Students with disabilities face added barriers to participating in faculty-led and co-curricular programs like field schools, field research courses, and international service learning projects. In particular, field schools in disciplines like conservation, geography, earth sciences, marine ecology and archaeology are often physically demanding as they involve conducting observations and data collection that can only be done in remote areas or in difficult terrain accessible only by foot or boat. Field programs can also be socially, academically, and emotionally intensive which can be challenging for students with mental health challenges or cognitive disabilities.

In 2022, UBC was awarded an innovation grant through the Global Skills Opportunity program, administered by Universities Canada, to develop strategies and pilot techniques to enhance the accessibility of faculty-led study abroad programs. This session will review the learnings from these efforts which will include insights from a literature review, student survey and focus groups, and a pilot of technology and universal design for learning (UDL) methods to enhance accessibility during a sustainability-focused field school in Hawaii.