Disability is Diversity: Accessibility Change Agents Learning Community

About

Disability is an essential component of diversity and yet disabled people remain largely underrepresented in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice work across campus. Many faculty feel unsure about their roles and responsibilities in supporting these students. 

The Disability is Diversity: Accessibility Change Agents Learning Community is bringing together a group of educators to explore topics around providing accessibility for students with documented or undocumented disabilities in order to work towards creating universal design for learning on our campus. Participants in this learning community are working to become change agents and begin or continue disability accessibility work in their home colleges or departments.

The application deadline for this learning community has passed.

Meeting Information

Tentative meeting dates and times:

• Friday, September 29th, 2023: 10-11:15 am
• Friday, October 27th, 2023: 10-11:15 am
• Friday, November 10th, 2023: 10-11:15 am
• Friday, December 8th, 2023: 10-11:15 am
• Friday, January 26th, 2024: 10-11:15 am
• Friday, February 23rd, 2024: 10-11:15 am
• Friday, March 22nd, 2024: 10-11:15 am
• Friday, April 19th, 2024: 10-11:15 am

Each monthly meeting we will begin by working through an accessibility case study to see how each community member would accommodate a student with a disability across our different disciplines. Hearing how others might approach the scenario may be helpful for new ideas and flexible thinking. Following this discussion, we will explore a specific topic in depth using evidence-based research to promote differentiated instruction. Topics could include: syllabus design, classroom policies and procedures, writing assignments, exams, projects, classroom environment, and lectures. In this way we will be thinking about practical and immediate changes as well as big concepts that may need more fleshing out.

The only exception to this set up will be the January meeting. The entire meeting will be devoted to developing a plan for how each participant will share one concept of disability accessibility from this learning community with their department or program by the end of the academic year. For example, faculty participants may plan to have 20 minutes of a department meeting to present and work through a disability case study in their department and provide evidence-based solutions. Careful consideration of department or program dynamics and pressing issues will take place to create a successful plan.

Questions?

Please contact Dr. Audrey Farrugia, the facilitator for this learning community, at [email protected] or the Faculty Development Center at [email protected] for assistance.