“Access BSC, A Bridge to Success in College”-Developing Your Transition Toolkit.  

Handouts Media

Presented at 8:00am in Cotton Creek II on Thursday, November 21, 2019.

Speaker(s)

• Sumana Silverheels, Interim Director, Buffalo State University
• Lisa Fronckowiak, Director, Buffalo State College

Session Details

• Length of Session: 1-hr
• Format: Lecture
• Expertise Level: All Levels
• Type of session: General Conference

Summary

Using Access BSC as a model, presenters will discuss how to effectively assist high school students with disabilities in utilizing low cost and free assistive technology, along with other tools to support a successful transition to college.

Abstract

High school students with learning differences often have limited support in understanding the crucial transition between high school and college. The legal landscape changes as do expectations placed on students with disabilities once they move into the college world. Frequently, students come to college struggling to articulate their functional abilities, learning styles, and areas of need. Their high school experience often creates barriers that prevent them from disclosing their needs to college disability service providers.  As a result, Buffalo State College Student Accessibility Service’s through their intense work in the area of transition and the support from the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation, developed a summer program to address these issues.  This presentation will share the development, implementation and outcomes of the Access BSC program. Some topics that will be highlighted are: Smart pen technology, low-cost apps, parental involvement, and learning strategies

Keypoints

1. Supporting assistive technology use for a seamless transition to higher education
2. Understanding your abilities and using them for success
3. Learning strategies, note taking, time management, self-advocacy and organization

Disability Areas

Cognitive/Learning, Psychological

Topic Areas

Assistive Technology, Other, Uncategorized

Speaker Bio(s)

Sumana Silverheels

Sumana Silverheels is the Interim Director at Buffalo State University, Student Accessibility Services. She supports students and the college campus to determine technology needs for access to instruction in higher education. She is an active member of the SUNY EIT (Electronic Instructional and Technology) team, developing standards for implementation on all SUNY campuses. She co-chairs the Campus Accessibility Team, NYS Access Technology Committee, and the WNY CCCDA. Recently she has organized transition conference for high school professionals, and a co-organized a conference on accessibility in higher education. Sumana Silverheels was part of a team that created the widely used MOOC - Accessibility: Designing and Teaching Courses for All Learners and is active in developing programs to support transition for students with disabilities in the Western New York region.

Lisa Fronckowiak

Lisa Fronckowiak, Ed.M., J.D. currently serves as Director of Student Accessibility Services at Buffalo State College and has spent the past 20 years working in the area of higher education and disability. Lisa has assumed several leadership roles throughout her career including co-chair of the Western New York College Consortium of Disability Advocates, chair of the Buffalo State President’s Council on Equity and Campus Diversity, and co-organizer of TEDx Youth Buffalo. Lisa’s primary areas of interests are disability and intersectionality, along with the transition to college for students with disabilities.

Handout(s)

• Access BSC - Developing your transition toolkit (pptx)