KPU’s ground-breaking Including All Citizens (IAC) program is committed to showing students of all abilities and backgrounds what is possible.
“This is the power of inclusion at work here” says Dr. Fiona Whittington-Walsh, a sociology instructor at KPU and president of Inclusion B.C.
The program, spearheaded by members of both the Faculty of Arts and Access Programs at KPU, involves the full inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities into Faculty of Arts courses. To date, three students have graduate with a certificate that consists of 10 full transferable courses, while two more students continue to pursue the credential and a new cohort will begin in 2022.
“For me, personally, the IAC has given me pride to graduate with credit and to know I helped the future generations of people with disabilities to be able to take courses and learn like everyone else,” says Kya Bezanson, a student in the program. “I will be taking more courses in art and sociology after the pandemic is over.”
“I was given the opportunity to take creative writing before English and because of that I gained the confidence to walk into English feeling I could do anything,” says Anju Miller, who wants to become a writer. “This experience has allowed me to pursue creative writing courses and hopefully be able to obtain my creative writing bachelor, which will help me become a much stronger writer.”
The students in IAC are graduates of the Access Programs in the Faculty of Academic and Career preparation. Access Programs at KPU are designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students for work and additional opportunities to become involved in the community.