On the Accessibility Ally Podcast, Corrie Melanson spoke with Michelle Mahoney and Morgane Evans about navigating post-secondary education with a physical disability. Both women shared their experiences of what worked, what didn’t, and what still needs to change to make education truly accessible.
Meet Michelle and Morgane
Michelle lives just outside Halifax with her husband and their dog. She has a disability called Arthrogryposis, which affects the muscles in her arms and legs. Michelle sees herself as an ordinary person who can do just about anything—drive, work, ski—when the right supports are in place.
Morgane, originally from the U.S., has mild right-sided paresis from a stroke she had as a baby. This affects her strength and coordination, and she’s needed different accommodations throughout her life. She moved to Nova Scotia to attend Dalhousie University, where she faced a whole new set of accessibility rules and systems.
Barriers in Education
For Michelle, growing up in a small town meant everyone knew her and her family. Her mother would meet with teachers each year to explain her needs, like extra time on tests. University was more challenging; she called her campus “the most inaccessible in the world”, but with daily support from an attendant, she learned how to live independently.
Morgane’s early education in a private school was marked by ableism and bullying. Things improved in public school, where she had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and supportive staff. At Dalhousie, some accommodations worked well, like extended test time, but others, such as finding note-takers, were inconsistent and often left her without the help she needed.
The Role of Accessibility Staff
Michelle now works as the Accessibility Officer at the University of King’s College. She is the first person in this role! She helps students navigate the accommodation process, educates faculty about their responsibilities, and finds simple solutions to barriers, like replacing hard-to-use desks or providing better chairs. She also works on the university’s accessibility plan and offers training to help staff understand the duty to accommodate.
Her approach is to make things clear, practical, and “Kings-friendly,” so that accessibility isn’t seen as extra work, but as part of creating a better learning environment for everyone.
What Needs to Change
Morgane believes there should be stronger protections for students with disabilities, similar to the legal requirements that have historically existed in the U.S., such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws require schools to provide accommodations and protect students from discrimination, though in recent years, shifting priorities and cuts to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in some states have put those supports under pressure. She worries that when DEI offices are downsized or rebranded, disability inclusion often takes a back seat.
Morgane also wants to see systems that don’t force students with lifelong disabilities to re-apply for the same accommodations every semester. In her view, if a student’s needs are permanent—like her own—those accommodations should carry forward automatically. Requiring constant re-approval adds unnecessary stress and risks students missing deadlines, especially when they’re already juggling coursework, health needs, and daily life.
Michelle points out that accessibility changes don’t have to be complicated; small fixes like adding captions to videos or lowering a door threshold can make a big difference. Both agree that attitudes need to shift so that accessibility is seen as part of everyday life, not a special favour. Too often, accommodations are treated like extra perks or something a school “gives” to a student out of kindness, rather than a basic right that ensures equal access. Michelle and Morgane want people to understand that accessibility isn’t about lowering standards or making exceptions. It’s about removing unnecessary barriers so everyone has a fair chance to learn and participate.
When accessibility is built in from the start, whether it’s using captions, offering flexible seating, or making course materials available in different formats, it benefits everyone, not just people with disabilities. An inclusive mindset also reduces the need for last-minute fixes and makes campuses more welcoming for all students.
A Call to Listen and Learn
For Michelle and Morgane, the heart of the conversation is simple: people with disabilities are just people. They work, study, travel, ski, and live full lives—sometimes in different ways, but with the same goals and dreams as anyone else. Being an ally starts with listening to their lived experiences, believing what they say about their needs, and taking action to make changes.
They remind us that every disability is different, which means there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Flexibility, empathy, and a willingness to learn are essential. When we stop treating accessibility as a special favour and start seeing it as part of everyday life, we move closer to a world where everyone belongs.
Nova Scotia’s goal of becoming fully accessible by 2030 is ambitious, and whether we get there will depend on all of us, policymakers, educators, employers, and neighbours—choosing to learn, adapt, and actively remove barriers.
You can start today. Take our free, self-paced Accessibility Foundations Training to explore your own mindset, challenge ableism, and build practical skills to be a stronger ally in everyday life.