Previous Disability Symposium

In higher education, the work of disability advisors, advocates, educators, and leaders continues to evolve in different directions. Students are better informed about their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and might pursue legal channels to resolve an issue. Faculty want to understand their role in the accommodation process to support students in the learning environment.  As a result of increased interest in studying disability as an identity, disability studies has become part of curricular offerings in the academy. An unexpected phenomenon–the COVID pandemic—disrupts every aspect of our world. The ripple effect of COVID has created a new challenge for higher education in many ways, and disability advisors continue to learn how to address a student’s accommodation request in a legally sound, empathic manner.

Disability advisors possess a wealth of strategies in their toolkits, often using their past experiences to formulate a response to a concerned parent, for example. Individually, each advisor makes an impact on a student’s educational journey. Collectively, each professional in the field of disability support has added to the movement to recognize disability as part of diversity, to educate students, parents, faculty, and staff about disability rights, and to celebrate the intrinsic value of recognizing and respecting differences.

Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future served as the theme for the 20th Annual Disability Symposium. Instead of an in-person event, the Weingarten Center held five virtual presentations from February 24th through April 1st, 2022.