September 2005
The articles published in the ALERT represent the
opinions of the authors and are not an endorsement by the Association
or necessarily representative of the views of the Association.
— From the President
— From the Editor
—
S.O.S. - AHEAD Responds to Hurricane Katrina
— Professional Development Calendar
— AHEAD 2006 Call for Proposals
— AHEAD 2006 San Diego Attractions
— Disability Studies SIG
— Career SIG
— Ann Kerby Honored
at AHEAD Conference
— Richard Harris Retirement
— Spanish Autism Resource
—
Fulfilling AHEAD's Mission: Sometimes by Being a "Friend of the Court" by
Jo Anne Simon
From the President
Conference, Questions and Katrina - What a
Way to Start the Year!
I would like to start off with the Good:
What a great Conference in Milwaukee – attendance at 1000 – more
than we planned! I can’t give enough thanks to Rhonda Rapp & Erin
Evans – Program Chairs, Vicki Groser and Colleen Barnett – Conference
Chairs (plus their 125 volunteers) and AHEAD Office staff (Stephan,
Richard, Tri, Neal, Oanh, Michael and Junette) for such outstanding
work. If something
went wrong, only a few people (who were supposed to know) knew
about it and fixed it with minimal fanfare.
I think I missed my objective - not that I didn’t try - to meet
as many people as possible this year, but I will try to correct that next
year.
Besides the beer and brats at the Welcome Reception and
the incredible Native American Dancers opening the Exhibit Hall,
there were
fourteen
preconference sessions that included two unique institutes on
Universal Design and E-text. Eighty concurrent sessions and thirteen
poster sessions
exposed us to a variety of topics. Dr. “Sandy” Shugart, President
of Valencia Community College gave a unique presentation covering
the topics of post-modern students and humanism. Dr. David Ticchi,
a faculty member at Newton North High School in Massachusetts
and Special Assistant to the
President
of Legal Seafoods, discussed at the banquet the importance of
self-determination and self-empowerment. We concluded with popular
presenters, Paul
Grossman and Jo Anne Simon, who discussed activities in the courts
during the past
year.
Highlights of the Conference
IDEA 2004. Prior to the Conference, AHEAD was invited to participate
with several other educational organizations to work on a tool
that would provide guidance on information for students with
disabilities in their transition to postsecondary institutions,
in light
of changes
to the IDEA. As you will remember, you were asked to contribute
your ideas, suggestions and concerns about this “Summary of Performance"
template. A couple of weeks before the AHEAD Conference, a
final version of the SOP was sent to the Board requesting its endorsement.
And although we were involved in the initial development, the
Board chose not to endorse the final version of the SOP, as
it was not representative
of the best interests of the professional field of disability
service providers and the membership of AHEAD. We appreciate
all the work surrounding
this topic despite the outcome.
E-Text. There has been a lot of concern about the availability
of E-Text versions of academic materials and the working relationship
between DDS
offices and publishers. A couple of meetings at the Conference
addressed this important issue. Although final decisions have
not been made regarding
best practice in this area, I believe that a lot of issues were
raised that will contribute to ongoing dialogue about this topic.
We acknowledge and support the publishers’ legitimate concerns about
property rights and issues of copyright and understand and support
the needs
of providing timely access to materials for students requiring
accessible materials.
There are more discussions that are necessary, but I hope that
we will be able to come to a satisfactory resolution that will
produce a win/win
outcome and benefit everyone. The success of this will depend
on open communication and trust. More to come!
Every year at Conference, we take pride in honoring members
of the organization during the awards banquet. This year we recognized
the following members:
Ron E. Blosser Award – Trey Duffy
Professional Recognition Award – Ann Kerby
Meritorious Contribution Award – Renee Sartin Kirby
Communication Award (a new award) – Stan Shaw and Joan McGuire
The Presidential Award has been presented only twice prior
to this Conference, and is given solely at the discretion of
the President. I thought that
it was necessary to recognize and honor Richard Harris (Ball
State University), who retired June 30, 2005, for his 33 years
of service to students with
disabilities and contributions to the profession and the Association.
Richard was a charter member of AHEAD (formerly known as AHSSPPE
) and has donated all of his files to the AHEAD office to begin
a formal archive.
San Diego 2006 – “Charting the Course for Change”
July
18-22, Town & Country Resort
This promises to be an AHEAD Conference that you
will remember for a long time. We are talking about Change! We
will be looking at the product of “change,” which means transition:
high school to college, 2 year to 4 year, public to private,
undergraduate to graduate and graduation to employment. We will
be in a setting (a beautiful
resort) that will “change” how we conduct our meetings/sessions.
Mary Shojai (San Diego State University) is the Conference
Chair and is developing committees to welcome us. She also plans
on developing
some family vacation information for us! Erin Evans (Babson College),
Program Co-chair for Milwaukee (now experienced) will be Program
Chair this year
and will be joined by Michelle Peters (Drexel University) as
Co-chair. The Call for Proposals is available on the
AHEAD Web site (see the article in this ALERT).
Don’t miss this opportunity to participate.
Now, the Bad:
There is absolutely nothing that can be said
to describe the magnitude of the impact of Hurricane Katrina
on our neighbors, siblings,
(grand) parents, relatives, friends (old and those we don’t know)
and their property, pets, possessions and memories. Colleges
and universities everywhere are opening their doors, some bending rules
and regulations,
for about 100,000 college students to be able to continue their
education and lives. Some students with disabilities may be coming to
you without
documentation. Because of the insight and quick thinking of
some AHEAD members, we have put together a resource on the AHEAD homepage
about
getting essential information to ensure students with disabilities
have access to your programs and services. I want to thank Jane Jarrow
for
taking the lead on coordinating this endeavor for AHEAD, and
a special thanks to the many AHEAD members who so quickly volunteered
to help.
The response was overwhelming.
What’s next?
Crisis intervention is a way of life for the DDS profession as
demonstrated in the response to documentation issues of Katrina
students. But don’t think that we have resolved the problem. There
will be students coming for the next couple of years from the
Gulf Coast who will be applying for college and universities
in the same
situation.
Just as admissions offices will have to adjust their criteria,
we must also be able to maintain a flexible perspective.
In
the Spring of 2004,
AHEAD removed the 1997 LD Guidelines from distribution because
they were out of date, were deemed not reflective of good practice,
and were
being used inappropriately as basic standards for documentation
of many disabilities beyond LD. During the past year, there
has been thoughtful
work by the Board on identifying best practices in disability
documentation. A set of “principles and documentation dimensions” were
recently approved and posted to the AHEAD website at http://www.ahead.org/resources/bestpracticesdoc.htm We believe that these new standards provide a perfect opportunity
to gather appropriate information to provide services to students
so they
can have equal access to the facilities and programs at colleges
and universities.
A Moral Challenge
If I may use this setting, please remember that about 500,000
people have become disenfranchised from every aspect of life
they have known because of Hurricane Katrina. They were forced
from their homes
and fled with only what they could carry, if that, with the
knowledge there might be nothing to return to. In the coming
months, North Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. Can you share
something to make others thankful? Over the next four to five
months we’ll
have celebrations for various religious and cultural holidays.
Are you willing
to provide a reason for others to celebrate? What do you have,
what do
you need
and what can you share?
From the Editor
Welcome to fall everyone,
As we all gear up to serve our students for another year in
the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I find myself savoring the
simple things, the things we all take for granted that the people
of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast have lost. In the midst of
all the shocking news, one positive emerging is the generous
response of individuals and institutions around the nation. As
many of our colleges and universities take in displaced students,
AHEAD has initiated plans for serving students with disabilities.
Please take some time to read Janie Jarrow’s article about
how we can all help in welcoming students to our campuses.
This issue also has highlights from the Conference,
as well as the Call for Proposals for the 2006 Conference, as
well as an article
about attractions in San Diego - the AHEAD staff barely get a
chance to catch their breath in between. There is an article
regarding Ann Kerby’s recognition at the Conference – future
issues will highlight the other award winners.
Enjoy the beginning of the academic year, and please
contact me at kejones@ucdavis.edu
if you have questions regarding or submissions for the ALERT.
Keltie Jones
ALERT Editor
S.O.S. - AHEAD Responds to Hurricane Katrina
Jane Jarrow provides important information to help
AHEAD members serve displaced students.
In response to the urgent plight of the thousands of college
students displaced by Hurricane Katrina, AHEAD has compiled information
to help disability service providers serve the needs of students
with disabilities
who may find their way to host campuses across the country that
have opened their
doors to students whose education was disrupted by the closing
of their own schools following the storm. The information, dubbed "S.O.S.
- Serve Our Students," can be found at http://www.ahead.org/resources/katrina/sos.htm This S.O.S. response
allows the disability services community to organize its thoughts
and its response
to these unique circumstances in a way that only we can do. As
the website indicates:
- Among these (displaced) students will most certainly
be students with disabilities. As is their experience in living
with a disability,
the impact of Hurricane Katrina on their lives could be
even more complicated than for their classmates. Along with
everything else that has been lost,
many will have lost critical documentation of their disability
and past history of services -- and may have no conceivable
means of retrieving or recreating that documentation in the foreseeable
future. - Institutions of higher education across the country are stepping
forward to offer their help in providing a safe haven for displaced
students, and a chance to resume their lives and their education as quickly
as possible.
As these students are absorbed into our campus communities, it
is appropriate for the disability services unit to do its part in creating
a welcoming
atmosphere that will allow students who have already suffered
so much loss to get on with their educational careers. - For students with disabilities who arrive on our campuses without
formal documentation, it is appropriate to consider what options
and alternatives we can provide that will allow them access to services
and support through
nontraditional mechanisms. Moreover, the successful integration
of students with disabilities into host institutions will take more than
a welcoming
campus climate or disability services office. They will need
help in orienting themselves to a new campus/community. They will need
help in finding and
maintaining their focus in the wake of their devastating losses.
They will need the patience and understanding of those around them.
The information gathered offers a wealth of ideas and suggestions
for questions to ask and actions to take in developing your own
pro-active response to
aid these visiting students. For example, in addition to lists
of questions to be asked in gathering information typically found
in documentation, the DSS staff at Texas A&M have recognized that,
although they are willing to accept and serve these students
without formal documentation,
sooner or later the students will need more.
"Since these students may want to pursue graduate work
or transfer to another university, etc., we are attempting to
work with our psychology
training clinics and possibly some local psychologists to provide
free learning disability and/or ADHD evaluations at some point
during the fall
semester. We will serve as the 'clearinghouse' for these students
and refer them appropriately so that they will be able to take
documentation with them when they leave the university," said Kristie
Orr, Assistant Director of Disability Services.
This innovative approach is just the kind of thing that
AHEAD hopes will be shared. Disability
service providers everywhere
have referral lists of local providers to whom they regularly
refer students without adequate documentation for further testing.
When Katrina's evacuees
land on campus, each of us could pick up the phone and call one
of these local professionals and ask them to do their part in
hurricane relief
by helping the student replace what has been lost, pro bono.
In the end, the response of AHEAD members and professionals in this field
to the immediate needs of those students hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina
may forever redefine the way disability services are delivered. There
are lessons to be learned from all this, about "thinking outside
the box" and being responsive to the individual needs of students
with disabilities in educational settings. Perhaps as we offer our support,
we can also widen our vision.
Professional Development Calendar
Take advantage of these
upcoming events, conferences, and other opportunities to increase
and share your knowledge.
Calls for Presentations and Articles
ALERT submission and publication dates:
The
ALERT is now being published every other month. Please keep
those
articles
coming!
Here
is the
schedule
for submissions:
|
Submissions Due: |
Publication Date: |
|
October 21, 2005 |
November 4, 2005 |
|
December 16, 2005 |
January 9, 2006 |
|
February 17, 2006 |
March 3, 2006 |
2006 ADA Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion,
and Disability Conference, April 17 – 18,
2006
CALL FOR PAPERS: The organizing theme for the sixth
annual conference will be “Personal
Perspectives & Social Impact: The Stories We Tell.” The goal
is to encourage presenters and participants to reflect on how
personal experiences create and transform social, cultural, and
legal realities,
a look into what the psychologist Theodore Sarbin referred to
as “the
storied nature of human conduct.” Conference information and updates
will be posted to http://ada.osu.edu/conferences.htm For
presentation guidelines, to be on the mailing list or to suggest
a presenter, send an e-mail to ADA-OSU@osu.edu The
proposal deadline is October 1, 2005.
AHEAD 2006
Proposals
are due October 17, 2005. See the article in this ALERT for
details.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
For an anthology tentatively titled disABLED:
Women of Color in Higher Education: Multiple Voices and Identities
Transcending Race, Gender and Disabilities. Specifically seeking
personal stories and/or scholarly works written by and about
women of color with disabilities,
and their experiences in higher education. Writers are requested
to identify their racial backgrounds as well as their impairments
when submitting
works (will be included in any published bio statements), as
well as their status as either current or past higher education
student and/or employee.
Tentative topics may include works addressing: Education; Challenges;
Passing (experiences related to invisibility, and/or shielding
ones’ identity);
Coming Out (experiences related to becoming comfortable and “open” about
any combination of identities); Relationships (may involve sexual
orientation and other sexual experiences); Employment; Society,
and Other (we are
open to "other" possibilities and experiences contributors might
offer). This publication has great potential to be appealing
to those interested in disability studies, women's studies, diversity
studies,
psychology, sociology and other academic departments as well
as AHEAD Members, and the students served.
If interested in participating,
please
submit an original, unpublished manuscript to the editor, Dr.
Mary Lee Vance, at mvance@uwsuper.edu Submissions
must be typed as a Microsoft Word document and submitted electronically
to
the editor. Articles
should
be no longer than 5,000 words in length. Deadline for submissions
is December 16, 2005. Target publication date is expected to
be summer 2006.
AHEAD and Affiliate Events
AHEAD Audioconference Series
AHEAD is hosting a series of six
teleconferences this academic year, the first taking place on Thursday, October
6. We’ve recruited top-notch presenters for each session who will present
for approximately 90 minutes at a time. In addition to being less than half
the cost of other similar offerings, our teleconference programs, called
"AHEAD to YOU," will offer pre- and post-session opportunities for participants
to
Q&A with the presenters, handouts and presentation materials online in
advance of each session, and full real-time captioning of each teleconference
via the Internet. See detailed information on the AHEAD website at: http://www.ahead.org/training/audioconference/index.htm and take advantage of the discounted registration rates for AHEAD members.
AHEAD Regional Workshop Series
We have learned that while the annual Conference
is a phenomenal professional development and networking opportunity for those
who are able to attend, AHEAD members also have a need for the opportunity
to attend intensive, topic-driven workshops that require less investment of
time, money and energy. We’ve put together three exciting regional workshops
for the present academic year in hopes of widening the umbrella of availability
for professional education. The two-day events will focus on your choice of
Legal & Policy issues, or Psychological & Psychiatric Disability issues;
both directly and practically tied to disability services in higher education.
The dates and locations for these regional workshops are:
| October 28 - 29, 2005 | Alexandria, VA |
| February 10 - 11, 2006 | Houston, TX (co-sponsored by AHEAD in Texas) |
| April 21 - 22, 2006 | Las Vegas, NV |
Full program and registration materials are available at: http://www.ahead.org/training/reg_training/index.htm
Serving Students with Disabilities in TRIO Programs
AHEAD's premiere professional development training institute
for TRIO Program Staff will take place February 6 - 8, 2006 at The Imperial Palace
Hotel, Las Vegas, NV.
For
full
program
information
and
details,
plus
registration
materials, go to: http://www.ahead.org/training/trio/index.htm
AHEAD is a co-sponsor of George Washington University's "Reaching
Out to Students with Mental Illness" one-day seminar on October 14, 2005. Find
full information on
the Web at: www.gwu.edu/~dss
The Fall 2005 Career Expo for People with Disabilities,
co-sponsored by AHEAD, takes place on November 10th from 10 am to 3 pm at the
Marriott
Wardman
Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, D.C. Please spread the word
to people with disabilities to pre-register for the Career Expo at www.eop.com/exporegistration.html
By pre-registering and attaching a resume, job candidates with
disabilities will be able to not only get into the Career Expo faster but also
have their resume included in a CD resume disk that will be distributed to
all of the recruiters after the Career Expo.
Other Upcoming Conferences, Trainings, and Expositions
Check out these offerings from our colleagues in the fields of disability and
higher education:
3rd SALT Center Conference: A Generation of Experience:
What's Next?
Sponsored by: The University of Arizona, SALT Center, September 22 - 24, 2005,
at The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
A generation of students with learning and attention challenges has now been
educated through the benefits of laws that guaranteed them equal access to education
at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. What have we learned? Just how
far have we come? Has practice driven research? Or has research informed practice?
How will the next generations of learners benefit from our experiences?
BOOT CAMP for Disability Service Providers at ICU's:
(VERY) Intensive Training for New Recruits
October 1 - 4, 2005, Columbus,
OH
For years, new DSS providers have bemoaned the lack of start-up information
for those new to the field and to their positions. How do I know what to do,
or when? What do I need to know about the applicable laws? What kind of policies
and procedures need to be in place? What kind of technology is going to be
needed -- and what the heck does it do? For that matter, what am *I* supposed
to do??? No one needs this kind of information more than those brave enough
to assume the role of disability service provider (along with umpteen other
hats they wear!) at small, private institutions. For those intrepid souls,
we have put together an intensive orientation to your responsibilities that
we think you will find to be just what you need! For more information contact:
Jane Jarrow - JaneJarrow@aol.com or
Lydia Block - LSBlock@aol.com
The California Association for Postsecondary Education
and Disability (CAPED) 30th
Annual Convention – Creating
an Oasis: Innovations through Collaboration & Coordination, October 9 -
12, 2005, in Rancho Mirage, CA. For more information, visit their website at http://www.caped.net/convention2003.html or
contact Maureen Fry, Riverside Community College, 4800 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside,
CA 92506. Email: maureen.fry@rcc.edu,
FAX (909) 222-8059, Phone: (909) 222-8641.
8th Annual Accessing Higher Ground Conference: Accessible Media,
Web and
Technology Conference
November 8 - 11, 2005, University of Colorado,
Boulder
Accessing Higher Ground focuses on the implementation and benefits
of Assistive
Technology in the university and college setting for sensory, physical and
learning disabilities. Other topics include legal and policy issues, including
ADA and 508 compliance, and making campus media and information resources -
including Web pages and library resources - accessible. Also, this year the
Conference offers a special business track featuring accessibility workshops
for commercial media designers. For conference registration and general information,
please visit: www.colorado.edu/ATconference
Reading in the Rockies, the 56th Annual Conference
of the International
Dyslexia Association
November 9 - 12, 2005, in Denver, CO
This conference
will feature more than 400 national and international speakers, with over 200
sessions
including such topics as: Social/emotional issues, spelling and math, law and
legal issues, multisensory teaching approaches, medical and educational research,
assessment, foreign language learning, and more. For more information, go to
http://www.interdys.org/
The UK-based RNIB National Centre for Tactile Diagrams are holding their third
international conference on tactile diagrams, maps and pictures in Birmingham,
UK on 1-2 December 2005. This exciting international event covers all aspects
of tactile graphics (images which are touched rather than looked at) for blind
and partially sighted children and adults in education, work and life activities.
Tactile Graphics 2005 also offers an exhibition and pre-conference workshops
and will cover techniques, applications and literacy development of tactile
graphics. Full details are on the conference website www.nctd.org.uk/conference
The bi-ennial Conference of the Australian and New Zealand
Student Services Association (ANZSSA): Healthy, Wealthy and Wise? (Challenging
Sacred Cows in
the Learning Environment) will be held in Canberra on December
4 - 7, 2005. All student services practitioners and all those with an interest
in supporting students in the tertiary environment are warmly invited to attend.
The conference would be of interest to academics, administrators and students
as well as student support personnel. For more information, visit http://www.adcet.edu.au/uploads/documents/ANZSSAConference2005.htm
2006 ADA Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion,
and Disability Conference
April 17 – 18, 2006, at The Ohio
State University in Columbus, Ohio
"Identity is formed by social processes. Once crystallized, it is
maintained, modified, or even reshaped by social relations...Conversely, the
identities produced by the interplay of individual consciousness and social
structure react upon the given social structure, maintaining it, modifying
it, or even reshaping it." (Berger and Luckman, 1963)
The organizing theme
for the sixth annual conference will be “Personal Perspectives & Social
Impact: The Stories We Tell.” "Storytelling enables the individuals
in an organization to see themselves and the organization in a different
light, and accordingly make decisions and change their behavior in accordance
with
these new perceptions, insights and identities." (Steven Denning)
Conference information and updates will be posted to http://ada.osu.edu/conferences.htm
Canadian Association of College and University Student Services
presents CACUSS
2006 - Leading the Way, June 18-21, 2006 at McMaster University,
Hamilton, Ontario.
The conference theme, Leading the Way, is designed to celebrate
the
work that Student Service Professionals in Canada have done to pave the path
of success for students. The theme also challenges participants to demonstrate
compassion, accountability and innovation to continue Leading the Way. For
more information, check out the CACUSS 2006 Conference Web Site at http://www.cacuss.ca/en/02-conference/index.lasso
AHEAD 2006 Call for Proposals
Erin Evans and Michelle Peters, AHEAD 2006 Conference Program Co-chairs,
share their vision and seek proposals for San Diego.
The AHEAD 2006 Conference is destined to be our most successful
Conference yet. Every year we receive outstanding program proposals and this
year we expect the quality and diversity of sessions to increase. Why? We have
experienced some recent events that impact our service provision: the IDEA
Reauthorization, the decrease in TRIO funding, and Hurricane Katrina, to name
a few. We also know that the field of disability services continues to explode
and the theme of change is prevalent. Through conference sessions, we can respond
positively to change and provide professional support to each other. Let’s
strive to continue making significant contributions to the field of higher
education.
The Call for Proposals for the 2006 AHEAD Conference is available
at: http://www.ahead.org/training/conference/2006_conf/cfp.htm The
deadline for
proposals is Oct 17, 2005.
To demonstrate our commitment to the management of change, we have added a
new flavor to the program this year. We plan to carve out a schedule that allows
for several symposiums on Friday, July 21st, day 3 of the Conference, with
topical tracks. Symposiums will be facilitated by a seasoned professional and
will showcase the expertise of several presenters on a variety of topics. Symposia
topics will include Executive Leadership, Community Colleges, International
Exchange, Literature and Media, the Intersection of Culture and Disability,
Student Athletes with Disabilities, Academic Advising, Student Leadership Training,
Post-collegiate Outcomes, Student Affairs Issues, and Transition Perspectives.
In each symposium, we will schedule 3-4 topical speakers for a 30-45 minute
presentation each, followed by a moderated discussion and Q & A. The time
block per symposium will be either a morning session (9 am–Noon) or an
afternoon (2–5 pm) session; we would like to offer a total of 16-20 symposiums,
with a relatively equal share intended for the beginning, intermediate, and
seasoned professional. If you are interested in being a part of a symposium,
be sure to select the appropriate time frame (30-45 minutes) and format (Symposium
Lecture) on the Proposal Submission Form. We also plan to offer 50-60 concurrent
sessions, approximately 10 preconferences, 3-4 keynote speakers, and research-based
poster sessions.
How does this proposed program affect you? It affects you tremendously. We
know everyone has knowledge to share and this is the perfect time to forge
critical partnerships. Reach out to local high schools to extend an invitation
to present on transition issues, call your counterparts at local colleges to
brainstorm ideas about fiscal planning, personnel issues, or managing assistive
technology, or reach out to your academic and student affairs colleagues to
propose a session on judicial affairs, employment issues, residence life issues,
or strategies for training faculty. We invite you to answer the question “how
have your communities worked together to respond to the devastation of Hurricane
Katrina and the impact on students with disabilities, and disability services?”
We also want to receive proposals from high school, undergraduate, or graduate
students. Can they teach us strategies to effectively manage cultural issues,
career options, faculty negotiations, and self advocacy? Yes, they can! Let’s
drastically increase the number of students presenting at the AHEAD Conference
and the number of students attending the Conference. And think about preconference
topics; this is an opportunity to provide an in- depth and comprehensive training
on one critical topic.
All proposals should address one or more of these issues:
• How are we responding to challenges and changes within
higher education?
• How can DSS professionals proactively become leaders of change?
• How can we bridge the gap between the transition between high school
and college?
• How can we use concepts of Universal Access, or models of Assistive Technology
to facilitate change and access all aspects (programs and facilities)
of higher education?
• How do we recognize differences for inclusion to the higher education
community? How do we foster collaborative efforts on our campuses?
We enthusiastically
invite you to participate in the twenty-ninth annual AHEAD Conference in
San Diego!
The October 17th deadline for proposals is rapidly approaching,
and because we anticipate again this year to be flooded with proposals, we
will not extend
the deadline. Please plan to submit soon.
Join your colleagues from around the country and the world in beautiful San
Diego. Let’s maximize our abilities for Charting the Course for Change!!
For inquiries or clarification, feel free to contact your 2006 AHEAD Program
Chairs.
| Erin Evans Babson College eevans@babson.edu |
Michelle Peters Drexel University mmp46@drexel.edu |
Welcome to AHEAD 2006 in San Diego!
The Conference Committee is already finding
great things for you to do in San Diego for 2006.
What better place than San Diego to hold a conference with
the theme of transition and change? Located on the United States/Mexico
border, the San Diego region has always been “transitional” as
well as multicultural. San Diego is also positioned on the edge of the
Pacific Rim, with all the influences of the variety of cultures represented
by Pacific Rim countries. The San Diego region presents geographical transitions,
too—from ocean to mountains to desert, all within easy reach of
the second-largest city in California.
San Diego’s nautical history reaches back for over four hundred
years. Seventy miles of beaches and an active, gorgeous harbor ensure
a seagoing future, whether for defense, commercial or recreational purposes.
As the good ship “AHEAD 2006” gets underway, chart your own
course by bringing your family along and adding some extra days before
or after the conference to enjoy all that San Diego has to offer.
Explore San Diego’s many attractions, some of which are highlighted
below. Your local conference committee will be sharing additional information
about things to do in San Diego in future issues of ALERT. We are eager
for you to enjoy our dynamic and hospitable city!
AHEAD 2006 Conference Site
The Town and Country Resort is located in the Mission Valley area of
San Diego. Our consistently mild climate assures ample opportunities to
sit outside, stroll through the beautifully landscaped rose gardens, or
enjoy the pool. The resort is adjacent to the Fashion Valley Shopping
Center, a large shopping complex that also boasts a variety of restaurants
and a multi-plex movie theater. In addition, the San
Diego Trolley line
is adjacent to the resort and offers an easy way to get to Old Town, downtown
San Diego, and the Mexican border.
Old Town
Old Town State Historic
Park is
where the city of San Diego began. The original mission and presidio were
nearby; and the town developed below
as retired soldiers and settlers built homes here. In the mid-1830s,
Richard Henry Dana, Jr. described Old Town as "about forty dark brown looking
huts... and three or four larger ones, white-washed...” Although
San Diego is transformed into a city of tall buildings and bustling
freeways, Old Town recreates the setting of California life during the
Mexican and
early American periods, 1821-1872. Three original adobes have
been restored, the Casa de Estudillo, Machado y Stewart and Machado y
Silvas. Buildings
now house museums, shops and restaurants. Sip a marguerita while
listening to a mariachi band, or watch the restaurant workers make tortillas.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park covers 1,200 acres
just minutes away from downtown San Diego. Over 85 cultural and recreational
organizations call the park their home,
including fifteen museums and various performing arts groups,
like the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre and the world-famous Old Globe
Theatre,
which presents at least 14 productions and 550 performances a
year. And speaking of "world famous," the park is also home
to the San Diego Zoo, where you can stroll around the 100-acre grounds,
discovering
colorful and exotic species of animals displayed in spacious
natural habitats.
The rich ethnic diversity of San Diego is reflected in the Park’s
attractions: the Centro Cultural de la Raza; WorldBeat Center celebrating
cultures of African origins; the Japanese Friendship Garden; and the House
of Pacific Relations–17 cottages which are home to groups representing
30 different nations.
World Class Attractions
The big four tourist
attractions in San Diego include the San
Diego Zoo, located in Balboa
Park, the Wild Animal
Park in the northern part of San
Diego County, Legoland in Carlsbad, and Sea
World, a short drive
from the conference location. Package discounts are available from the
San
Diego Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.
Gaslamp Quarter
Combine an evening of fine
dining, music and dancing in San Diego’s
downtown Gaslamp Quarter, which is an easy trolley ride away
from the Town and Country Resort. Also located near the district is Petco
Park,
new home of the San Diego Padres baseball team.
Del Mar
The famous Del Mar Racetrack, “where the surf meets the turf,” will
be in operation during and after the conference dates. Explore the shops
in nearby La Jolla and Del
Mar, have a leisurely lunch, and then head
over to the races for the afternoon. For novices, there is a beginner’s
workshop on how to place your bets.
Golf
Riverwalk Golf Course is directly across the street from the Town and
Country Resort. There are several other golf courses nearby, from pitch
and putt to tournament level. San Diego County contains at least 80 golf
courses in all.
Disability Studies SIG Update
The Disability Studies SIG had a highly successful meeting
at the annual AHEAD Conference in Milwaukee. Resources were shared,
in particular, a blog web site for Mike Dorn, as well as the
Sociology and
Disability Studies publication and other related information.
Discussed also were concerns related to how disability studies
and disability service
providers may clash, or work collaboratively, along with brainstorming
of what this specific SIG could accomplish.
The brainstorming included:
- sponsor an event or reception (AHEAD) with the Disability Studies
Conference, or other conferences connected to disability studies
- work with staff, especially new ones, to participate in the
AHEAD Certification program
- make sure Disability Studies features prominantly in the AHEAD
certification curriculum
- as a SIG, choose a book to read, and then have on-line book
discussion
- develop a website with AHEAD, so that the history, as well
as current information of the DS SIG can be shared
- on website, post resources
- suggest a disability studies "expert" to be a plenary
speaker at AHEAD Conference
- propose disability studies workshops for AHEAD
- share popular weblinks, etc.
- ask AHEAD execs to help us get a website established
OK - now this is where you all come in. This SIG is as useful
as you make it. So, the DS people at the AHEAD Conference invite
additional AHEAD members who were not at the Conference session
to join an international listserv that will link interested AHEAD
members together on this very important topic. Please send an
e-mail to Neal@ahead.org stating
interest in joining the Disability Studies SIG listserv, disability_studies@ahead.org,
so the discussions online can continue
to help us all. When notified that you have been added to the
list, please do the following:
1) Introduce your name, institution, professional role and interest
in this SIGlist
2) Suggest any books, videos, speakers, etc. that you believe
are useful tools for a disability studies course (or AHEAD speaker)
3) Agree to commit to doing something on behalf of this SIG -
whether it is compiling suggested resources ( to be posted on
the web), to working with AHEAD as web liaison (to get the website
created, organized, etc.), to researching possible topics/speakers
we might want included at the next AHEAD Conference, etc. - you
name it, and you take initiative - fair enough??
Mary Lee Vance, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Academic and Career Advising
and Disability Support Services
University of Wisconsin - Superior
Old Main, Room 134
Belknap and Catlin, P.O. Box 2000
Superior, WI 54880-4500
Career SIG Update
Several people
interested in the Career SIG gathered at the annual AHEAD Conference.
Due to the shortness of time, there was little opportunity
to develop any concrete plans; however, a good deal of brainstorming
was done including:
• Interest expressed to learn more about career assessment tools
that have had particular success or postive track pattern with
students with disabilities - including those requiring less cognitive
abilities (MBTI, SDS, CAI, SII, CEI)
• Discussed link between learning styles and career decisions
• Shared our professional backgrounds and how we came to be interested
in the career aspect of disability services (turns out quite
a few of us either have DVR/DVS background, or are currently housed
or linked with career services)
• Discussed ways we could connect AHEAD with professional career
organizations
- such as having AHEAD sponsor a reception or session at NACE
- have AHEAD bring in a career speaker to be an AHEAD plenary speaker
- suggest career symposium, preconference, etc.
• Discussed strategies used with our SWD's
Before the meeting ended, it was agreed that we did want to pursue:
• a listserv that links those of us at the SIG meeting, and those
who also expressed an interest in the SIG (from membership
questionnaire)
• an AHEAD website with links and clearinghouse for information
• information/weblinks about college-to-work, DVR etc.
• information about matching funds, grants and other opportunities
that help SWD's with career development and placement
Next stage - the proposed list will be only
as good as the effort you all decide to invest into it. If
interested in being a part of this SIG listserv, career_sig@ahead.org,
please contact Neal@ahead.org
Mary Lee Vance, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Academic and Career Advising
and Disability Support Services
University of Wisconsin - Superior
Old Main, Room 134
Belknap and Catlin, P.O. Box 2000
Superior, WI 54880-4500
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Ann Kerby Honored at AHEAD Conference Ann Kerby was awarded the Professional Recognition Ann was one of the early members of the Association Ann highly values her work in disability and student services Ball State says Good-bye to Richard Harris As Richard Harris has been fond of saying: "If Richard's fondest memories predictably are of the hundreds of Richard will remain in Muncie. He plans to do some consulting, Autism Resource Available in Spanish For the first time in the United States, an autism specialist Emily Doyle Iland is the mother of three children, one of whom has autism. Ms. Iland translated their work into Spanish herself to insure accuracy and The sisters are the publishers and distributors of Los Trastornos What inspired Emily to translate their book: Both sisters speak, separately and together, about the themes detailed in Contact information:
Email: authors@asdatoz.com Fulfilling AHEAD’s Mission: Sometimes by Being a “Friend of the Court” In the past few years, AHEAD has been an active part of a group of For those AHEAD members who may not be familiar with Most often amici are heard in the form of briefs filed by an advocacy Often in prominent or highly controversial cases, amici curiae The Johnson and Miller cases both present issues that many AHEAD AHEAD is delighted to have been a part of this decision-making You can read the decision at: http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/02/02-30318-CV2.wpd.pdf In addition to Johnson and Miller, AHEAD has also been an amicus Supreme Court Circuit Courts Maryland State Court (1)"An amicus curiae brief that brings to the |
