DCOI 3.0

The DCOI 3.0 team has embarked on the next phase of the applied research project. It began in August 2026 and will continue until March 2027. The Accessibility Institute at Carleton University is the lead organization for the project. Funding is provided by the Government of Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security.

DCOI 2.0

The second phase of our applied research project began in November 2021 and will continue until October 2024. Once again, it is led by the Accessibility Institute at Carleton University. Our three-million-dollar funding comes from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities of the Government of Ontario.

Overview

DCOI 3.0 further tests how concepts to support post-secondary students with disabilities can be translated by post-secondary service providers into real career, co-op and work-integrated learning practices.

This translation process—from concepts to reality—involves three components or stages: Primer, Co-Creation and Implementation. Together, these components give post-secondary service providers and students, as well as employers, the opportunity to understand, prioritize, adapt and apply the concepts in actual co-op and work-integrated learning settings.

Evidence generated from this process enables the team to conclude which concepts are most usable; what factors support the most effective application of the concepts; what barriers emerge to slow or prevent effective application; and what thoughts and feelings students, employers and service providers have throughout the process.

Components

DCOI 3.0 involves three components: Primer, Co-creation and Implementation.

Primer

The Primer is a webinar to introduce the David C. Onley Initiative approach, highlight key concepts and describe several practices. Each group of participants—service providers, students and employers—attends its own webinar session.

Co-creation

Co-creation involves service providers, students and employers working together at each partner institution to explore the David C. Onley Initiative concepts and identifying those they wish to implement and how they wish to implement them.

Implementation

Implementation involves service providers and students who engaged in Co-creation putting their decisions into action through a series of co-op or work-integrated learning opportunities.

Participants

DCOI 3.0 involves three groups of participants:

1

Post-secondary service providers

Post-secondary service providers bring their experiences supporting students as they prepare for employment. Service providers work at one of the participating institutions in areas such as co-op placements, work-integrated learning, experiential learning and employer relations.

2

Post-secondary students

Students bring their experiences and perspectives to the project. Participants are enrolled at a participating institution, are 18 or older and self-identify as having a disability. These students are also taking part in a co-op, work-integrated learning, internship or other employment-related opportunity in the 2027-28 academic year to prepare for recruitment the next year.

3

Employers

Employers bring important workplace and recruitment perspectives to the project. They are connected with a participating institution through co-op, work-integrated learning, internships or other employment-related activities and expect to participate in campus recruitment during the 2027-28 academic year.

Throughout DCOI 3.0, all participants have opportunities to share feedback through surveys, focus guides and reflection activities.

Team

Leading the project is the Accessibility Institute at Carleton University. The DCOI 3.0 team operates within the Accessibility Institute. Team members are: