Accessibility Commons^™

Turning Clients Into Superheroes Through Accessibility Consulting, Robbie Kopp

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

Breaking Down the Physical and Digital Walls to Access from the Inside Out. Including people with disabilities in physical and online spaces is often overlooked in the scheme of social justice. The presenter will talk about strategies to empower organizations and groups to take up leadership in disability access and support significant change. This will be a highlight of the Able Access program that has been creating new ADA experts with each consultation project across South Carolina and the region.

Note-Taking Support: Giving More Power To The Student, David Tucker

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

Abruptly, from a nearby spot a voice speaks...

“Studies into effective note-taking strategies all concur that students should independently CAPTURE, ORGANIZE, and TRANSFORM their notes.

“This research is not to be taken lightly! Support professionals: ask yourself whether they cast doubt on the value of traditional forms of note-taking support! Shouldn’t ALL students be given the POWER! to take notes for themselves?”

Moments later… strange diagrams on a projector screen highlight the connection between effective note-taking strategies and the mysterious science of memory.

The voice again.

“Doubtless, the very act of taking notes is key to understanding and remembering new …

A Campus Or A Zoo?, Tina E. Vires

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

Intended audience: ALL Service dogs, emotional support animals, therapy animals, animals as accommodations - they're everywhere! Is that ok? Should or can I say anything about them? What are the expectations? Faculty and staff across the country are asking these questions as more animals appear on campuses and lawsuits abound when students are denied access to animals. How do we maintain compliance and sanity? This session will provide an easy to understand overview of the different types of animals we may find on our campuses, how to discern between the types, how and why they may be approved, appropriate and …

How To Succeed In Teaching Your Campus About Physical Accessibility Issues Without Really Trying, Rob Young

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

This presentation is designed for anyone who has desired to teach their community about physical accessibility issues. It will be present within the framework of the "Accessibility Scavenger Hunt", an activity developed by myself in conjunction with Northern Arizona University staff and faculty. The goal of the scavenger hunt was to teach the community about campus accessibility issues without resorting to using simulation exercises. We will discuss the framework of the activity as well as the role that the activity had in improving the accessibility of the campus.

Academic Coaching: A Program For Enhancing Organization, Learning And Work Completion For College Students, Chip Studwell, Lexi Czarnatowicz

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

Managing college requires organizing, prioritizing, ongoing learning and timely work completion. These are the executive functioning skills for young adults that when under-utilized, can limit access to effective learning. In this workshop, the presenters will provide an overview of how the Academic Coach program, at Bridgewater College, helps students adjust and develop necessary skills for ongoing learning and work completion. Development of the program, training and certification standards and leadership opportunities for coaches to become team leaders will be discussed.

Perspectives From Think College Students On Inclusive Practices At The Collegiate Level, Scot Rademaker, Madison K. Oliver

Inclusion Across the Lifespan Conference

Promoting inclusion at all levels of education is crucial in the process of positively influencing and encouraging student learning both for students with disabilities and their peers. This presentation will provide information about the Think College program and include perspectives from Think College students and their college peers about their experiences. Participants should be able to understand more about the Think College program, but more importantly gain an understanding about how the experiences within the program impact students’ lives.

Monitoring And Strengthening Reading Comprehension For All Students, Claire Vanostenbridge

Inclusion Across the Lifespan Conference

The goal of this professional development is to enhance teacher knowledge of how to strengthen reading comprehension of students based on their needs as determined by formative assessment.

Team Inclusion: 10 Ways Parents Add Value, Liz Mcbride

Inclusion Across the Lifespan Conference

Here’s an ongoing success story of how taking an “all hands on deck” team approach with parents, teachers, and support resources makes breakthroughs in learning and life for a child with autism. Learn 10 specific ways parents can be utilized in accelerating inclusion.

Co-Teaching Is Like A Marriage: Sometimes Arranged, Elizabeth Reyes

Inclusion Across the Lifespan Conference

How do educators who co-teach survive if 50% of all marriages end in divorce? Choosing the right strategies and putting in hard work can make it happen. When co-teachers plan and develop their relationship, the synergy manifests in student success. Keeping eyes on the educational goals for students can keep disagreements to a minimum. This session will focus on what is needed to begin co-teaching and how to keep the relationship going.

Pull Don't Pour" Using Oral Language And The Power Of Dialogue To Shape Intellectual Capacity, Janice Elam Carter

Inclusion Across the Lifespan Conference

For students who struggle to learn it is difficult to confidently participate verbally in class discussions, make recitations, or simply respond to questions posed orally. Let's build a sense of intellectual curiosity by using Socratic questioning, drawing out of the student rather than simply pouring information in. Help students extract meaning from the text with the assistance of an expert mediator, not a worksheet. Participant Objectives: Historically, teaching has included lecturing, dispensing information and imparting knowledge to our students. The primary "student talk" in the classroom had been recitation. It has been found that this method inhibits student thinking. Participants …

Walk This Way, Diana Smith, Cindy Funderburk

Inclusion Across the Lifespan Conference

Do you wonder what skills are needed for students to be successful in general education? Why do special education students struggle in regular education? This session will focus on how learning walks can help you answer these questions. Attendees will participate in a mock learning walk and protocol to provide you with a first-hand experience to take back to your school. Join us for a walk on the wild side!

Participant Objectives

1. Define learning walk
2. Be able to set norms and expectations for this type of professional learning
3. Facilitate conversation within a team of people to determine take-aways from a …

High School Literacy Instruction For Students With Developmental Disabilities In General Education Classrooms, Kathryn Haughney, Caryn Allison, Diane Browder

Inclusion Across the Lifespan Conference

This session will describe the elements of Alternate Achievement Literacy (AAL), including the use of grade-aligned, chronological age-appropriate materials, evidence-based instructional practices and supports for teachers and students. Inclusion will be discussed in depth, especially as it pertains to meaningful academic inclusion in typical Language Arts high school classrooms. Examples will be shown of group literacy instruction including both student s with significant disabilities, students with autism and their typical peers. Instruction is delivered by general education teachers, special education teachers and typical peers.