Attempting to analyze the accessibility of the UBC website (with a specific focus on the Jump Start Orientation Leader application page) from the perspective of Aboriginal students has offered me both uncomfortable and informative insights into the difficulties that can manifest when attempting to assume the role of the “other.” In essence, I found it extremely challenging to explore and discuss the type of barriers that might impact the opportunities of Aboriginal individuals without stereotyping or otherwise imposing my voice or ideas on a culture of which I have very little personal knowledge. A specific challenge of my group’s particular assignment also centred around the idea that race or ethnicity in and of itself does not impact individual participation in the same way that my discussion group peers demonstrated mental or physical disabilities might, leading our discussion of equal opportunity to intersect with larger questions of socio-economic class and representation.
To define the perspective from which we conducted our website analysis, our working definition of “Aboriginal students” included any individuals in their 2nd year or later at UBC who are registered under the Indian Act, or who possess Métis or Inuit ancestry. From a functional perspective, our analysis revealed that the website itself is quite generally accessible, and offers no intrinsic barriers to Aboriginal students seeking to apply for a Leadership position (which focuses on counselling and otherwise aiding in the transition and integration of first-year students into the community at UBC). In accordance with the principles of Universal Design, the job description and application information is clearly formatted, concise, and easily intelligible, offering clear insights into the type of personal qualities and commitments required to be an orientation leader. With a readability score of 11.2, the webpage is easily comprehendible to any 2nd year UBC student, and easily navigable for any individual with even a small amount of online experience.
In essence, according the ideals of Universal Design, this webpage successfully facilitates an ideal of universal access, propagating the notion that any 2nd year student with the necessary personal qualities (e.g. good academic standing, leadership/communication skills, time management, etc.) is able to equally access and participate in Orientation Leadership program. However, to address the ultimate question of whether or not there is “equal opportunity” to get involved on campus, my group could not reconcile the actual realities of Aboriginal representation in the UBC student body with the notion that demographic and background play no role in the opportunities that an individual is afforded. The reality for Aboriginal students in specific regards to participation at this university is that they are severely underrepresented in the composition of the UBC student body, comprising only 1% of the thousands of students that attend this institution. Considering this, how could the layout of a website possibly afford equal opportunity to a demographic of people that quite clearly experience external barriers to acceptance and participation at this university in the first place?
While according to our analysis, a 2nd year Aboriginal student should experience no discrimination within the Orientation Leadership application process itself, actual achievement of 2nd year status, as regulated by personal, social, and economic circumstance, results in clearly defined external barriers to the involvement of Aboriginal students in the career opportunities on this campus. I firmly believe that more should be done on a political level to better support Aboriginal communities in their capacity to participate in this institution on a fundamental level, and I would be very interested hear the perspective of an Aboriginal student or community leader in regards to the specific question of opportunity and inclusion on the UBC campus itself.