Did you know... as a Waterloo Warrior living with a form of neurodivergence, you cannot get an AccessAbility Services assessment done anytime in the next year? That is unless you have at least $2,000 readily available in cash.

AccessAbility Services (AAS) at the University of Waterloo is INACCESSIBLE to students who need them.

To gain accommodation and support from AAS, a formal diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and learning disabilities is MANDATORY. 

The assessments needed to gain a formal diagnosis are COSTLY, roughly $1,500 to 3,000, depending on the assessment.

UWaterloo student benefits only cover a LIFETIME of $400 for psychoeducational assessments, nowhere near the total cost.

One affordable “option” offered at UWaterloo would be assessments at the Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment at the University, BUT they are not currently accepting referrals and their WAITLIST will be closed until at least 2028… Not to mention, they cannot provide diagnoses for ASD… So this isn’t really an option.

Instead, the University's bandage solution is to hire a single psychologist for 41,000+ students to complete an assessment. But wait - a pre-assessment alone is $225. 

This means that AAS is reserved for those that are able to pay THOUSANDS of dollars out of pocket, which is a MAJOR BARRIER to supports for most students.

These barriers are making it EXTREMELY difficult for many students to thrive in a university environment that is not built for their needs. We believe that EVERYONE should have access to an education system that SUPPORTS their learning disabilities/neurodivergence and allows them to flourish.

If you agree, please take a moment to sign our petition and call on the University of Waterloo to redistribute funding to AccessAbility Services so that there are more health professionals qualified to complete assessments and prevent students from paying thousands of dollars for one at a private clinic.