Accessibility Conference Set for March 22

Buffalo State is hosting the Accessibility: Designing Access to All Learners conference on Friday, March 22, in an effort to give participants the awareness, skills, and tools to support learners of all abilities.

The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall, with a slate of speakers and breakout sessions planned throughout the day. Speakers for this conference will be faculty and staff members from higher education institutions who are experts in the field of universal design for learning (UDL), web accessibility, student services, and compliance.

The keynote address, “Universal Design for Learning: Applications for Higher Education” will be delivered by Whitney Rapp, associate professor of Inclusive Education at St. John Fisher College. Other features include discussions on providing accommodations in difficult higher education settings and shared experiences.

The information shared at the conference will give participants the knowledge and skills to make sure they are meeting the needs of all learners throughout students' time in school. That starts in the beginning, from initial access as prospective students through campus websites to utilizing campus services, participating in student life, and engaging with instructors and course content during their academic career.

Along with Buffalo State, other sponsors include the WNY Collegiate Consortium of Disability Advocates. This event has been made possible by the support of the SUNY 2018–2019 Explorations in Diversity and Academic Excellence (EDAE) Awards, the Equity and Campus Diversity Minigrant program, and the Grant Allocation Committee (GAC). For more information, call (716) 878-3877 or visit digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/access/2018/.