The Association on Higher Education And Disability (ahead) 2015 Saint Paul Minnesota, July 13-18

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Are you a new AHEAD member who is attending your first conference? Do you wonder about AHEAD’s work beyond the annual conference and its role in leading the national dialogue? Are you interested in becoming more involved? Do you have ideas about how AHEAD could better serve your interests? Join AHEAD’s President and Executive Director for an informing conversation about the Association’s foundational principles, member resources, national agenda, opportunities for involvement, and the ways in which AHEAD can assist you in advancing your career.

The past year has brought significant developments on the federal front, and we’ve invited representatives of federal agencies to brief us and let us know what might be next. For an update, join officials from departments like Education, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, and Justice, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Bring questions about testing accommodations, web sites, information and communication technology, emergency evacuation, housing accommodations, or whatever issues the agencies can clarify.

The presenter took part in a faculty development opportunity and introduced faculty to the concept of the social construction of disability. Faculty feedback was very positive and reflected faculty were ready to think of disability as another form of diversity, civil rights and social justice.

As disability services professionals, we are often called upon to host trainings on topics that do not advance our mission. The presenters will share strategies that go beyond training to “infiltrate” the campus by identifying and nurturing allies who will then assist in efforts to generate inclusive design and sustainable change. Participants will have an opportunity share unique tactics that have been successful on their campuses.

The words “disability” and “sexuality” have rarely shared the same spaces in discussion, but as we explore disability identity, we cannot leave out one of the most normalizing aspects of humanity - sexual identity and expression. We will examine the relationship disability and sexuality have shared in the past, from oppression to avoidance to taboo and even perversion. Emerging media and fresh attitudes bridge disability and sexuality to open doors that normalize the lived experience of disability.

This presentation will include an overview of testing accommodations that are being integrated into K12 state assessments and the resulting impact on higher education. Technologies include text to speech, on-demand embossing, refreshable braille, ASL videos, and more. Attendees will also hear about future research plans to examine the impact of these accommodations on college readiness for students with disabilities.

Serving post-secondary Deaf students who have multiple disabilities with Section 504 and ADA accommodations seemingly requires as many strategies as there are students. At Gallaudet University, a bilingual institution that teaches in American Sign Language and English, we search for best practices in confronting those challenges through an in-depth study of our DSS students from the past seven years.

Access to campus (orientation) information is readily available in print and on-line formats, and throughout the campus that allows (new) faculty/staff/students and guests independent way-finding. After initial orientation services there are no resources for blind/visually impaired to independently move around campus. In this session participants will learn about the concept and development of a “word map” that is downloadable, navigable and easily updated.

Faculty-led programs are a common offering among US undergraduate study abroad programs. These types of programs involve unique considerations when providing accommodations for students with disabilities. This session will provide guiding principles and discuss concrete examples of student accommodation requests on faculty-led study abroad programs through the University of Minnesota. Consideration will also be given to requests for faculty leader accommodations.

This workshop will help disability services staff gain a better understanding of what these student veterans are dealing with as they transition from soldier to student. Presentation includes information on PTSD/TBI, how these diagnoses affect students in the classroom, and classroom accommodations that are appropriate to level the playing field for this growing student population.

Academic coaching is a method of supporting college students as they set and work toward goals that supports retention and persistence. KC-BANCS has found academic coaching to be beneficial to college students with disabilities. This presentation will share insights and successes of academic coaching for college to career including student outcomes and operational insights for colleges and universities.

How do we as student service providers provide support and professional development to our staff members when time and budgets are so limited? How do we establish a solid, shared foundation of knowledge and skills? In this interactive, round-table discussion, we will share our model for Professional Development from the past two years, including the framework, resources, topics, tools, lessons learned and best practices.

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Understanding a student’s disability experience is a core skill for disability resource professionals that involves the ability to listen, ask informed questions, reflect, analyze, and apply professional judgment. The initial conversation with the student is a powerful tool in acquiring the information necessary for decision-making and often sets the tone for the student’s perception of the disability resource office. In this session, the facilitators will discuss strategies and provide a model for the student interview process that uses self-report, professional judgment, and third-party documentation to focus on barrier removal and create a campus culture of access and inclusion.

Be among the first to learn – straight from some of the authors -- about an upcoming pepnet 2 resource. Join this panel, including attorneys, ADA and DSS coordinators as they explore policy and practice. Practical tips and case studies will be used to explore in-class and out-of-class accommodations. Auxiliary aids, internships, access to facilities, and budget concerns will be highlighted.

Disability Studies has much to offer Disability Services offices and providers! This interactive program will highlight the major contributions of Disability Studies, including a brief overview of the various “models” of disability and Universal Design concepts, foreground the intersectional approach taken in Disability Studies, and explore how “person first” rhetoric factors into student identities and service requests.

Embracing the social model approach to disability services in higher education causes a sometimes disruptive cultural shift. Transformational leaders take a team approach to such transitions, embracing new opportunities and helping bring forth the unique potential of each individual. This leadership style will be discussed through the lens of John Kotter’s (Professor of Leadership, Emeritus, at the Harvard Business School) book, Our Iceberg is Melting, an empowering parable using penguins to demonstrate how to navigate institutional change successfully.

Is your institution increasing its focus on sustainability? Is the conversation mostly about reducing, reusing, and recycling? A truly sustainable community is one that actively supports environmental, economic, and social justice. This session will be a brief introduction to the topic of social sustainability and will examine the role of the DRS professional in campus sustainability initiatives. Emphasis will be placed on the identification of strategies to promote social sustainability on our campuses.

Our colleges and universities are increasingly reliant on information technologies (IT) that are procured from vendors. How can we tell whether these IT products are accessible? This session will explore issues, methods, and strategies for evaluating IT products and helping to influence their accessibility. The session will include practice activities evaluating products, and is rated NT (Non Technical).

This session will focus on the everyday yet highly important task of creating accessible emails. Although similar to creating accessible documents, email creation has its own details and quirks that participants will learn to pay attention to and incorporate into their routine correspondence.

In this session we will provide DS providers information regarding the the challenges that students with Asperger Syndrome face when transitioning from college to employment settings and strategies for supporting the student and campus constituencies. Ideas will be discussed for assisting the student to secure and retain internship opportunities. In addition, ways in which to engage key departmental staff, career services, and potential work sites will be provided. We will equip attendees with strategies and and tools to facilitate a smoother trnasition to internships, while still on campus and career employment beyond college.

Taking tests is a regular part of the college experience, but for disabled students there usually isn’t much “regular” about the experience. Too often the tests faculty design are inaccessible and can be ineffective in measuring learning for disabled students. To address this, accommodations are arranged through testing centers, disability service offices, or provided through separate testing arranged by faculty. In this panel session, we will share promising practices for providing test accommodations, reducing student burden, and working with faculty to reduce the need for accommodations. The panel includes representatives from the National College Testing Association, a large DS office that operates efficient in-house testing, schools where DS does no accommodated testing, and a community college test center that administers tests to all campus students.

Through lecture, examples, and interactive demonstrations, participants will experience various elements of the University of Minnesota Office for Equity and Diversity’s successful equity and diversity certificate program focusing on social justice, ally development, and multiple identities. Participants will gain practical strategies and tools that can be applied to their respective diversity initiatives and programs.

College students struggling with learning disabilities or ADHD often experience extreme writer’s block, only able to produce material when there is a “gun to their head.” Throughout the presentation, participants will engage in writing exercises which will implement the teaching strategies and modalities being discussed.

How can you match your work to your campus? Most professional development focuses on standards across campuses, such as federal law. But that doesn’t answer all questions. This presentation will describe strategies for identifying general characteristics that should be incorporated into disability services. Knowing your college is essential for serving your students, but how to uncover that identity is typically not expressed ...until now.

As many as 60% of students entering the Higher Education setting are not prepared to succeed. Fortunately, technology can help. This fast-paced session will share the top tools needed by struggling learners, ideas for increasing usage of the tools across campus, and tips for making sure materials are accessible.

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The purpose of this presentation is to provide disabled service providers, particularly new ones, with the positive, historical civil rights framework for the compelling importance of their work. We will discuss how disability rights were developed from principles initially asserted in race, sex, and national origin judicial precedents and explore how the duty to accommodate can be an engine for educational reform and improvement for all students.

Managing accommodation requests for service and assistance animals is becoming increasingly challenging for service providers. Scott Parrish Moore, Former DOJ Fair Housing Attorney, and Christy Horn, ADA/504 Compliance Officer will discuss the complexity of federal regulations and provide practical tips on how to develop policies and procedures to reasonably accommodate students with disabilities who request service and assistance animals.

George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This session will present archival and oral history research techniques for discovering and maintaining the history of disability culture and services on your campus. Presenters will share findings from their own research, including audio/visual samples. Participants will brainstorm ways to integrate these techniques into current practices.

Managing a disability services program is similar to running a small business. Effectively managing issues are critical to a manager’s achievement. Developing effective policies and procedures will ensure a program’s goals and objectives are realized. Program development is accomplished through thoughtful assessment, strategic planning, developing learning outcomes and evaluation. The goal of this session is to provide newcomers a foundation of information and best practices in managing a disability services program.

Meeting structure plays an important role in determining who does and doesn’t participate and which ideas are heard. If we want to create an environment in which diversity is valued, we need to think more about how we structure the time we spend together. Liberating Structures are microstructures that foster participation and make it possible to include everyone.

How do you consistently train a transient staff of student workers who convert a large volume of print materials a year? After creating a list of standards and best practices, the staff at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, implemented a universally designed training program for their student workers that drastically eliminated errors and increased consistency in the output of materials

The goal of my session is to educate Service Coordinators on available captioning tools ranging from free “Do It Yourself” (DIY) methods to professional softwares. I will provide an opportunity for service coordinators to experience these tools “live”. Each service coordinator will have the option to create a one-minute captioned video using DIY software. We’ll evaluate the results of our findings during the last portion of the session.

The majority of students on the autism spectrum contribute to our communities in many positive ways. A small number of students have behaviors which challenge our campuses and our conduct boards. This session will address how to best work with students on the spectrum who may present these challenges. Issues for classrooms, residence halls and students organizations will be discussed as well as dealing with parents.

This discussion between faculty in psychology, education, world languages, and the associate director of a disability resource center explores a universal approach to serving all students and the evolving role of disability services representative(s) in supporting transformation. Our shared vision of a regional consortium to better serve the needs of all students expands collaboration and support networks.

Returning veterans, student athletes, and accident victims frequently request accommodations from testing agencies and college DS providers due to TBIs. Because of the complicated nature of these injuries, the documentation can take various forms: medical records, notes from doctors, or neuropsychological reports. To streamline the documentation review process ETS has just developed documentation guidelines for TBI in adolescents and adults.

For professionals in education and social service settings, the use of online sources for professional development represents a significant shift in the learning environment. In this session, the presenters will discuss how technology may be used to deliver technical assistance and professional development to different types of audiences or stakeholders.

When transition meetings prior to the first semester and appropriate accommodations failed to provide students skills for success and retention, we developed a collaborative year long process to work with first year students.This presentation will discuss how students learned to identify their unique learning style and strategies, recognize potential problems, implement problem-solving strategies, increase self-confidence, and develop self-advocacy skills.

Research indicates that student engagement, like that fostered by a peer mentoring program, is a predictor of success and retention. As transitioning to college can be difficult for students with disabilities, their engagement is a priority. This session will detail how employing peer mentors for students with disabilities, rather than professionals, benefits students, staff, and institutions. Discussion will include steps to design and implement the Peer Mentor Program, giving participants opportunities to learn strategies for implementing programs on their campuses.

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An important role for disability resource professionals is leading their institutions in identifying and addressing access barriers in the campus’ physical environment. In this session we will take a “tour” of the many components of an institution that impact the school’s students, staff, faculty, and campus visitors. Discussion will address standard facilities (buildings, sidewalks, and roads) that one would expect to find on a campus but also consider components of a campus that create the school’s unique character. Strategies for getting to know your campus and developing relationships to impact the campus’ physical access will be explored.

DOJ attorneys will discuss recent litigation and the effect of revised regulations in the testing accommodation area. Topics addressed will include: documentation requirements, timeliness of review of requests for testing accommodations, and flagging. We’ll also discuss the Best Practices recommended by a panel of experts convened pursuant to the nationwide consent decree reached in DFEH v. LSAC, and how those recommendations can be applied in other contexts.

We will delve into problematic cultural (mis)representations of disability using classic and modern examples from television, film, literature, cartoons, advertising, and social media. Modern trends such as ‘inspiration porn’ and ‘shockumentaries’ will be examined from a disability studies perspective. A taxonomy of disability tropes will be proposed, including the emerging ‘Disability Superpower’ role, with reference to Oscar Pistorius and the documentary ‘FIXED: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement’.

Disability Service providers often find themselves as the “disability police” and provider of access for all individuals on their campus. The presenters will describe ways that they have engaged many other campus entities in access issues so that they have become the champion of the cause, not the provider of all accommodations.

Unintentionally, disability awareness events often leave participants with feelings of pity for disabled folks or relief that they are not disabled, rather than pride or respect for the community. This panel will engage members of the Diversity Standing Committee to explore challenges to progressive disability programming, problematize popular awareness activities like simulations, and generate strategies to implement programming congruent with values around social justice and community.

In this session (lecture and a demonstration), participants will learn what initiatives are underway that will deliver enhanced accessibility for educational materials. We will review new standards and resources that are available to educational content creators to help them develop “born accessible” materials.

Portland Community College developed a partnership in which facilities, webteam, disability services, and the architecture and drafting program all worked together to produce online maps that show building floorplans, noting the location of accessible features such as elevators, door openers, and more. The maps are all keyboard navigable, and screenreader friendly, Learn about the project in a hands-on environment.

Recently published by AHEAD, Beyond Accommodations provides supports to DS professionals working with students with LD and/or ADHD. This manual includes materials for enhancing students’ academic or executive function skills; with the “consumables,” instruction of strategies, self-awareness, and advocacy is a more seamless process. The authors of the manual will present with real-life scenarios, demonstrating how to maximize this resource.

Since more students with disabilities are studying STEM fields, universities must continually re-examine laboratory environments to ensure accessibility. At UC San Diego, the Office for Students with Disabilities and the Safety Coordinator for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Teaching Laboratories have teamed up to proactively meet students’ needs while still maintaining the health and safety of all laboratory participants.

Students are increasingly required to participate in practical education experiences in order to fulfill graduation requirements. Since many of these clinical placements, internships, etc occur in real world employment settings, how do accommodations and higher ed disability law apply? This session will discuss the issues confronted in legal education and other professional, undergraduate and graduate settings where practical experience is part of the curriculum.

Augsburg College shares their story and strategies of bringing the literacy software package Read & Write Gold to all students on campus to help with retention efforts. Through campus partnerships, marketing, trainings, and word of mouth, this program is supporting all students, not just students accessing services through the Disability Services Office.

How do professional titles limit or enhance the interactions we have with others? This session will focus on the perceptions and hidden meanings in commonly used position titles and how these choices shape our interactions. A shift from medical model language to social justice affirming titles will be considered and a resource presenting alternatives will be introduced and explored.

This presentation highlights an innovative partnership developed at Heartland Community College using Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Staff from Disability Support Services and college faculty will share how access and participation of students with disabilities was enhanced across the college curriculum through the development of a Faculty Fellows program and the embedding of UDL within various college structures and processes.

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When we accept that barriers to curricular access stem from the design of academic programs, courses, and experiences, it changes the work of the DS office. Rather than focusing primarily on the individual student’s disability, active faculty outreach, consultation, and collaboration become central. Join us to explore how sustained and strategic faculty development is an important part of DS work when we embrace a socio-political understanding of disability.

Every year is active in the Federal and state courts. Our esteemed and knowledgeable colleagues will analyze key illustrative cases and decisions in 2014 that have potential impact on college students and campus policies, practices and environments.

Reflective discussion of possible reasons underlying the problematic and contentious climate that Disability Studies often creates among academy faculty and administration.

Supervising and building office teams requires intentional effort and focus. This session will explore positive strategies for creating an environment that benefits the individual employees, the team and the supervisor. The presenter will start the conversation by offering ideas based on best leadership practices and personal experience. Those in attendance will be asked to share their ideas and experiences so that everyone can leave the session with many ideas and approaches to take back to the office.

Just as students with disabilities should be effectively served by all campus offices, international students should be too. Disability professionals need to look at how their processes and services are meeting needs of international students with disabilities. Attendees will learn strategies for student outreach and retention directly from disability and exchange professionals and an international student with a disability.

With information and communication technology (ICT) evolving at a rapid pace, institutions are finding it difficult to remain proactive in implementing digital accessibility standards. This group of IT and DS staff will share the University of Colorado Boulder’s Department of Justice investigation and what your institution is experiencing regarding ICT accessibility (Google apps, placement exams, learning management systems, etc.).

Able Player is a free, open source media player for the Web that supports captions, audio description, and sign language; plus includes a full set of accessible controls and engaging features. This session will discuss the variety of potential problems people have accessing video and audio content, and will demonstrate Able Player as a viable solution.

In 2010 the NCAA’s Office of Inclusion adopted an “inclusion statement” which contains disability as a dimension of diversity. This statement outlines their commitment to “provide or enable programming and education, which sustains foundations of a diverse and inclusive culture”. Come find out about the initiatives the NCAA is undertaking around disability and why they would value our help!

This session will provide a discussion of barriers to using research findings in our daily practice drawn from a recent AHEAD membership survey. The presenters, both experienced DS professionals and researchers, will provide strategies for locating, understanding and applying relevant research in our work. Participants will be encouraged to share and discuss their own successful strategies and practices.

In 2007, an event occurred at UConn Law that illuminated the need for the institution to examine their identity and campus culture. The fallout from this divisive event sparked a movement to redefine “diversity” and create comprehensive programming on campus to address the issue head on. This presentation will discuss how we’ve used our story to create a platform for growth and inclusivity.

A recent study revealed that the lack of systemic access for individuals who are deaf/hard of hearing negatively impacts postsecondary outcomes. Identifying these systemic barriers at will allow for improved access and positive outcomes. This workshop will focus on the types of systemic barriers and offer standard practice options to consider implementing at your institution.

This panel discussion, facilitated by a DS staff member and a faculty member, will engage the audience in an honest discussion about the current attitudes and resistance encountered when attempting to connect with university personnel and faculty to improve the experiences of students on the autism spectrum. Innovative ideas and training activities will be provided.

This session will present the results of a four-year study the presenter conducted measuring perceptions of college students with learning disabilities on six attributes of success. This presentation will take participants through the process of survey development, results and outcomes that resulted in follow up workshops for students, all of which can be adapted for use on their own campuses.

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It’s often said that the best source of professional development for disability resource staff members and administrators is a network of colleagues. But for the newer service provider who needs a sounding board but is still developing professional relationships, AHEAD offers support at the end of a telephone line. Join Richard Allegra, AHEAD’s Professional Development Director, and a panel of experienced colleagues, in a discussion of the issues that most often fill his inbox and telephone time. Bring your own questions to get feedback and further the discussion.

Law schools are frequently viewed as presenting an inhospitable learning environment for students with disabilities. DS staff can work collaboratively with law school administrators and faculty to facilitate inclusion. This diverse panel of law school administrators/faculty and DS providers will discuss differing perspectives and practices and engage in discussion with participants about key issues and next steps.

An uneasy partnership: what can disability studies learn from the provision of accommodation? What can providers learn from theory? What shifts in practices and mindset leverage the strengths of theory and practice to mutual benefit?

How important is it for your office to be respected and valued on campus? And for you to be able to influence important policy decisions, program development, and system changes? What core characteristics must be there for that to happen? Trust and credibility. In this interactive session, you will work through case studies (the presenters and yours) to learn how to cultivate those essential qualities in yourself and your office.

This session is geared toward all disability resource professionals who want to be able to fully support their students on the gender spectrum but don’t know where to begin! Come join us as we introduce you to a of myriad transgender identities and experiences, respectful language, intersections of the trans* and disability experiences, and more!

An Assistive Technology Provider provides methods, tools, resources, and ideas for building your Assistive Technology program and providing increased services to your students. Using the QIAT-PS as the baseline for service delivery measurement, new initiatives and projects were developed to help increase Assistive Technology use and delivery with students in the Disability Services Office and campus-wide at Augsburg College.

Not a tech geek? Stumbling over what to do for students who need alternative formats or assistive technology? Not sure how to even get started? Come on in and let’s talk! We’ll discuss the basics of how to begin developing your AT expertise as well as how to work with students who need AT.

More students are arriving on college campuses with food allergies and sensitivities than ever before. While schools recognize that they need to meet the needs of those students, they often don’t know how. This presentation will present recently adopted guidance for best practices for working with college students with dietary needs.

High functioning college students with ADHD often drop out of college not because of academic deficiencies but because of executive dysfunction in social and emotional areas of competency. This presentation will describe an innovative approach to retention based on a proactive model of advising which draws on elements of coaching. Case study results will be shared for maximum audience engagement.

How can we use data to educate our administrators, advocate for office needs, and evaluate our programs? Come hear the results of a survey of AHEAD members and learn from a panel of very experienced disability resource professionals who will share their strategies, advice, and tips. Participants will be encouraged to share and discuss their own successful strategies.

Faculty awareness and support are key to ensuring an inclusive learning environment for deaf students. Explore resources available to disabilities services staff that enhance faculty efforts, including a free website and Project Access faculty workshops that can be conducted at your campus free of charge. Join us to experience a sample workshop designed to increase faculty understanding and improve access.

Work-life balance (WLB) is all about managing the work and expectations without significant conflict. If you are not addressing WLB, the negative implications can be seen in your work quality, physical/mental health, and in relationships. As disability service professionals, we not only need to address our own WLB, but we may need to work with our students on WLB issues.

Merging the principles of universal design for learning (UDL) and trauma-informed practices enhances access to and engagement in learning. Students with disabilities, including veterans with service-connected disabilities, bring a range of trauma-histories, in addition to learning-histories, to their college experience. There are specific strategies exemplifying both UDL and trauma-informed practices that faculty and disability services staff need to know.

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This session for new and newer professionals will focus on providing an overview of two major areas of technology we all need to know something about: Assistive/Adaptive/Access Technology (AT) and Electronic and Information Technology (EIT). Participants will learn about different categories of AT, discuss typical AT use cases, and leave with resources for finding AT solutions. We will then discuss accessibility in your institution’s EIT environment. We’ll explore the importance of cross-campus collaboration and discuss basic strategies for paying proactive attention to creating an accessible EIT environment.

Disability Resource offices are getting more requests to modify classroom attendance policies. If you are considering these requests and providing this accommodation, you want to be sure that your process is sound and does not require the student to negotiate the accommodation outcome. A panel of representatives from various disability offices will share how they are exploring new ways to coordinate this challenging accommodation.

Guided by a Disability Justice Movement framework, disability cultures, and the Social Model of Disability, presenters will explore how complex identities and experiences intersect with disability. Through multimedia-infused discussion, facilitators will share from diverse identities using community narratives, storytelling, learning activities, and personal reflection that include the complexities of disability (apparent and less apparent), race, class/poverty, sexuality, gender identity, trauma, and more. Learn how identity-based groups can ally together in solidarity to support all community members.

Routines or habits rule our daily work—faculty habits in teaching, students’ habits in studying, DS center habits in conducting business, relating to clients, and thinking about disability. This session will explore current thinking about how to change habits and the accompanying need to acknowledge grief or regret as we change both individually and organizationally.

The clinical and performance based settings in the Sciences, Health Sciences, and Medical education present unique challenges for students, which may be considerably different from the accommodation model typically employed in the classroom setting. This panel of providers from the Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science and Medical Education will guide participants around promising practices in the context of case examples with associated OCR guidance.

This session provides an opportunity for members to share ideas for technology webinars or conference sessions they would like to see in the future, and also invites feedback on the AHEAD website.

Participants will learn what it is like for students with print-related disabilities to use Central Access Reader (CAR), which is a highly customizable, math accessible TTS application for Mac and PC, especially geared for STEM content. Hands-on exploration of important features will be complemented with descriptions of how features work, with time for Q and A.

This presentation provides insight on federal employment opportunities and looks at areas that individuals need to consider and be prepared to discuss for employment opportunities. During the interactive session, tips and ideas will be given on how to best prepare students for opportunities in federal employment. Resume development, elevator speeches, interview techniques and resource information will be discussed.