses on disability management.

Supportive Employment values and promotes both early intervention and proactive disability management practices with employees to ensure they receive appropriate support to continue working or return to productive employment as soon as medically feasible.

Early intervention in supportive employment is a proactive and effective approach that relies on the commitment from both management and the employee to communicate and engage with each other at the onset of an illness or injury. The union may also be involved where appropriate and/or at the employee’s request.

Benefits of early intervention include:

  • reinforces that both the employee and management are communicating and planning any workplace accommodation requirements together in a timely manner
  • demonstrates a supportive workplace environment that values effective communication
  • engages individuals in return-to-work initiatives that can reduce the social and economic consequences of disability for both the employee and the workplace; and
  • builds relationships, stimulates job satisfaction and employee engagement.

The employer and employee play a key role in open communication by working together to identify early and safe return to work initiatives. When an employee reports the effects of the initial illness or injury as soon as possible to their manager/supervisor, they can receive the necessary support to remain at work or return to work in a safe and timely manner. In turn, management’s understanding of the employee’s functional abilities, medical status and their regular work demands in the early stages of disability, will help to identify drivers and potential barriers for the evaluation of reasonable accommodation solutions.

You can talk to your manager or human resource consultant to access supportive employment program resources. Managers can access the Supportive Employment Training Module on LEARN to learn more about how to support your employees.

Interview Accommodations

At RRC Polytech we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment, where all employees and students feel valued, respected and supported. We aspire to have a workforce that is representative of the diversity within our communities, and welcome applications from persons with disabilities. The College provides accommodations to ensure that our recruitment process is barrier free and equitable for all individuals. You can read more about the interview accommodation process and how to request them for interviews on the Interview Accommodation Page.

Individual Emergency Plan

An Individual Emergency Plan (IEP) is a detailed plan that follows a set of procedures to help facilitate the safe evacuation of an individual with a disability in the event of a campus emergency. The IEP contains exit routes and locations of muster points, defines roles and responsibilities, and outlines a specific set of steps to follow in different scenarios. 

IEPs may be required for individuals with mobility/sight needs, hearing needs, cognitive needs, or a medical condition or temporary injury which would make an independent evacuation challenging in the event of an emergency. This plan is developed by the Safety, Health & Security Services team in consultation with the employee. You can read more about the emergency response process on the Safety, Health and Security Services SharePoint site, and you can contact safety@rrc.ca to request an individual emergency plan.

Accessibility Training

Accessibility Training is one way we raise awareness in creating an accessible environment. All College employees are required to complete the Accessible Customer Service training, and have access to review the training in LEARN anytime.

A panel of RRC Polytech staff presented an information session titled “Access in Action: Are you Ready for the 2024 Information and Communication Standard?” for RED Forum. This session introduces the Accessibility for Manitoban’s Act, Information and Communications Accessibility Standards, and further dives into conversations on inaccessible content and its impact, examples of accessible best practices, designing with accessibility in mind and a splash of Universal/Inclusive Design for Learning. At the end, you will have a better understanding of how you may put access into action and increase inclusion at Red River College Polytechnic!

RED Forum 2023 recording – Access in Action: Are you Ready for the 2024 Information and Communication Standard?

Accessible Parking

The College offers accessible parking to staff. The Manitoba Parking Permit Program is a program regulated by Manitoba Infrastructure and Technology and administered by Manitoba Possible. The Program ensures that when a person has difficulty walking more than 50 meters, they can park in one of the specially designated parking spots in lots across the province. Staff who have certain temporary or transient health conditions may be eligible for accessible parking on a temporary basis, based on availability.

Accessible Events

To facilitate accessible events and meetings, members of RRC Polytech who are hosting meetings or events should follow the College’s accessibility standards and work with the Events team to coordinate accessibility considerations, which includes:

  • Holding events in accessible spaces.
  • Reasonably meeting the communication needs of persons with disabilities on request.
  • Communicating an active offer that reasonable accommodations will be provided on request.
  • Providing requested accommodations which may include ASL- English interpreting, transcribers, support person or assistive technology.
    To book an ASL – English interpreter or transcriber, please complete the booking form.
  • Ensuring amenities such as elevators, water fountains and food services are accessible.

Light it Up! for NDEAM

Light It Up! for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) has been observed nationally since 2020, on the third Thursday in October. Organizations across the country light up buildings, landmarks or public spaces in purple and blue to observe and ignite conversation about disability inclusion in employment. RRC Polytech will be participating in this event by illuminating the Exchange District Campus in purple and blue, and projecting a “Light It Up!” graphic on Elgin Plaza. 

Accessible Email Signatures

Our Marketing team has developed guidelines for creating email signatures, and provided the following steps to ensure that they are accessible:

  • Use sans-serif fonts (e.g. Arial, Verdana, Calibri)
  • Avoid “thin” fonts (e.g., Calibri Light)
  • Avoid italics
  • Use a minimum of 11 point font
  • Use hyperlinks rather than full web addresses (e.g. Student Service Centres instead of https://www.rrc.ca/services/student-service-centres)
  • Minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 (you can check contrast ratios using a free tool)
  • Use a white background and refrain from using a patterned background
  • Use the following alt text for the graphic of the logo: RRC Polytech logo

Review your email signature today, and if it is not as per these guidelines, please take some time to update it.

Accessible Word Documents & Accessible PDFs

Most of us use Microsoft Word everyday. Centre for Learning & Program Excellence (CLPE)’s Accessible Word Document page on Staff Forum highlights several tips to consider while creating Word documents. This includes using appropriate fonts, font sizes, colors, heading styles and the Accessibility Checker feature. Read more about these tips and resources so you can create accessible Word documents to communicate with your staff and students.

We may also use PDF regularly. PDF stands for portable document format and is often used for sharing files created in other programs like Word. It is recommended to avoid using PDFs unless you are sure it is accessible, as some PDFs are scans and cannot be read by a screen reader. It is better to provide information on web pages or as Word document to ensure accessibility. CLPE has created an Accessible PDF page which provides recommendations for making PDFs accessible as well as other alternatives to PDFs. When you share information, it is important to consider if the file you are sharing is accessible to everyone.

Accessible PowerPoint Presentations

If you use Microsoft PowerPoint for your instructional and informational presentations, please refer to the Accessible PowerPoint page to see how you can make your presentations accessible. This page developed by Centre for Learning and Program Excellence (CLPE) provides important information about choosing accessible templates, titles, tables and designs. It also provides information about creating annotated presentations to make it accessible, especially for people with cognitive and learning disabilities who need to see and hear the content to better understand it. This tips and resources can help us in creating presentations that can be accessed by everyone in our College community.

Accessible Images

Images can help convey content better and make it easier for people to understand the message. However, it can pose barriers when they are not accessible. The Accessible Images page on Staff Forum, created by Centre for Learning & Program Excellence (CLPE), provides tips for creating accessible images including using text alternatives (alt text) whenever images are used. Read more about the tips, techniques and resources to create accessible images while creating informational or instructional materials.

Accessible Audio and Video

Audios, videos, animation and other digital media help us in communicating in diverse ways. However, we have to ensure that we use text alternative when we use them, so they are accessible by all. Captions are text versions of the audio that appear on screen in synch with the spoken word in video and animation. Transcripts are text documents based on the audio content embedded in media, including audio, video, animation and interactives. CLPE has created an Accessible Audio, Video and Digital Media page which lists resources and techniques for generating captions and transcripts to make the content accessible to everyone.

Accessibility in LEARN

LEARN is the College’s learning management system (LMS) used by both staff and students across the College.  If you are responsible for creating content in LEARN, please refer to CLPE’s Making LEARN accessible page to learn about the various features to make your content accessible.  LEARN is HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) based, which is the most accessible medium and the easiest way you can make your content accessible. By using the LEARN templates appropriately, you will remove most of the common barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities. LEARN also has an Accessibility Checker that will identify some common accessibility issues.

Accessibility Tech Tips

RRC Polytech’s Student Accessibility Services (SAS) work collaboratively with students, faculty and support staff to ensure all students can have an equal opportunity to achieve their educational goals. The SAS Assistive Technologist has a blog that promotes and encourages the use of technology to make all RRC Polytech students’ academic life easier. The Assistive Technologist typically posts twice a month, and highlights tips, resources and technology supports. You can visit the Tech Tips blog or subscribe to the Tech Tips newsletter to find out about the latest accessibility tech tips.

Feedback Form & Diversity Self-identification Survey

At RRC Polytech, we believe it is our shared responsibility to create an equitable, accessible and inclusive environment.

We value your suggestions on how to improve accessibility services across Red River College Polytechnic campuses. You can let us know by filling out this feedback form posted on our website or by emailing us at diversity@rrc.ca. Furthermore, you can help us gain a better understanding of our College community and assess our current Equity, Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, programs and policies by completing the voluntary Diversity Self-Identification Survey. Staff and students can access and update this survey anytime. Let us continue to work together in creating an inclusive and accessible workplace and learning environment.

Truth and Reconciliation Community of Practice 2023

September 26, 2023

The Anti-Racism Action Committee is excited to launch the second iteration of the Truth and Reconciliation Community of Practice (TRCP) this fall 2023! 

The TRCP is an RRC Polytech learning community that creates opportunities for staff and faculty to extend and apply their learning, and to take action to advance Truth and Reconciliation and anti-racism. 

Participation in the TRCP will involve a commitment of 10-12 hours throughout Fall 2023. This includes both group discussion, facilitated in circle, and small group or partner discussions, around guided questions that relate to both Truth and Reconciliation and anti-racism. These discussions will guide participants on a journey through the Medicine Wheel and will provide experiential learning around Indigenous teachings. Participation in the TRCP will culminate in a group feast, to celebrate the truth learned and actions taken over the course of the term, as well as to plan next steps.   

Joanna White, Indigenous Curriculum & Cultural Advisor for the Department of Community Services, will be facilitating this series. 

Outcomes: 

Outcomes of participation in the TRCP include:  

  • Demonstrating a commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, and the pursuit of EDI.  
  • Experiencing and understanding Indigenous teachings, such as circle teaching and the Medicine Wheel.  
  • Identifying meaningful opportunities for individual action and engagement relating to reconciliation, and the enhancement of inclusion at RRC Polytech.  

 Key Dates:  

Participation in the TRCP involves the following dates: 

  • Initial Truth and Reconciliation Community of Practice Circle: October 19, 11:30 – 12:30 (Prairie Lights, NDC) 
  • Truth and Reconciliation Community of Practice Circle: November 2, 11:30 – 12:30 (F205, NDC) 
  • Truth and Reconciliation Community of Practice Circle: November 16, 11:30 – 12:30 (F205, NDC) 
  • Truth and Reconciliation Community of Practice Group Wrap up & Feast: November 30th, 11:30 – 1:00 (F205, NDC) 
  • 4 x 1 hour meetings with small group/learning partner for discussion and reflection (self-directed, in-person or remote) 

Learn more and apply now: 

If you have any questions about the Truth and Reconciliation Community of Practice, please let us know. 

Apply to this iteration of this program here. (Note that priority will be given to individuals who did not participate in the first iteration of the TRCP.) 

International Week of the Deaf 2023

September 17, 2023

September 18-24 marks International Week of the Deaf, an annual opportunity to recognize and build awareness of the Deaf and hard of hearing community around the world. This year’s theme is A World Where Deaf People Everywhere Can Sign Anywhere, which reminds us to promote and champion the importance of sign languages as a means of communication, fostering a world where Deaf and hard of hearing individuals can express themselves freely and be fully included in all aspects of society. 

Monday, Sept 18, 2023 – Declaration on the Rights of Deaf Children

The Declaration on the Rights of Deaf Children contains 10 articles proclaiming the rights of all deaf children around the world. This declaration is essential in promoting the rights of deaf children.

Tuesday, Sept 19, 2023 – Building Capacity Across the Globe

Building Capacity Across the Globe is all about raising awareness of Deaf people’s lived experiences and increasing capacities of local Deaf communities around the world. Deaf experiences include audism, which is discrimination against Deaf and hard of hearing individuals based on the belief that the ability to hear or behave as one who can hear is somehow superior. Some associations that support Deaf and hard of hearing individuals locally are:

  • Manitoba Deaf Association 
    The MDA promotes and develops accessible, educational, recreational activities and interests for the benefit of the Deaf community. 
  • Manitoba Cultural Society of the Deaf 
    MCSD-DAM’s vision is to integrate Deaf and non-deaf communities with complete accessibility and to empower Deaf culture, arts, and language. 
  • Manitoba Deaf Sports Association 
    The mission of MDSA is to encourage participation in sports to strengthen, promote and instill values of cultural association by providing sporting opportunities to members of Deaf/Hard of Hearing communities. 
  • Deaf Resource Centre 
    The DRC coordinates and/or provides resources, programs and advocacy to enhance the development of the Deaf community. 

Wednesday, Sept 20, 2023 – Realizing Nothing Without Us

Realizing Nothing Without Us is about encouraging governments and organizations to consult Deaf people and Deaf organizations in all projects and initiatives regarding Deaf people and sign languages. The resource below emphasizes the importance of having Deaf people be the ones to teach national sign languages to others and to pass on knowledge of Deaf culture and history. There are ASL classes taught here at the College which you may have seen in Staff News recently! The next offering of ASL classes is in the Winter Term through Continuing Education.

Here are some interesting resources on the topic: 

Thursday, Sept 21, 2023 – Putting Deaf People on the Agenda

“Deaf communities worldwide work to ensure policies and programs reflect the lived realities of deaf people’s lives. Today we call upon national governments, international institutions, research centres, and policymaking bodies to centre deaf people in their work. There is still a significant lack of data on deaf people’s lives and less on the right to use national sign languages. Today we highlight the research done on deaf lives to date and call for more disaggregated data collection and monitoring of deaf people and sign languages.”

wfdeaf.org 
  • DeafDots serves Deaf and hard of hearing individuals across Canada by providing news updates in American Sign Language and La langue des signes québécoise (LSQ).
  • The Daily Moth is based out of the US delivering news using American Sign Language covering trending stories and Deaf topics with a twist of humour and Deaf culture.

These news sources align with the World Federation of the Deaf’s call for national governments, international institutions, research centres, and policymaking bodies to centre Deaf people in their work. 

Friday, Sept 22, 2023 – Achieving Sign Language Rights for All

In 2014, French Deafblind artist, Arnaud Balard, designed a “Sign Union” flag for Deaf people and signing people who communicate in sign language everywhere. Check out this video of him explaining his vision for how he came up with the design and the meaning behind it.

Learn more about Canada’s six sign languages, including three Indigenous sign languages, through the Canadian Language Museum’s exhibit entitled Sign Language of Canada from the Canadian Language Museum. You can visit the virtual version of this exhibit, here.

Saturday, Sept 23 and Sunday, Sept 24

International Week of the Deaf continues over the weekend with more themes to consider:

  • Saturday – International Day of Sign Languages: A World Where Deaf People Everywhere Can Sign Anywhere
  • Sunday – Building Inclusive Deaf Communities

To celebrate the use of the diverse sign languages used around the world, on Saturday, September 23, the Esplanade Riel and the landmark “WINNIPEG” sign at The Forks will be lit up in blue!

Intercultural Partnership Program: Making a World of Difference

July 20, 2023

This year marks the Intercultural Partnership Program’s twentieth year, and it also marks the program’s first time being held in person since 2019. Over the last year, 69 partnerships have formed through the program, with the goal of building deeper intercultural competence and aligning with RRC Polytech’s commitment to embed equity, diversity and inclusion in everything we do.

About the Intercultural Partnership Program

The program connects local partners (students and staff who are Canadian-raised or have lived in Canada for at least one year) with global partners (immigrant and international students) for friendship and to explore intercultural connections.

The Intercultural Partnership Program invites partners to explore differences in a safe, positive and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing differences and giving them equal worth and value.

Each partner has lived through specific, unique experiences, and the program is an opportunity to share experiences and perspectives, helping to reciprocally build deeper understanding.

The Making a World of Difference Award

To celebrate partnerships that exemplify the spirit of the Intercultural Partnership Program, every year two pairs of partners per term (Fall and Winter) are recognized with the Making a World of Difference Award. Specifically, partnerships that:

  • Embrace equality within the partnership
  • Explore cultural differences together and learning from each other
  • Are patient and respectful with themselves and one another
  • Deliberately seek out new experiences together and embrace time spent together
  • Step outside their everyday comfort zones

Meet the 2022-23 Making a World of Difference Recipients

Sui Hong Ma (global partner) and Heather Holens (local partner), Tourism and Hospitality Management students

Both students in the Tourism and Hospitality Management program, Hong and Heather embraced trying new experiences – from activities to cuisines. Within their partnership, they embarked on experiences together as well as with each other’s friends and families. Together with friends and family, they talked about cultural differences between Canada and Hong Kong.

Hong and Heather focused on listening, remaining open-minded and overall learned how to communicate better. They attribute their experiences and ability to effectively communicate to helping close the gap between local and international students.

“We noticed, acknowledged, and appreciated our differences which made this partnership successful. We both learned new things and accepted each other for the differences that make us special and unique.”

– Sui Hong Ma, global partner

Wilson Plazarte Cumbal, Automotive Technology student (global partner), and Fred Meier, President and CEO (local partner)

Wilson is from Quito, Ecuador and came to Canada in August of 2022 as a student in the Language Training Centre, and Fred is a lifelong Winnipegger. From the get-go, the partners embraced equity within their partnerships, ensuring they both had an opportunity to share ideas for the experiences they were going to participate in.

Wilson and Fred soon realized they shared common interests, both enjoying the outdoors, fishing and hiking, and they worked together to find activities that were important to them both.

Throughout their partnership, Wilson and Fred stepped out of everyday comfort zones and explored new experiences together. They prioritized visiting new places and learning about each other’s cultures. This helped them grow personally and interculturally, and to build a more profound connection with one another.

“The intercultural partnership program has helped us develop a lasting friendship. We learned about unique aspects of each other’s backgrounds, but most of all we learned that even though there are language and cultural differences these make friendships even stronger.”

– Wilson Plazarte Cumbal, global partner

Jenny Martínez, Science Laboratory Technology student (global partner) and Tanya Cole, Nursing Instructor (local partner)

Jenny is originally from Colombia, and moved to Winnipeg from Costa Rica with her family, about a year-and-a-half ago, and local partner, Tanya, is originally from England but has lived in Winnipeg for the past 19 years. After an initial WhatsApp call, the partners discovered a mutual passion for dance. As they shared stories about their lives, education and future aspirations, they discovered many common threads despite coming from different parts of the world.

Jenny and Tanya explored many activities together – from a salsa dance class to visiting a museum to getting creative at a paint pouring class and cooking traditional Colombian food. Throughout their participation in the program, the partners developed a friendship and even brought their children along to partake in activities with them.

“Our experiences in the program helped us feel more connected to our community, within Red River College Polytechnic and also the city of Winnipeg. We have more confidence in our ability to build meaningful relationships with people from different cultural backgrounds – and felt respected and appreciated for our differences.”

– Jenny Martínez, global partner

Ka Cheong Law, Hospitality and Tourism Management student (global partner), and José Manuel Castellón Álvarez, Applied Computer Education Instructor (local partner)

This partnership’s first outing together was a very memorable one – Manuel invited Ka Cheong to attend his Canadian citizenship ceremony. After this, they continued to explore one another’s culture through sharing meals, including shrimp tacos at Manuel’s and Ka Cheong prepared a traditional Chinese hot pot.

Together they talked about a perception held by some of the Asian community that Mexico is a dangerous country, full of drugs and crime. Manuel shared more about his home country of Mexico, highlighting its vibrant culture and celebrations. One interesting difference Ka Cheong discovered was that in Mexican culture death is celebrated through the Day of the Dead festival. Whereas, in Chinese culture death is viewed as “scary and creepy,” noted Ka Cheong. The partners explored many cultural differences and engaged in meaningful conversation around them.

The partnership not only created a bond between Ka Cheong and Manuel, but their sons also became fast friends during the experience.

“The wonderful partnership program created two pairs of buddies. I gained a lot more than I expected from the program. I am looking forward to inviting Manuel to visit my co-op workplace.”

– Ka Cheong Law, global partner

Take Part in the Next Intercultural Partnership Program

Intercultural communication is becoming increasingly important in today’s global environment where personal and professional success implies communicating across cultures and drawing from all perspectives, experiences and worldviews. The Intercultural Partnership Program is a fantastic opportunity for local and global partners alike to develop a partnership that supports valuable intercultural communication and leadership skills; helps build your social and professional networks; gets you out and about exploring Winnipeg; and is a lot of fun!

The program is open to all RRC Polytech students, staff and faculty, with two sessions coming up in August 2023 and January 2024.

For any questions, please email iesupport@rrc.ca.

Share What You Celebrate

June 23, 2023

Canadian Multiculturalism Day is celebrated annually on June 27, to recognize the contributions of multicultural groups and communities to Canadian society. The day is an opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity and reaffirm our commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive Canada.

At RRC Polytech, diversity is one of our greatest strengths and celebrated not only on June 27, but year-round. Several equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) working groups at the College collaborate to help raise awareness of celebrations, holidays and observances that align with equity-deserving groups – Women, Indigenous Peoples, Persons with disabilities, Racialized Persons and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

In recognizing days, weeks or months of importance, the goal is to foster understanding and opportunities for learning, and build more inclusive campuses where everyone feels seen, heard and valued. We recognize that we may not capture every holiday or observance that RRC Polytech staff and students celebrate. To support reflecting the diversity within our communities, you’re invited to share what you celebrate (or commemorate).

Multiculturalism Survey

Take the opportunity to celebrate the cultural diversity that enriches us collectively and reaffirm your commitment to equity, diversity and mutual respect. We will be sharing stories and photos submitted by staff and students to highlight the strong multicultural RRC Polytech community and to learn more about one another.


For any questions about the Multiculturalism Survey, please contact Lauren Dominici at ldominici@rrc.ca.

June is Deafblind Awareness Month

June 16, 2023

As of 2015, June was designated as Deafblind Awareness Month, to help Canadians build an understanding and advocate on behalf of those in their community who are deafblind.

What is Deafblindness?

Persons are considered deafblind if they have dual sensory loss, a combined loss of both vision and hearing, such that neither of the senses of vision and hearing can be used as a primary source of gathering accurate information.

The combination of these sensory losses results in significant difficulties in accessing information, learning, communicating and participating.

  • Congenital deafblindness occurs when a person becomes deafblind before language development, usually between three months to two years old.
  • Acquired deafblindness occurs later in life through accidents, disease or aging, the latter which is the leading cause of deafblindness.

According to CNIB, an estimated 466,000 Canadians over the age of 15 are living with some degree of dual sensory loss. Deafblindness is a relatively low-incidence disability in Canada, affecting about 1% of the population, but is not recognized as distinct by the Federal Government. Many Canadians who are deafblind lack access to supports and services to help them fully engage in their communities.

Resources for further learning:

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia

May 15, 2023

May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia – a day that was created to raise awareness of the discrimination and violence faced by individuals of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

This year’s theme is “Together Always: United in Diversity”. At RRC Polytech, we believe that diversity is our strength. We are committed to creating inclusive learning and working environments where everyone feels sale, respected, and celebrated. Homophobia, transphobia and biphobia have no place within our college community.

Below are resources and further information on homophobia, transphobia and biphobia to support your learning journeys so that you can counter fear and panic with compassion and reason, and to make a difference in all our communities.

RRC Polytech is committed to being allies for everyone – it doesn’t matter who you are, everyone deserves to be treated with kindness, dignity, and respect.

On May 17 (every day), take a moment to reflect upon how you can stand up and speak out against discrimination; how you can create a safe and inclusive space that respects all individuals; and how you can support 2SLGBTQIA+ friends and colleagues.

If you have any questions or comments, please email us at diversity@rrc.ca.

Resources:

Being a 2SLGBTQIA+ Ally

Allyship is leadership

How to be an Ally to a Bi+ Person

What Does Trans Allyship Look Like?

Fondation Émergence: The LBGTQ Phobias Are Just As Irrational campaign

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia

CCDI’s Glossary of Terms – which includes the following definitions:

  • Homophobia: a fear, dislike, or hatred of and discrimination against LGBTQ2+ people. Homophobia presents in many forms, and can be structural/systemic, interpersonal, or internalized.
  • Transphobia is the fear, dislike, or hatred of and discrimination against trans* people. Transphobia exists through offensive jokes, exclusion, denial of services, employment discrimination, intentional misgendering, harassment, and violence.
  • Biphobia: Fear, dislike, or hatred of and discrimination against bisexual people. Biphobia presents through offensive jokes, exclusion, bi-erasure, harassment, and violence. Biphobia exists both within and outside of the LGBTQ2+ community

National AccessAbility Week and Manitoba Access Awareness Week

May 12, 2023

The province of Manitoba observes May 28 to June 3, 2023, as Manitoba Access Awareness Week (MAAW). Celebrated annually in conjunction with National AccessAbility Week, its purpose is to raise awareness of accessibility barriers experienced by Manitobans with disabilities and to promote removal of these barriers.

RRC Polytech is committed to developing a culture of diversity and inclusivity for the communities we serve. We believe in equal access to education and employment, and we are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming, supportive and respectful of the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. The College will continue our work to meet, and exceed where possible, the mandate of The Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA).

To advance this commitment to accessibility, RRC Polytech has created an Accessibility Plan, which is updated every two years by the Accessibility Working Group, representing programs and departments across the College.  You can read more about RRC Polytech’s Accessibility Plan, Student Accessibility Services, Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services and Supportive Employment Program on our website. Centre for learning & Program Excellence (CLPE) has developed resources and guidelines on Staff Forum for staff and faculty to create accessible instructional and informational materials.

The Accessibility for Manitoban’s Act Information and Communication Standard was enacted in May 2022, and post-secondary institutions are required to meet the requirements of the Standard by May 1, 2024. To help the College community prepare for this Standard, the following session will be offered at RED Forum: Access in Action: Are you ready for the 2024 Information and Communication Standard? This information session will be led by a panel of staff bringing different perspectives to the conversation – Instructional Design, Instruction/Teaching, Student Accessibility Services and Accessible Technologies. Topics will include an overview of the Standard, inaccessible content and its impact, and designing content with accessibility in mind. Register for RED Forum here.

The Manitoba Accessibility Office will be celebrating Manitoba Access Awareness Week 2023 with a zoom webinar on Thursday, June 1, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The theme of the event is “Reducing Barriers to Web Accessible Information and Communications”.  It will include four short talks with organizations that received Manitoba Accessibility Fund (MAF) grants in 2022/23 to complete activities enhancing web accessibility and experiences for end users. To register for the webinar, please visit the Eventbrite page to sign up to attend

If you have any questions or feedback about RRC Polytech’s Accessibility Plan, please email us at diversity@rrc.ca.

Film Screening: In the Shadow of Gold Mountain

May 10, 2023

In recognition of Asian Heritage Month, join the Social Justice Engagement Club for a film screening and guided conversation for faculty, staff, and students.

We will be screening the National Film Board documentary, “In the Shadow of Gold Mountain”.

Filmmaker Karen Cho travels from Montreal to Vancouver to uncover stories from the last survivors of the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act, a set of laws imposed to single out the Chinese as unwanted immigrants to Canada from 1885 to 1947. Through a combination of history, poetry and raw emotion, this documentary sheds light on an era that shaped the identity of generations.

The Social Justice Engagement Club is an initiative put on by the Anti-Racism Action Committee to create a space for students, faculty and staff to foster a learning community that advances Truth & Reconciliation, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Event Details:

Day: Tues. May 23, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00pm

Location: Active Learning Classroom (CM27, Notre Dame Campus)

Registration: Click on this link and submit the form to register for the event.

Canadian Jewish Heritage Month 2023

May 1, 2023

As of 2018, Parliament designated May as Canadian Jewish Heritage Month, celebrating the contributions Jewish Canadians have made over the last 250 years and continue to make within communities across the country.

This type of observance helps us understand one another on a deeper level by highlighting communities and cultures. Acknowledging and appreciating the important contributions that Jewish Canadians have made to Canada from social to economic to political and more, highlights the country we have built together.

Learn more about Jewish culture and history, and celebrate Jewish Heritage Month with the resources below:

National Film Board of Canada:

  • CCDI Webinar: Antisemitism: How to recognize and prevent it in the workplace
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RRC Polytech campuses are located on the lands of Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininew, Dakota, and Dené, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

We recognize and honour Treaty 3 Territory Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, the source of Winnipeg’s clean drinking water. In addition, we acknowledge Treaty Territories which provide us with access to electricity we use in both our personal and professional lives.

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