Students dealing with mental health challenges will no longer have to disclose the specific details of their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) diagnosis to register for academic accommodations at universities across Ontario. The DSM is the standard classification of mental disorders intended for use in clinical settings.
The change comes thanks to a collaborative effort between Navi Dhanota, a PhD student in Critical Disability Studies at York University, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC). While at York, Dhanota filed an application with the Human Rights tribunal of Ontario for students to gain academic accommodations without having to disclose a personal medical history, with the goal of developing new documentation for these procedures at universities.
Dhanota’s motivation for this daunting task came from personal experience: she had to disclose her own DSM diagnosis to receive academic accommodation when she first attended another Ontario university. When she was studying at York, she again had to disclose her DSM diagnosis to receive academic accommodations. It was important for Dhanota that other students did not have to disclose their personal diagnosis to receive the accommodations they need.
In a press release announcing the new guidelines, Dhanota said, “Removing the requirement to disclose a DSM diagnosis in order to access academic accommodations is an exciting step forward in the university’s commitment to student success and their interpretation of (dis)ability. With this change, students will no longer be required to define their experiences using a psychiatric label.”
As Dhanota was in the process of filing her application, a provincially-funded report by researchers at Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College, entitled “Recommendations for Documentation Standards and Guidelines for Post-Secondary Students with Mental Health Disabilities (Academic Accommodations Project)” was released. The OHRC then intervened in Dhanota’s case to help ensure that academic institutions’ approaches to medical documentation are in-line with the report and the OHRC’s Policy on preventing discrimination based on mental health disabilities and addictions.
The OHRC’s policy cites research that has estimated one-in-five Canadian adults will experience mental health or addiction issues during their lives. Due to extreme stigma that surrounds mental health issues and addiction, many people are afraid to disclose their disability to others. The OHRC states that fear of discrimination can deter people from seeking the needed wsupport.
“The majority of universities in Ontario have required students to disclose a DSM diagnosis before registering with their accommodation services,” explained Dhanota in a press release. “The Ontario Human Rights Commission’s intervention in this case, and York’s commitment to change, have created a landmark precedent which will change the understanding of accessibility and (dis)ability when receiving university accommodations.”
In response to the revisions, Dr. Marc Wilchesky, executive director of Counselling and Disability Services at York University, said in a press release, “While some students voluntarily choose to disclose their diagnosis to Disability Services at York University, they no longer are required to do so. Instead, the required medical documentation simply confirms that there is a diagnosed mental health disability without providing the specific diagnostic label. The licensed health care provider will confirm the nature of any restrictions and limitations that might require academic accommodation. Whether or not a student chooses to disclose their mental health diagnosis, they will be eligible to receive the full range of appropriate academic accommodations to provide an equal opportunity for academic success and graduation.”
The University of Guelph, along with other Ontario universities, will follow in York’s footsteps in this initiative to ensure students have access to academic accommodations without disclosing their medical history, in order to support students in getting the help needed for academic success.
“All students go to school to invest in their future and to succeed, and I believe this change will help them achieve this goal to the best of their ability,” said Dhanota in a press release.