General Accessibility Information | Washroom Accessibility | Information Related to Specific Disability/Illness Categories 

Introduction

The following information has been compiled to provide visitors with information about our office and its accessibility considerations. This information has been complied in an attempt to address any accessibility barriers that our visitors may potentially experience when accessing our services.

This information is organized into disability/illness categories that can be specifically reviewed/accessed if they are relevant to your experience, as well as general accessibility information related to our office which may be helpful for visitors to know.

Please let us know if you think we have missed any important accessibility information on this webpage, or if you have any questions or concerns related to our office’s accessibility. Feel free to contact us by emailing our office at iss_office@sfu.ca or calling our office at 778.782.4232 and leaving us a voicemail message.

The organization of this webpage has been created by SFU's Centre for Accessible Learning using Radical Access Mapping’s disability/illness categories and draws inspiration from Victoria Sexual Assault Centre’s “Our Space and Accessibility” webpage.

The SFU Snap app can help you plan your campus experience including finding room locations, consulting transit schedules, and parking options. SFU Snap was created by students for students and is available for download for iOS | Android. 

The closest visitor parking is in the Central Parkade, which is located beneath Convocation Mall. As you drive north up Burnaby Mountain via Gaglardi Way (indicated with a red line on the above map), turn right past the roundabout, past the Athletic Field on your left and the SFU Welcome Pole on your right. Please stay in the right lane as you pass the Campus Information Booth and then turn right into the Central Parkade as you enter the underpass. Drive up the ramp to the top floor, park, and then pay for parking at the pay station located in the parkade.

There is Visitor parking throughout this level of the parkade and two accessible visitor parking spaces located on the South side of the top floor of the Central Parkade. These parking spaces are closest to the ticket vending machine (parking space numbers 337 and 338). All visitor parking, including accessible parking, must be purchased from the ticket vending machine (Visa or Mastercard only, no cash or coins accepted) or through the Honk Contactless Parking system (Payable with Visa, Mastercard, Visa Debit, or Paypal).

Please note: A valid SPARC PLACARD must be displayed while parked within the accessible visitor parking spaces. Vehicles with no valid SPARC PLACARD parked within the accessible visitor parking spaces are subject to ticketing and or impoundment at the owners/drivers expense.

If coming by car, proceed through the automatic doors at the South side of the parkade into the Maggie Benston Centre (MBC). Once inside the MBC building, to locate the International Services for Students (ISS) office, please take the stairs or elevator down one floor (press “8” or “1000 level” if using the elevator) as the International Services for Students (ISS) office is located in MBC 1200.

The Global Student Centre (GSC) is located in the AQ 2013. Once inside the MBC building, please take the stairs or elevator to the top floor (press “10” or “3000 level” if using the elevator) and walk North, out of the MBC, with Student Central on your left. Turn right towards the Academic Quadrangle (AQ), and go straight. There will be automatic sliding doors as you enter the AQ, then turn left, just before the vending machines. On your right will be the Global Student Centre (GSC).

Find hourly parking rates online for all SFU lots.

For Assistance with the Ticket Vending Machine, please contact: SFU Parking Services (778)782-5534.

Public Transportation

The International Services for Students office is located at SFU’s Burnaby Campus MBC 1200 in the Maggie Benston Centre. To plan your trip to our office, please access the following resources to help navigate transportation means and your preferred travelling route. If you have any trouble finding your way, please contact our office at 778.782.4232.

Travelling by Bus

You can access the Maggie Benston Centre (MBC) from the SFU Transportation Centre @ Bay 2.

To get updates on next departure time or route information, you can search by your bus stop (a 5-digit number) at Translink Trip Planner. The 5-digit bus stop number for SFU Transportation Centre @ Bay 2 is 52806. (Include hyperlink of Translink Trip Planner).

For an accessible route from SFU Transportation Centre @ Bay 2 to MBC, please read the following directions: In order to get from SFU Transportation Centre @ Bay 2 to MBC, head back under the overpass to the crosswalk. Once across the street, there will be an elevator on the right hand (West) side of this crosswalk. Once inside the elevator, press number 3 (note that these are non-braille buttons with tactile numbering). Once on the third floor, head east and exit the building (automatic doors). Continue heading east. You will find MBC’s entrance on your right-hand side (located opposite WAC Bennett Library).

Travelling by Skytrain

You can access the Maggie Benston Centre along the Millennium or Expo Line with the following transfers:

• Route A. Sperling-Burnaby Lake Station: Transfer at Sperling Station @ Bay 2 for 144 SFU.
• Route B. Production Way-University Station: Transfer at Production Way Station @ Bay 1 for 145 SFU.
• Route C. Burquitlam Station: Transfer at Burquitlam Station @ Bay 4 for 143 SFU
• Route D. Metrotown Station: Transfer at Metrotown Station @ Bay 14 for 144 SFU

Alternative Transport Options

If you are looking for other transportation options on SFU Burnaby Campus, please visit SFU Parking & Sustainable Mobility’s page for information on Electric Vehicles, Campus Community Shuttle, Cycling, Carshare, Carpooling, and additional travelling resources to meet your needs.

Cycling

Try using one of the following ride planning sites or maps to Maggie Benston Centre:

• Trailforks Route Planner
• Vancouver Bike Route Planner
• Google Maps
• TransLink Metro Vancouver Cycling Map

These are public sites for your information, but are not specifically endorsed by SFU.

Bike rack parking is available around campus. You can store your bike at the nearby bike rack at the Southeast exterior of Maggie Benston Centre (off of Science Road). For other available locations to store your bike, please see the SFU bike rack map.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

• You can reach our office for general inquiries by emailing us at iss_office@sfu.ca. Our staff actively monitor our email during our regular office hours Monday - Friday 9AM - 4PM (except holidays) and closed between 12PM - 1PM for lunch hour.
• Depending on the service you need you can also contact our International Student Advisors at intl_advising@sfu.ca or Study Abroad staff at studyabroad@sfu.ca.
• Our office conducts virtual advising meetings via Zoom. Appointments can be booked for International Students Advisors, or Study Abroad Officers on Advisor Link (AL), where you can connect directly and confidentially to advisors directly. Please note in your AL appointment if you require interpretive services or Zoom’s live speech-to-text transcription feature enabled prior to joining a Zoom session. To display live transcriptions and change captioning sizes during your Zoom session, see IT’s How-To Guide on Live Transcription.
• Videos on our website contain closed-captioning.

Guide and Service Dogs

• All guide and service dogs are welcome in our space.
• Owners may access water for their guide and service dogs from a drinking fountain located on the northwest corner of the MBC 2000 level.
• If step counts are helpful, there are approximately 70 steps between our office and this drinking fountain.
                  Please note: our office is not able to provide water bowls for guide and service dogs.
• The closest green space is a short distance from MBC. This is a large uncovered, outdoor space immediately adjacent to the rear/South of MBC located on the 1000 level. If step counts are helpful, there are approximately 95 steps between the elevators on the 1000 level and this green space.

Learning Disability/ADHD/ADD

• Our website’s text font is sans-serif for clear and easy reading.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity/Scent Reduction

• Our office is considered a scent-reduced environment. Promoting a scent-reduced environment means that our office strives to create a scent-free space; however, we cannot guarantee a fully scent-free environment. ISS recognizes that our space is located within a public building, and that our services are open to the public.
• We try to make our space as scent-reduced as we can:
  • All staff have been notified that they must arrive to work scent-free.
  • We kindly ask that all our visitors who have scheduled appointments arrive scent-free.
  • We have signage that promotes our scent-reduced environment located inside our office waiting area.
  • Please note: if someone arrives scented, we will not ask them to leave, but we may provide a friendly reminder for them to arrive scent-free next time.
• With notice of need our office will gladly work with you to make alternative arrangements when necessary

Sensory Processing

• Although we try to reduce sensory stimuli, our office is located within a public building and ambient noises can be heard from within our office.
• If you have particular needs pertaining to sensory stimuli, please let us know so that we can make necessary adjustments to address your needs (e.g., scheduling appointments in offices at SFU that are less busy, turning lighting down/off).

Visitors with Attendants, Interpreters, and Support Persons

• All visitors are welcomed to bring attendants, interpreters, and support persons to our office.
• Attendants, interpreters, and support persons are welcome to assist/support our visitors during their advising appointments.
• We request that you provide our office with additional notice if you are bringing an attendant, interpreter, or support person during a meeting, so that we can arrange for a suitable environment for the meeting to take place.

Wheelchair/Scooter User and Mobility Limited

• Our office can generally be accessed by those using wheelchairs and scooters.
• The main set of public elevators is centrally located on the north side of MBC.
  • Elevators go to all floors of the building: levels 7 (0000), 8 (1000), 9 (2000) and 10 (3000) (levels in brackets correspond with the MBC room numbering system).
  • The service elevator of MBC is located down the washroom corridors on the northwest corner. It goes to levels 7 (0000), 8 (1000), 9 (2000) and 10 (3000).
• Exterior Access:
  • 3000 level: North side. From Convocation Mall (AUTOMATIC DOOR with push button activation at the far west door, closest to the SFU Bookstore).
  • 2000 level: North side. From the underground parking lot (two sets of AUTOMATIC DOORS with push button activation, leading to a descending ramp with a lip at the doorway).
  • 1000 level: Northwest side. Through the heavy push doors that lead to the washroom corridor, there is an exit on the left side, pass the service elevator and out a descending ramp, into the Security and Information area.

• Our main office door is always open during office hours.
• All doors within our office are 34 inches wide.
• Our office is single-level with even floors.
• All hallways within MBC provide adequate maneuvering room.