Collaboration and Resource Sharing

Want to offer additional opportunities for professional development - try collaborating with other departments on your own campus or networking with others in your area.

Do you have an idea for a regional professional development opportunity like a drive-in or web/audio conference - Talk with the DisAbility Concerns Regional Rep for your area!

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Professional Development 

Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
AHEAD is an international, multicultural organization of professionals committed to full participation in higher education for persons with disabilities. The organization provides information on disability issues in higher education, including information on accommodations and ADA/504 compliance. The organization has a strong professional network and excellent resources. AHEAD offers training programs, workshops, publications and conferences.  The AHEAD Training and Events page lists National and Regional conferences related to Higher Education and Disability. Additional information on publications, online resources and links of interest.

To get connected with AHEAD affiliates in your region check http://www.ahead.org/affiliates

ATHEN - Access Technologists Higher Education Network

ATHEN is a professional association and network for Access Technologists in Higher Education. The purpose of ATHEN is to collect and disseminate best practices in access technology in the higher education environment as well as present a collective voice for the professional practice of access technology in higher education.

Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability (CPED)

The Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability educates and supports pre-professionals and professionals in acquiring evidence-based knowledge and skills to provide state-of-the-art practices in services for students with disabilities. Two topics addressed in this mission are transition and the use of Universal Design for Instruction. The CPED offers graduate studies programs, training institutes, online resources, and more.

Closing the Gap

Closing the Gap provides a newspaper, directory, annual conference, and forums on a variety of topics related to the use of assistive technology by children and adults with disabilities.

College Student Educators International (ACPA)

The ACPA National Seminar is designed to facilitate a dialogue on issues critical for the academic success of college students with disabilities. How do we as scholars and practitioners integrate two seemingly dissimilar areas of study—disability studies and student development theories? Including discussions on universal design, self-determination, disability identity development, the social model of disability, moral and ethical development, and multiple intelligences, this seminar is more than a primer in learning theories and models. It will help college student educators create new practical applications. Whether you are a student affairs practitioner, an academic advisor, disability services provider, counselor/therapist, faculty member, or academic administrator, you will learn the following: Several frameworks from disability studies and their application for working with students with and without disabilities; Classic and more recent student development theories and their potential to include students with disabilities, as well as the latest creative practical applications of theories for this student population; and How to integrate and apply disability studies and student development theories to further enhance students’ academic success.

CSUN Conference

California State University, Northridge Center on Disabilities' Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference is a comprehensive conference, where technologies across all ages; disabilities; levels of education and training; employment; and independent living are addressed. It is the largest conference of its kind!

Disability 411 Podcast

Disability411 provides audio workshops, interviews and information on disability-related topics for those who work with individuals with disabilities, including college disability counselors, rehabilitation counselors, K-12 special education teachers, employers, or anyone who works in the disability field. Information is also of interest for individuals with disabilities and their families. Hosted by Beth Case, a disability counselor with 10 years of experience in postsecondary disability services.

Disability Access Information & Support (DAIS)
DAIS provides technical assistance, in-services trainings and presentations, and as well as resource materials and grant writing services. A monthly e-mail newsletter addresses critical topics in the postsecondary disability support services arena.

EDUCAUSE

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. EDUCASE provides a wide range of formats including details on upcoming conferences and seminars, as well as blogs and podcasts.

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI)
EASI, which stands for Equal Access to Software and Information, has been providing online training on accessible information technology for persons with disabilities since 1993. The EASI website features a wealth of information on accessible E-Learning with weekly podcasts, and a peer reviewed online journal called Information Technology and Disabilities. The website also has links to interactive, synchronous, voice web conference clinics. Some of these are free. Additionally, EASI offers online courses with a certificate in accessible information technology.

Society for Disability Studies

For nearly two decades, the Society for Disability Studies has worked to explore issues of disability and chronic illness from scholarly perspectives. In addition to publishing Disability Studies Quarterly (DSQ), The Society for Disability Studies holds an annnual conference which brings together scholars from a broad spectrum of fields as well as artists and community-based activists. In both DSQ and at conferences, you will find exciting and groundbreaking work on current issues in disability studies. A discussion list keeps members in touch between conferences and serves as a valuable source of information.