Despite legal protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, disability offices in higher education frequently fail to provide adequate services, creating unnecessary barriers for disabled students. This interactive workshop will explore systemic failures, real student experiences, and policy recommendations to strengthen accessibility and promote institutional accountability in higher education.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, attendees should be able to:
Upon completion, participants will be able to identify systemic barriers within university disability offices, including documentation requirements, lack of communication, and institutional inaccessibility, that prevent disabled students from receiving equitable accommodations.
Upon completion, participants will be able to analyze the impact of intersectionality, ableism, and institutional policies on disabled students’ academic success, mental health, and retention rates in higher education.
Upon completion, participants will be able to develop strategies for advocating policy changes within disability offices and implementing disability justice-informed approaches to ensure equitable, proactive, and student-centered accommodations in higher education institutions.
