Meet KPU: Seanna Takacs

Seanna Takacs is a learning specialist and practice lead at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s accessibility services, where she works to support accessible learning for students with disabilities and dismantle ableism. 

This summer, Takacs was presented with an award from the Disability Resource Network of British Columbia in recognition of her work and advocacy for disability access across the province. 

Takacs is also co-chair of the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services’ accessibility and inclusion community of practice, and the co-founder of the Canadian Higher Education Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Collective.

She has a PhD in educational psychology from Simon Fraser University and worked as a post-secondary instructor for 10 years, teaching about instructional psychology, reading, and learning disabilities. She has an interest in UDL and learning differences, exploring what differences exist, if they are meaningful, and how they can be improved. 

Takacs wrote the following responses in an email statement to The Runner. 

When did you join the KPU community and why?

I very happily joined accessibility services at KPU in 2018. KPU has a reputation for supporting students with disabilities holistically by offering tutoring, wellness work, academic strategists, and librarians with knowledge of accessibility. We also have superb instructors, many of whom are making significant inroads to accessibility for students with disabilities. It makes my work in accessibility services so much more rewarding when I can work with passionate and talented people to find meaningful support for students.

What is your favourite story of your time at KPU?

I have lots of favourite stories — some are funny and some are serious, many are about wonderful student outcomes, and many are about pulling together with colleagues. My favourite stories happen in the smallest places and spaces — a fist bump at Tim Hortons after solving a problem with the Learning Centre, working out funding so a student can get a really good tutor, quick-fire emails with assessment and testing services (ATS) to work out scheduling problems. After a productive meeting with a deeply distressed student, he told me I was “even better than Subway.”

If I had to pick one though, only one, which is almost impossible, I would choose our “Student Affairs Welcome Back” gathering in 2023. Our gifted Elder, Lekeyten, opened the event with one of his wonderful talks on the ways we are connected to each other, through our families, through our generations. He said our hearts were born together. So gravely tender, this quiet proclamation connected me to my work in a new way, like a lightning bolt. 

In accessibility, we are always fighting for meaningful inclusion. What’s the most meaningful? Remembering that in this time and in this history, our hearts were born together. Accessibility, for the rest of my career, will mean working to sew hearts together.

What is something you’d like to say to people new to KPU?

I’d say that this institution is a veritable treasure trove of really gifted professionals who also happen to be rather humble, so sometimes you have to look carefully and catch all those sparkles out of the corner of your eye. For students, there are great resources and really cool opportunities to get to know yourself, start on really nifty career paths, and expand your horizons. 

What are you working on or doing right now?

I have just finished co-writing a pressbook called Storying UDL, which is a collection of stories from students on what an accessible classroom looks like. I’m also working on a guide to place-based education and UDL with Lee Beavington from KPU Wild Spaces. I’m excited to start my new role as practice lead in accessibility services at KPU and continue working to support accessibility initiatives and the Accessible B.C. Act.

What is something you’d like people to know about you?

I’m an extremely curious person. Almost painfully so at times! I really like hearing about people’s experiences and opinions, and I especially love hearing about their field of study. I love doing site visits and I love when instructors talk to me in-depth about their courses and their goals for students.

I love when students talk through their histories, bring me their art, or share their writing. I’m often known to be dedicated and passionate, and, honestly, I think what underpins that is my curiosity. I enjoy hearing about people’s journeys and getting to jump in and figure things out together. When I get thanked at the end of a workshop or meeting, I get a little embarrassed because the pleasure is often all mine!