Lunch & Learn

2025 Event Recap

As part of our commitment to fostering inclusive post-secondary education in British
Columbia, DRNBC launched a two-part Lunch & Learn series this May under the theme
Bridging Barriers, Building Futures: All-Inclusive Transitions. Held virtually on Zoom, the
series highlights innovative practices, tools, and conversations that support smoother,
more equitable transitions for students with disabilities. More than 40 participants joined
the sessions, including presenters, panelists, committee members, guests, and support
staff. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this series.

Day 1

Our first session, held on May 13, featured Christina Cederlof and Jeisil Aguilar Santos,
who introduced Career Exploration—a web-based Open Educational Resource (OER)
designed to support career development in post-secondary settings. Rooted in Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) and instructional design principles, the resource uses tools
such as H5P, videos, interactive texts, and AI to create inclusive and engaging content for
diverse learners.

The session continued with a panel discussion featuring Wendy Harris, Jen McEachen,
Colin Cheng, and Megan Winia, who shared their experiences and perspectives on
navigating systemic barriers and building more accessible post-secondary transitions.
The conversation focused on effective practices and strategies that can help institutions
better support all students.

Day 2

The second session, held on May 29, featured a two-part program. Christina Cederlof
and Jeisil Aguilar Santos returned to gather feedback and facilitate deeper discussion on
the Career Exploration OER, encouraging participants to reflect on how they might apply
the resource in their own settings.

In Part 2, Sandra Polushin and Tricia Lins introduced the Transitioning Youth with
Disabilities and Employment (TYDE) project—another Open Educational Resource. The
project is a collaborative initiative focused on improving employment outcomes for
youth with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder as they move from
high school to adulthood in BC.

The event concluded with the announcement of DRNBC’s 2025 Celebration of Excellence
Awards recipients. The Corporate Award was presented to five locations of London Drugs,
and the Program Award was given to Brittany Casey of Douglas College. Vince
Tomassetti of Assistive Technology BC was also inducted into the DRNBC Wall of Fame.