Presented at 9:15am in Colorado G-H on Thursday, November 9, 2023.
#38353Speaker(s)
- Paddy Heaton, Customer Marketing Manager, Glean
- Scott Lomax, Senior Sales Development Representative, Glean
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Lecture
- Expertise Level: Beginner
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
This year, more students than ever will register with your office with a very specific set of challenges:
-More complex support needs -Increased need for mental health support -Need for study skills training
These challenges lead to increased pressure on your office. How can tech used by disability services effectively help students to tackle these issues, whether they self-advocate or not?
In this session we will discuss collaborating across campus to bring accessible tech to more students.
Abstract
Pressure. It’s the word that best defines 2023 for Disability Services. Facing a range of crises, from funding to student mental health, the community has been forced to adapt its methods. So how have services been affected by pressure? And what does the future of support look like?
This session will draw on our survey of over 150 disability support professionals across the US to bring you a blueprint for the department’s future.
With support becoming more complex, a mental health crisis in full swing, and an existing gap in support affecting students institution-wide, how are departments imagining a more equitable future? It begins with collaboration. Disability Services offices don’t work in a vacuum. For students with disabilities to be an integral part of campus life, other departments need to be involved too, and accessible tech needs to be part of the fabric of campus life . As one professional puts it:
“The more inclusive the college community, the more connected and supported students will feel”
So how are inclusive college communities built? By focusing on the student experience as a whole, and working with other departments to improve the proliferation of accessible tech.
Along the way, we will discuss: - Why cross-campus collaboration on tech is on the agenda right now - How departments are closing the “support gap” - What the mental health crisis means for services - A clear plan for future-proofing support
Plus, we’ll hear from departments who are collaborating with other departments by using AT outside of disability services, and hear from students about their experience using Glean.
Keypoints
- The main pressures facing disability services departments in 2023
- How collaborating on campus and using AT beyond disability services can benefit all students
- A new blueprint for a more collaborative office, based on feedback from over 150 professionals
Disability Areas
Cognitive/Learning, Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Topic Areas
Assistive Technology, Captioning/Transcription, Uncategorized, Universal Design for Learning
Speaker Bio(s)
Paddy Heaton
Paddy is the Customer Marketing Manager at Glean. He has previously spoken at conferences including AHEAD, CAST, AHG, Closing The Gap, and CSUN.