1. WebAIM’s Hierarchy

2. How to Win Over Faculty and Influence Campus Culture Utah AHEAD Conference October 23, 2015 Kimberly Tanner, Ed.D Valdosta State University

3. Agenda Introduction Overview of Project ShIFT Faculty Partner Interview – What messages are we sending? Framework for changing the way we do our work What are the ways we interact with our faculty now? Tactics brainstorm results – Recent AHEAD presentation Co-presented with Katheryne Staeger-Wilson from Missouri State University Project ShIFT Refocus Website Questions and Answers

4. Project ShIFT Federally funded three-year grant program Worked with selected colleges and universities across the country to: – Examine the policies and practices of the DS office – Integrate the values of a social construction of disability and universal design into each office – Work with selected faculty to integrate Universal Design

5. Faculty Partner Interview Question: Can you recall any messages that might have been sent from disability services, either intentionally or unintentionally, that impacted perceptions that you or your colleagues had about working with students with disabilities on campus? – “An impression was often…legalistic. ‘You better be right.’ ‘Do it this way or else you’re in trouble.’ I don’t think that it was intentional…And it wasn’t always from your office…it was reinforced from deans at the start of the semester meetings…The non-verbal message is...fear. “Don’t screw this up faculty.” – “Lawsuits…are certainly more pervasive. ‘Be on the right side or else.’ And so I think it probably unknowingly put up some barriers…’We’re not partners,’ but…you’re sort of police.” – “It wasn’t how it ought to be…how it should be. But I think…it was the perception. And I think you’ve changed that among a lot of faculty.” – I’m sure that every time we picked up the phone and talked with you, it’s like, “Is she taking notes?” Is this, you know, “Am I about to be in trouble?” And that isn’t what you were about, but that’s our perception of what a conversation with you was going to be about.

6. Faculty Partner Interview (cont.) Question: When, as a faculty member you feel fear, or that’s the impression that maybe other people were fearful, how do you think that impacted your working relationships with your students with disabilities? – “I think it was like, ‘I have to do exactly what this letter says and I can’t vary a single thing,’ and…if I’m going to vary, I better vary on a way that I think is weighed toward the student, even if I pedagogically am not…so sure…If I am going to be cited, I’m going to be cited for…overly being on the student’s side instead of being the other way around.” – “And I think it probably impacted students…‘Oh no. I have, unfortunately, one of them’...And so, it just made things more tense. – “And you were always pro-student because you were defending them and we were always…in the wrong…We had a lot of situations were that—it was never anything intentional—whether it was the language we used or, maybe the process we used that gave it that, that feel.” – Faculty Partner Video Faculty Partner Video

7. Medical Model vs. Social Model Medical model Disability is a deficiency or abnormality Being disabled is negative Disability resides in the individual Socio-political model Disability is a difference Being disabled, in itself, is neutral Disability derives from interaction between individual and society Gill, C. 1994. Two models of disability. Chicago Institute of Disability. University of Chicago.

8. Medical Model vs. Social Model (cont.) Medical model The remedy for disability- related problems is cure or normalization of the individual The agent of remedy is the professional who affects the arrangements between the individual and society Socio-political model The remedy for disability- related problems is a change in the interaction between the individual and society The agent of remedy can be the individual, an advocate, or anyone who affects the arrangements between individual and society Gill, C. 1994. Two models of disability. Chicago Institute of Disability. University of Chicago.

9. Communication with Faculty What are some of the ways that we communicate with faculty in our profession? What messages might be sent from these interactions?

10. Change the language we use to change faculty perceptions Letters Pre-Shift Accommodation Letter The student below has provided the Access Office with documentation of a disability that indicates that the following accommodations are reasonable and would enable the student to fulfill their academic requirements in the course below. Letters Post-Shift Faculty Letter Valdosta State University is committed to providing inclusive learning environments. Equal access can often be achieved through course design. However, barriers to learning or assessment may still exist for a student with a disability in your course. The following methods of instruction/assessment facilitate access for the student.

11. Change the language we use to change faculty perceptions (cont.) Letters Pre-Shift Accommodations allowed Students must return the signed Accommodation Letter to the Access Office prior to scheduling the first exam. This signed letter indicates that a faculty member has been notified of the need for accommodations. Letters Post-Shift Methods of Instruction/Assessment Faculty: In order to verify that you have received this electronic Faculty Letter, please respond to the read receipt request. Please make arrangements with the student to determine how the methods listed below will be implemented in your course.

12. Changing the Mission Statement also changes how we approach our work Pre-Shift The Access Office is responsible for coordination of services for students with disabilities. The primary objectives are to provide reasonable accommodations and assure that campus programs and activities are accessible to students with disabilities. Post-Shift The mission of the Access Office is to create an accessible, inclusive, sustainable learning environment, where disability is recognized as an aspect of diversity that is integral to the campus community and to society. Our primary objective is to provide equal access to campus programs and activities for all students while upholding the academic standards of Valdosta State University.

13. Co-Teach with Faculty Create a disability and film course to learn and model how to design and teach inclusively Consider being a guest speaker (“don’t cancel class, have DRC as guest speaker”) Drop in hours at the Faculty Center Develop a faculty advisory group-they can become your guidance and voice

14. Find and Create Faculty Allies Use great faculty as ambassadors Collaborate with Faculty Centers on campus Consider partnering with faculty to help facilitate programming (e.g. book club: "Disability" or "The Disabled God") Talk with interested faculty about investigating a Disability Studies Minor (interdisciplinary) Investigate the possibility of Faculty Fellows with Release Time (Inclusive Teaching)

15. Partner with Students Advise a student organization Utilize students to increase access on campus- Student Government Association (students have great power) Encourage disabled students to get involved and serve as SGA senators Arrange to have students with disabilities serve on committees (e.g., building planning) Hire disabled students to check technology and work with faculty

16. Change the Way “We” Train Technology-related training should be done by the department who has this responsibility Access should be infused into all training rather than provided in a separate training (e.g., web accessibility) If requests for awareness programming are in conflict with your mission, educate and offer alternatives to enhance programming – Disability Studies vs. Simulations/Sensitivity – Work with the office that does cultural programming to include disability Train on the role that everyone plays to create a sustainable, inclusive environment

17. Choose/Create Great Colleagues Serve on search committees to hire more allies Attend open interviews for positions across the campus and ask a question of each candidate that gets them sharing their ideas about inclusion Value the right skills in your office for future hires (e.g., communication, collaboration, etc.). Collaborate with future student affairs professionals program to educate our future colleagues and team members Project ShIFT’s Refocus-resources to help re- imagine our work Project ShIFT’s Refocus-resources to help re- imagine our work

18. Reward Your Allies Identify awesome faculty and feature them on your website, in a newsletter, or on social media Annual DRC appreciation luncheon Donor funded community advocate program, similar to paid interns, to enhance services

19. A few additional ideas… Serve on the Institutional Review Board Attend faculty socials and network Attend open forums and ask questions Use social media to promote ideas and events Use the "I wonder..." technique to address difficult topics Set a goal to do one creative, innovative event each year

20. What are your questions? What are your ideas? Contact Information: – Kimberly Tanner – Access Office – Valdosta State University – Valdosta, GA – katanner@valdosta.edu katanner@valdosta.edu – 229-245-2498