How to access our services

Welcome to George Brown College!

Accessible Learning Services is committed to providing equal opportunity, individualized accommodations and supports to students with disabilities. 

Our services are free and confidential. 

How do I register with Accessible Learning Services (ALS)?

1. Register with ALS

As soon as you’ve been accepted into a George Brown College program, or if you are currently in a program and experiencing disability-related barriers to learning, contact us at ALSregister@georgebrown.ca. Please include the following information in your email:

What happens next?

Our intake co-ordinator will email you to confirm your registration with Accessible Learning Services. The Welcome Desk team will send a follow-up email offering available appointment times and dates for a meeting with your accessibility consultant to set up your academic and test accommodations. 

If you do not have medical documentation or access to a doctor or medical support, please let us know so we can review options to support you.

2. Attend your appointment with ALS

At this appointment, you will meet your accessibility consultant to discuss your accommodation needs and find out about resources available to support your learning. 

You may find it helpful to prepare questions you want to ask in advance. If you need to reschedule, please get in touch with our Welcome Desk team at your campus. 

Am I eligible for Accessible Learning Services?

Check out the sample personas below if you’re unsure if you should connect with Accessible Learning Services. If you identify with the sample personas contact Accessible Learning Services following the steps listed in the “How do I register with Accessible Learning Services?” section of this page. 

Persona #1

My name is Salma, and I am an international student from Nepal. 

English is not my first language. I struggle in class because I can’t keep up. The professor speaks very quickly, and it takes me longer to understand what they are saying, so I end up falling behind. 

I am stressed out and very anxious, worried that I will fail my course which is so expensive. I have a lot of pressure from my family to succeed in school, since they invested so much in me. Sometimes I get panic attacks and it throws off my days. 

When I was younger, I was told by my teacher that I struggled in school because I had a learning disorder. My parents say that I don’t have a disability and I should work harder at my courses and quit complaining. 

I don’t know what to do or who to talk to about getting help.

Persona #2

My name is Amari, and I am 20 years old. I love sports and I am on the men’s basketball team. I have made a lot of friends and built a large community around my love of sports.  

Sometimes, I struggle with unexplained feelings of sadness, but growing up in a Caribbean household, emotions are not discussed much. I often act happy because I don’t want anyone to think I’m weak; I’ve struggled with these feelings for as long as I can remember. 

I don’t feel like there is anyone at the college who understands me, and I don’t know who to talk to. I was told there is a disability department at college, but I don’t think I have a disability. I don’t really want to talk about it as it’s embarrassing.

Persona #3

My name is Bill and I’m 45 years old and am taking a college program for the first time. I haven’t been in school for over 10 years and worked off and on in manufacturing. The whole school thing has been overwhelming. All my classmates are young, some right out of high school and I don’t relate to them; sometimes they ignore me. 

I’m in recovery. It is incredibly stressful. I often feel like I may relapse because the pressures of college are getting to me. I don’t think I qualify for support at the college, and I don’t think I can afford to pay for support anyway. Money is tight. I really don’t know what options I have.

Persona #4

My name is Bailey, and I am 18 years old. I just finished high school. 
 
I have had an IEP since grade three and I have had lots of support, including a class assistant, extra time for tests, ability to submit assignments at the end of the semester. I was under the impression my school would transfer my IEP to my new college and set up all the same accommodations, but they didn’t. 

I’m not sure what to do but I need help with my courses.