Celebrating our History: Achievements Over Time
2023:
Awarded an Enabling Accessibility Grant from the Government of Canada – Project: Sowing Equity - Increasing Physical Accessibility at the Campus Farm, 2023 Project in progress
U of T to adopt new facility accessibility design standard, 2023 (a tri-campus initiative)
2019: Accessible Valley Land Trail opens at UTSC.
2018:
Ontario appoints two from U of T to key roles on accessibility.
Linking campus to nature: Work begins on one-of-a-kind, accessible trail at U of T Scarborough.
2017:
The 2017 Invictus Games, the 3rd instalment of the parasport event for wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans that was created in 2014 by Prince Harry, comes to the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre for the seated volleyball, wheelchair basketball and swimming competitions. Athletes and fans at U of T Scarborough got a royal treat and then some when former U. S. President Barack Obama joined Prince Harry, along with former vice-president Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, to watch Team USA take on France in wheelchair basketball.
The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre hosts the 2017 Para-Swimming Canadian Open for 40 swimmers from Team Canada and Team Australia, after an earthquake in Mexico City forced a postponement of the Para-Swimming World Championships.
2015: At the UTSC Tennis Centre, Canada earned its first-ever Parapan medal in wheelchair tennis, when Joel Dembe (the first athlete to use the courts) and Phillippe Bedard captured bronze in the men’s doubles. A world record was also set at UTSC, for the fencing component of the modern pentathlon.
2014:
The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre is selected by Swimming Canada as the venue for Canada’s 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Swimming Trials, 2014
Rick Hanson tours the Toronto Pan AM Sports Centre, 2014
Legacy - Toronto Pan AM Sports Centre, 2014
David Onley to be Special Ambassador for Pan Am and Parapan Games at UTSC: The Hon. David Onley (Hon. BA 1975) returns to his roots at UTSC, assuming the role of senior lecturer and distinguished visitor. His honour also served the University as Special Ambassador for the Pan Am and Parapan American Games, contributing to the momentum leading up to the Games at a series of events on both the UTSC and St. George campuses, which hosted Games competitions.
2013: Wheelchair Basketball Canada locates its elite National Academy at UTSC, aiming for future Paralympic gold.
2011: The back gym of the Athletic Centre becomes temporary home to the Canadian National Wheelchair Rugby Team, who spent a full week on campus for training camp. Wheelchair rugby, nothing like the sport of rugby played by other athletes, is played indoors on a hardwood court. Developed in Canada in 1977, the game was originally called “murderball."
2004:
Alum and former Paralympian, Kaley McLean, talks about the positive power of sport, 2021 talks about the 2004 Paralympics
The Scarborough Student Union separated from the Student's Administrative Council (SAC) and was established as a distinct entity. It continued to collect the Wheelchair Accessibility Levy through the SCSU fee and directed these levy funds to be used in conjunction with a matching commitment from UTSC administration/ Principal’s office funds for campus accessibility projects, not legally required, identified by the committee such as purchasing emergency evacuation chair (not required by code/law). The funding also supports the student union cover accessibility expenses in the Student Centre (e.g., repair openers, improvements in the SCSU office on accessibility, etc.), 2004
2003: U of T receives the Corporate Award from The Canadian Foundation of Physically Disabled Persons for our work in accessibility.
2002: Student Union Referendum - Students voted in favour to increase $2.00 in the SAC fee paid by all full-time undergraduate students each fall/winter academic session, beginning the fall 2022 session, to support the SAC-WAC (Wheelchair Accessibility Committee) Fund and the costs of improving physical accessibility at the University of Toronto for students with physical disabilities.
1990s: The Physical Accessibility Advisory Committee was established at UTSC in the 1990's. An operating fund was also established to cover the cost of accessibility projects on campus
1980s: Project Handicapped, an SCSC initiative (student union), increases building accessibility for persons with physical disabilities.
1970s: Interview with David C. Onley (@12:20 David Onley speaks about coming to UTSC as a student in the 1970's and the accessibility of the campus)