Disabilities in the Classroom: Best Practices for Improving Accessibility and Learning

Description

Organizer: Joy E. Beatty, Eastern Michigan U.
Facilitator: Cristina Marie Giannantonio, Chapman U.
Facilitator: Amy Hurley-Hanson, Chapman U.
Facilitator: Amit Jain, U. of St.Gallen
Facilitator: Hamid H. Kazeroony, Walden U.
Facilitator: Mukta Kulkarni, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
Facilitator: Jeffrey A. Mello, Rhode Island College
Facilitator: Emilee Lauran Simmons, U. of Strathclyde Business School
Facilitator: Chantal Van Esch, Cal Poly Pomona
Facilitator: Charles Wankel, St. John's U., New York
Facilitator: Dianne HB Welsh, U. of North Carolina, Greensboro

The prevalence of students with disabilities is increasing, and it is incumbent on faculty to explore ways to better include this student population. Faculty members may also have disabilities that affect them in the classroom that require a range of teaching modifications and adaptations. This workshop considers ways to improve accessibility for both students and faculty with disabilities. The philosophical underpinning is Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which seeks to overcome a wide range of barriers to learning. Improving access for students with disabilities can improve access for all classroom participants, including those without disabilities. However, UDL underscores that access is only part of the solution; teachers should also consider the flexibility of their pedagogical methods to be able to meet diverse learning needs. This session includes successful examples of course and program redesign specifically aimed to improve access for students with disabilities, as well as examples of successful accommodations that faculty members have arranged for their own disabilities. Table discussions will give opportunities for sharing among participants. Workshop participants will gain ideas for promoting inclusion and accessibility that can be implemented at various institutional levels, including individual workarounds that faculty can implement and larger curricular redesign efforts to improve college systems.

Period	7 Aug 2020
Event title	Academy of Management Annual Conference 2020
Event type	Conference
Location	Vancouver, Canada, British Columbia
Degree of Recognition	International