AHEAD 2018 Virtual Conference—you’re invited!
- June 13th, 2018
- in Training, UA11y News
The Faculty Resource Center’s Emerging Technology and Accessibility team is happy to host the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) 2018 Virtual Conference, and you’re invited! The conference’s Opening Plenary address and 20 concurrent sessions will be streamed live in A232 and A236 Gordon Palmer Hall, Wednesday, July 18–Friday, July 20. Drop by for a session or stay for the entire event, and feel free to bring your lunch (and your friends!). Registration is not required.
AHEAD is the leading professional membership association for individuals committed to equity for persons with disabilities in higher education. AHEAD’s annual international conference is the organization’s hallmark event and draws attendees from around the world. Participants and presenters come from diverse fields, including education, technology, law, scholarship, and government, but share a common interest in fostering equitable higher education experiences for individuals with disabilities.
Overall Schedule
Sessions will be streamed in A232 and A236 Gordon Palmer Hall. All session times are in Mountain Time; Central Time is 1 hour ahead.
Wednesday, July 18
9:00 – 10:30 am (Mountain Time): Opening Plenary
11:00 am – 12:30 pm (Mountain Time): Concurrent Block 1
2:00 – 3:00 pm (Mountain Time): Concurrent Block 2
3:30 – 5:30 pm (Mountain Time): Concurrent Block A
Thursday, July 19
11:00 am – 12:30 pm (Mountain Time): Concurrent Block 3
2:00 – 3:00 pm (Mountain Time): Concurrent Block 4
4:00 – 5:30 pm (Mountain Time): Concurrent Block 5
Friday, July 21
9:00 – 10:00 am (Mountain Time): Concurrent Block 6
11:30 am– 12:30 pm (Mountain Time): Concurrent Block 7
2:00 – 4:00 pm (Mountain Time): Concurrent Block B
4:30 – 5:30 pm (Mountain Time): Concurrent Block 8
Opening Plenary
Wednesday, July 18, 9:00 am –10:30 am (Mountain Time)
On Inclusivity and Mental Health: Reconsidering Space and Time in Higher Education
Margaret Price, Ph.D., The Ohio State University
In AHEAD’s opening plenary, Margaret Price draws upon 10 years of research to consider ways that mental health is included—and not included—in higher-education settings including classrooms, meeting spaces, and extracurricular activities. Price argues that “including” students (as well as employees) with mental health histories in higher education will mean more than simply offering extra supports. Instead, it will mean rethinking many of the structures and texts that we’ve come to rely upon in higher education, so that we are not merely including those with mental-health disabilities, but consistently expecting them. Price offers a means to this rethinking through her theories of “kairotic space” and “crip spacetime,” and also offers practical suggestions for how to implement those theories in the everyday life of higher education teaching and administration.
Concurrent Block 1
Wednesday, July 18, 11:00 am –12:30 am (Mountain Time)
1.8: Including Accessibility/Inclusive Design Topics in
Computer Science and other IT and Design courses: A University of Washington Case Study
Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D., University of Washington
Learn about how accessibility topics can be integrated into your computing/IT course or how you can encourage faculty in these fields to include accessibility topics in their courses. Promising practices and resources will be shared. Efforts in these areas of application and outreach will result in a high-tech workforce that is fluent in these topics.
1.11: Everyday Ableism: Unpacking Disability Stereotypes and Microaggressions
Amanda Kraus, Ph. D., University of Arizona
When we understand disability in the context of social justice and ableism, a cultural experience influenced by dynamics of power and privilege, we can begin to unpack the many ways disabled people are targets of bias and microaggressions. This workshop will use research to identify stereotypes and microaggressions and explore how these ideas shape the disability experience and inform our personal and professional behaviors and attitudes.
Concurrent Block 2
Wednesday, July 18, 2:00 – 3:00 pm (Mountain Time)
2.10: Full-Service Disability Support: DSS as an Initiative in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Jeffrey Shaumeyer, Ph.D., Gallaudet University
Patricia Tesar, Ph.D., Gallaudet University
Full-service disability support addresses the needs of students with disabilities as a minority group on campus, helping students feel welcome and bond with their institution, increasing the likelihood of successful academic outcomes. Students with disabilities frequently identify with multiple minority groups, and count our Office for Students with Disabilities among their “safe spaces.” DSS offices are increasingly seen as initiatives in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
2.11: Encouraging Universal Design in the Classroom by Leveraging the Priorities of Faculty
Beth Ann Bryant-Richards, M.A., University of North Carolina Wilmington
Courtney Poland, B.S., University of North Carolina Wilmington
This session will explore the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) by faculty members in traditional face-to-face college classes. A review of the literature, an interview with an instructional designer, and a survey of faculty are the basis of this inquiry. The result of this research generated a short presentation aimed at faculty members with the goal of promoting their use of UDL in their classrooms.
Concurrent Block A
Wednesday, July 18, 3:30 – 5:30 pm (Mountain Time)
A3: Cross-Cultural Competence as a Tool to Support Identity Development of SWD
Autumn Wilke, M.Ed., Grinnell College
Maure Smith-Benanti, M.S., Grinnell College
To support students with disabilities and their complex identities, disability resource practitioners must develop cross-cultural competence, which requires understanding that the experiences of students with disabilities are not monolithic and are informed by students’ other social identities and the relative salience of those identities. This session will introduce practitioners to ways to develop their own cultural competence, reduce implicit bias, and support complex and empowering disability identity development among students with disabilities. The audience will also be introduced to the impacts of implicit bias, stereotype threat, cultural competence and the concepts of systemic oppression and double jeopardy for students with multiple targeted identities.
A4: Recipe for success: Baking Accessibility Into Your Online Learning Program
Kelly Hermann, University of Phoenix
Cyndi Rowland, Ph.D., Director WebAIM, Utah State University
Online learning has been growing by leaps and bounds across higher education over the past two decades. According to the 2015 Survey of Online Learning conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group, more than one in four students now takes at least one courses at a distance. That means it is very likely you have been asked to accommodate a student in an online course at your campus. At the same time, the federal government has been involved in many complaints and legal cases regarding the accessibility of online courses and educational technology used on campus. This has led to multiple resolution agreements that reference guidelines and standards, procurement and evaluation policies, and many other considerations. We’ll look at all of these considerations (and others!) and share how they fit together to build a comprehensive accessibility strategy that is baked in and not bolted on to your online learning program.
Concurrent Block 3
Thursday, July 19, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm (Mountain Time)
3.1: Providing Note-takers: Lessons Learned the Hard Way
Paul Harwell, Ph.D. student, Harvard University
“Notetaking” is one of the most common and traditional accommodations utilized in the higher education. Notetaking technology has become a hot topic in recent years, but there are still a number of students who rely on copies of notes from others. In this session, I will talk about best practices in notetaking services, strategies to identify and improve services, and lessons learned the hard way.
3.11: Access for All: Creating a Campus Culture of Disability Inclusion
Valerie DuBose, M.Ed., University of Alabama at Birmingham
Allison Solomon, M.S., University of Alabama at Birmingham
In the spirit of the AHEAD 2018 conference theme “Equity & Excellence” this presentation addresses how the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Disability Support Services office is creating a campus culture that embraces disability as diversity. The presentation will provide an overview of how UAB DSS is leading efforts to create a campus climate that promotes disability inclusion and universal design through various programming opportunities and development of strategic campus partnerships.
Concurrent Block 4
Thursday, July 19, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Mountain Time)
4.2: Establishing a Successful Accessible Media Program in Higher Education: An Overview of Workflows, Costs, and Next Steps at George Mason University
Courtney Ward, M.Ed., George Mason University
Korey Singleton, Ph.D., George Mason University
Six years removed from beginning our captioning pilot project, the Assistive Technology Initiative at George Mason University now has a sustainable proactive strategy for addressing accessible media for compliance and accommodation purposes. In shaping this service, we created new strategic partnerships, streamlined the request process, developed online resources for faculty/staff, addressed significant technological hurdles, and formed a staff dedicated solely to accessible media. We will highlight our accessible media successes, failures, and the future of this service. More pointedly, our presentation will focus on how we capture and track data and use that information for strategic marketing and relationship-building across campus.
4.10: What are we doing around here anyway? Accommodations or Access?
Adam Meyer, Ph.D., University of Central Florida
We focus so much on accommodations in our daily work, but is accommodation implementation our sole purpose? Where does access come into play? How does your identified office purpose and mission align (or not) with the messages sent to stakeholders on campus through communication and operation? This session will explore the critical differences between the concepts “access” and “accommodations” and offer food for thought to guide you in shaping your campus messages and calls to action.
Concurrent Block 5
Thursday, July 19, 4:00 – 5:30 pm (Mountain Time)
5.8: Working to Change the Campus Climate: Research and Recommendations from the NCCSD
Sally Scott, Ph.D., NCCSD, AHEAD
Wendy Harbour, Ph.D., NCCSD, AHEAD
What do we know about campus climate and why is this important for students with disabilities? In this session we will present an overview of current research on the topic and discuss the findings of two recent studies conducted by the National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD). Come talk about the implications for your campus and learn about innovative practices for promoting change.
5.12: Post-Concussion Symptoms: Enhancing Support for Students and Faculty
Chris Dallager, M.S.Ed., Carleton College
Maddie Talamantes, B.A. in progress, Carleton College
Concussions experienced by athletes and non-athletes at colleges and universities create a wide range of symptoms that vary greatly in duration and intensity. This presentation provides a review of campus research on the need to support students with post-concussion symptoms, reviews an interview protocol to assess student need, and offers a range of supports from apps to academic accommodations to student support groups.
Concurrent Block 6
Friday, July 20, 9:00 – 10:00 am (Mountain Time)
6.1: The Real Reasons Why Students with Mental Health Conditions May Struggle Academically
Michelle Mullen, M.S., Rutgers University
Brittany Stone, M.S., Rutgers University
Amy Banko, M.S., Rutgers University
Students with mental health conditions are at greater risk of attrition than any other disability group. Many believe that the symptoms of the condition are the reasons why these students struggle. However, recent research from Rutgers University suggests that while symptoms play a role, the greater issue associated with academic performance & follow-through are deficits in executive functioning (EF). This session will review a new research-based, manualized cognitive remediation intervention (FAST) for targeting EF skills, the corresponding academic implications to under-developed skills, and strategies to develop EF skills among college students with mental health conditions.
6.2: WCAG: Perceivable, Understandable, Operable, Robust
Cyndi Rowland, Ph.D., Director WebAIM, Utah State University
We often hear and recommend WCAG standard to our institutions, but do we know enough about them to be helpful beyond the original recommendation? Join the Director of WebAIM for a walk-through of the concepts, the levels, the success criteria and hear how you can achieve the standard as well as where things can go awry.
Concurrent Block 7
Friday, July 20, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (Mountain Time)
7.6: Dispute Resolution – A Response to “No!”
L. Scott Lissner, The Ohio State University
A student requests an accommodation for a test in two days that you don’t believe is appropriate, you say, “no,” and the student appeals. An instructor says, “no, that is not reasonable in my course” to an accommodation request you believe is supported. This session will use brief case studies to explore formal and informal tools for dispute resolution. Defining roles and responsibilities, balancing advocacy and compliance, and identifying decision-makers of “first” and “last” resort will define the boundary between the interactive process and complaints. We will identify best practice models and resources for framing the interactive process, considering “effective” and “essential,” and developing policy and process for appeals.
7.7: Barriers for Students with Invisible Disabilities: The Impact on Self-Advocacy and Accessing Accommodations
Debra Holzberg, Ph.D., University of North Carolina Greensboro
Latacha Hamilton, Ph.D., St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Students with invisible disabilities who transition to postsecondary educational settings have the option of disclosing their disability identity to support services; however, often there are barriers which hinder students’ disclosure. This combined session will describe a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews to question students utilizing disability support services at one 4-year, public institution regarding their perceptions of self-identifying as having a disability to obtain accommodations. The second study evaluated the effects of Self-Advocacy and Conflict Resolution (SACR) instruction on the ability of four college students with hidden disabilities to request and negotiate academic accommodations in role-play and in-situ settings. Results of both studies will be presented along with a role-play demonstration. Additionally, implications for practice will be discussed. The session will conclude with time for questions and answers.
Concurrent Block B
Friday, July 20, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Mountain Time)
B1: Legal Year in Review
Paul Grossman, J.D., Hastings College of Law
Jo Anne Simon, J.D., New York State Assembly
AHEAD’s legal experts focus on ten legal developments in post-secondary disability law in the past year – ones that every disability services professional should be aware of to fulfill their professional responsibilities. 30-minutes of Q&A.
B2: Creative Approaches to Disability Justice: Entry Points on Campus for Awareness, Access, and Full Participation
Susan Burch, Ph.D., Middlebury College
Courtney Cioffredi, M.A., Middlebury College
Joan Ostrove, Ph.D., Macalester College
Sue Kroeger, Ed.D., University of Arizona
Melanie Thornton, M.A., University of Arkansas Partners for Inclusive Communities
How do we grow access and full participation in higher education? Spotlighting various roles within schools, we’ll explore barriers and opportunities for disability justice work at elite residential liberal arts colleges and large state universities. Several questions frame this session: Access to what? Participation for whom? What assumptions undergird these goals, and how might we expand the boundaries of our imagination and work in these areas? In reflecting on these questions, presenters will draw on specific examples from our work, noting the practical strategies embodied in the examples. In this way, we invite continued critical reflection on fundamental aspects of disability justice work within higher education, as well as some identifiable “take-away” ideas that others can try on their campuses.
Concurrent Block 8
Friday, July 20, 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm (Mountain Time)
8.5: The Path to Access: How to take the Lead and Get Others to Follow
Kristie Orr, Ph.D., Texas A&M University
Katy Washington, J.D., University of North Texas
Disability Service providers often find themselves as the disability police and provider of access for all individuals on their campus. But being a leader does not mean doing it all! The presenters will describe ways that they have created opportunities (or paths) to engage other campus entities in access issues as well as solutions. By developing these alliances and partnerships, we can become champions of the cause by reminding all that access benefits everyone.
8.9: Animals on Campus – Beyond Guidance to Application
Many of us know the laws around service and emotional support animals. We’ve read the FAQ documents, listened to webinars, and discussed specific situations with colleagues, yet we’re still stressed and challenged. This scenario-based presentation from campuses with effective process in place offers strategies for approaching requests for ESAs like we do other requested accommodations.