To honestly answer this question, I think it is important to analyse each perspective that may be affected by questions of equality. I do however acknowledge that I am limited by not being part of one of these minorities and therefore must assume the perspective of these groups. My group analysed part of the UBC website in the context of accessibility to a person with a disability. Ultimately disabilities are on a spectrum because there is not a “one size fits all” when it comes to the umbrella term “disability”. It could be mental or physical, functional or non-functional. Therefore, something like universal design wouldn’t be the best fit, as every disability is different and their support needs to be tailored to fit their needs. Are there equal opportunities for these individuals to get involved on campus? It depends. I believe if the rowing team didn’t want me because I’m too short then they may be picky when choosing the best of the best for their team, yet something like work learn has such a variety of positions open that I believe they could accommodate to anyone.
However, universal design would be great for the LGBTQ community, as everyone would be equal. However, a problem here is representation. On the UBC site there are no photos of androgynous men or women who may even resemble someone of the LGBTQ community which adds to the idea of “we”/ “normal”/ men and women and a “them”/ “not normal”/ others. Which we know to be not true as we’ve learned that gender is a social construct and nothing but a learned behavior. This lack of representation leads to discouragement and lack of involvement because they cannot see themselves where they may want to be. So, are there equal opportunities? Not when they are being discouraged from joining clubs or participating in UBC events.
As for international students, I think there are many great opportunities that are equally accessible to international students. For example, looking at AMS, it is very diverse and rightfully so as it represents the whole student body. There’s also work learn that is non-discriminative and colour-blind when hiring students. However, one thing I’ve personally noticed is that the UBC site itself is really hard to navigate and at times unclear. And that’s coming from me who was born and raised in the English language, so for someone who’s not as strong in English or it isn’t there first language may have ample difficulty trying to find the opportunities in the first place. That could definitely discourage them from seeking opportunities in the community. Are there equal opportunities? For the most part I believe so, however clear instructions and details on the website might encourage even more people to participate and it would help everyone navigate the site better.
Lastly, are there equal opportunities for Aboriginal students on campus? I believe no, because they don’t have equal opportunities to begin with. To explain, here in Canada the assimilation of aboriginal people in residential school was a cultural genocide, which was definitely the biggest discourager in perusing post-secondary education. The effects of those residential schools still reek havoc on the community today and still strongly discourages its kids from school. Only 1% of UBC’s population is made up of aboriginal people, which isn’t a lot compared to UBC’s population. There firstly needs to be better programs within the community to encourage these kids to go to school and for schools to create better relationships with the aboriginal population. But on campus I believe that there are good opportunities for the aboriginal kids who go to UBC like work learn and AMS and clubs and teams. Also, on the website they have those photos of people who are culturally ambiguous which often have people who look like they could be aboriginal to show some representation. Therefore, on campus I do believe aboriginal people have equal opportunities.