A student at UVic has stepped up for himself and others with disabilities, arguing that they should be allowed to attend graduation ceremonies along with their peers.
Nathan Bodie, who has autism, was able to finish his five-year Political Science and Social Justice program with the help of STEPS Forward – an organization that helps students with disabilities complete post-secondary education.
Out of the seven schools that participate in this program, UVic is the only one that does not allow its students to attend the graduation ceremony with everyone else.
According to STEPS Forward member Julia Templeman, the school usually gets away with this, as only a few students graduate from this program every year.
So she started a petition to be sent to the University of Victoria’s Convocation Committee, in order to let Nathan and others like him attend graduation ceremonies with their peers – you can sign it here.
In response, the Convocation Committee has sent a proposal to the university senate to allow STEPS Forward students to attend future Convocation ceremonies.
The final decision will be made on April 7th.
