Demand for Learning Assistance On The Rise

Whitehorse – Yukon College’s Learning Assistance Centre has seen a steady rise in its client numbers over the past year.  Since opening in 1987, the Centre has assisted over 2000 students.  The Centre works with the general student population to improve study skills.  It also provides important services to both students and staff with disabilities and chronic health concerns. If the demand for assistance continues for the rest of the year, the Centre will see a significant increase in its annual average of 150 clients.

The Centre partly attributes the increase in client numbers to a greater awareness about the services available to help people with disabilities access post secondary education.  One area of growing importance is in the use of Adaptive Technologies. These technologies range from the simple (a supportive chair) to the sophisticated (specialized computer software).  In particular, students have benefited greatly from the new speech-to-text programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking and text readers like Kurzweil 3000.  The Learning Assistance Centre now offers an individualized credit course to help students learn to effectively use the new technologies.

Students and instructors at the college are also becoming more aware of the importance of providing reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities or health issues.  These accommodations are coordinated through the Coordinator of the Learning Assistance Centre.  In post secondary institutions, students self-identify and are responsible for providing disability/health documentation.  Each student then works with the Coordinator and instructors to identify reasonable means to address the disability or health concern. With reasonable, effective accommodations, more students are remaining in college programs and increasing their level of success.

The Learning Assistance Centre at Yukon College is pleased with the increasing number of clients served.  The Centre encourages potential applicants as well as students and employees who have a disability or chronic health issue to contact the Centre. The Centre is located in the Commons Area room 1520 of the main campus or at the contact for the Learning Assistance Centre below.

Catalina Colaci
Coordinator,Learning Assist Centre
Yukon College
867 668 8785 / 8780
1 800 661 0504 (Outside Whitehorse)
lassist@yukoncollege.yk.ca
ww.yukoncollege.yk.ca