AHEAD Academy

SPRING 2024

Beyond Accommodations: Exploring Our Purpose and How (and When) to Apply It
Background of small black boxes with targets on them, and one yellow block with a red target in the center, with an arrow in it
This 9-week course is designed for Disability Resources staff who want to understand key concepts and practices necessary to make informed accommodation decisions.   
 
An excellent introductory course for new disability resources professionals, or a great refresher for more experienced staff, this course will cover a range of essential concepts for the field. By the end, participants will be well-equipped to identify disability-related academic and program barriers; when and why accommodations are reasonable and necessary; and how to thoughtfully consider alternatives to student-proposed accommodations, ensuring an inclusive and accessible educational environment for all students. 
 
This course is divided into 5 sections, featuring recorded video lectures, readings, assignments, scenario prompts, and a live synchronous session every 2 weeks. A certificate of completion is available from AHEAD once you have finished the course. 
 
Students should plan 3 hours over the span of two weeks to complete each module containing the videos, readings, and reflection questions in addition to the 90-minute live sessions. The instructors and AHEAD staff will be available throughout the course to give feedback and support to students as needed. 

Concepts covered will include:

  • Purpose/Mission of Disability Office Work 
  • Social justice and its relationship to nondiscrimination  
  • The interactive process
  • Fundamental alteration
  • Determining when academic barriers are present 
  • Determining when program barriers are present (housing, dining, transportation, campus activities, code of conduct, etc.) 

This course is designed to include 90-min synchronous interactive sessions in addition to the videos, readings, and assignments. If you will not be able to participate in the synchronous sessions (see schedule below), you may miss out on important course concepts and interactive engagement. If you want to participate in this course but are unsure if you'll be able to attend synchronous sessions,  or have other questions/concerns, please contact us at profdev@ahead.org before registering.

Schedule

  • Eastern Time February 5 Module 1 available.
  • 3:00-4:30pm Eastern Time February 15 Live Discussion via Zoom
  • Eastern Time February 19 Module 2 available.
  • 3:00-4:30pm Eastern Time February 29 Live Discussion via Zoom
  • Eastern Time March 4 Module 3 available.
  • 3:00-4:30pm Eastern Time March 14 Live Discussion via Zoom
  • Eastern Time March 18 Module 4 available.
  • 3:00-4:30pm Eastern Time March 28 Live Discussion via Zoom
  • 3:00-4:30pm Eastern Time April 4 Live Discussion via Zoom

Course Instructors

Adam Meyer
Adam Meyer, Ph.D. is the Director of the Student Accessibility Services office and of Inclusive Education Services at the University of Central Florida. He was previously the Director of disability resource offices at Eastern Michigan University and Saint Louis University. Adam has served on the AHEAD Board of Directors and on AHEAD Standing Committees. He presents regularly on documentation, the social model of disability, leadership and office operations, initial student interviews, office data, and budgetary basics. Adam worked in the intellectual disability field for nearly 10 years prior to working in higher education. 

Jamie Axelrod
Jamie Axelrod, M.S. is the Director of Disability Resources at Northern Arizona University and a past-president of AHEAD. Jamie presents regularly on topics related to disability access and higher education, having expertise in disability law and policy, communication and information technology (ICT) access, and the reasonable accommodation process. Jamie is a respected contributor to professional listservs, having received the Fink-Ryan Award for the quality of his guidance, and a go-to consultant for complex issues. He has worked for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s athletic department, as a mental health therapist, and for Protection and Advocacy Systems, Inc., a disability rights advocacy law firm where he served as an advocate for individuals with disabilities who were claiming that their civil rights had been violated. Jamie has served as co-chair of Northern Arizona University’s Commission on Disability Access and Design and on AHEAD’s Board of Directors. 


Registration & Pricing

Registration Full

Access the Course 
beginning at 9 am EST on Monday, February 5, 2024


  • AHEAD Members - $250.00 (Requires sign in with current AHEAD membership information)
  • Non-Members - $350.00 

AHEAD offers a "Pay by Invoice" option for this course and all other products on its eLearning platform. However, to receive access to your purchase and to begin this course, you MUST contact AHEAD and make a full payment if you are paying by check or purchase order BEFORE this course begins. You may also pay your invoice using your credit card by selecting your purchases in your profile on the eLearning platform, or via the Order Number link or View Order link in the Order Confirmation email that will be sent to your email address after registering.

Refunds for registrations/payment are available only by contacting AHEAD before the start of this course. Refunds are only offered in cases of emergency or unforeseen circumstances and only by request sent to AHEAD by email at ahead@ahead.org.

Registration MUST be made in the name and email of the student taking the class. Not supervisor, admin, Purchasing Department, etc.

 

Did you register for the course? You can access the course beginning at 9 am EST on Monday, February 5.

 

If you have questions, please contact profdev@ahead.org


Logistics

  • All video presentations in the course are pre-recorded for asynchronous viewing. They all include captioning.
  •  AHEAD staff are available for additional assistance as needed.
  • AHEAD will provide a “Teaching Assistant” and technical help to support the class.