History of the Organization
The Quebec Association for Equity and Inclusion in Post-Secondary Education (Association québécoise pour l’équité et l’inclusion au postsecondaire – AQEIPS) is a non-profit organization which was created on April 21, 1991 by students with disabilities with the support of the Confédération des organismes provinciaux de personnes handicapées du Québec (COPHAN). The AQEIPS was created by necessity. The needs of students with functional limitations and of resource persons in post-secondary institutions were more and more critical.
After a province-wide tour (Rimouski, Chicoutimi, Quebec City, Montreal) these needs were clearly highlighted. In response, the federal government allocated a budget to the COPHAN to participate in the creation of a Quebec association for post-secondary students with disabilities.
Since its inception, the AQEIPS has kept close ties with its national counterpart, the National Educational Association for Students with Disabilities (NEADS). The AQEIPS head office is in Montreal, however it offers its services across the province of Quebec.