Leadership and Influence: A Culture of Access Starts with the Your Purpose - Part I

In many disability resource offices, spending time on mission and vision is a luxury lost to day-to-day demands. If these statements of purpose exist at all, they may simply be words on paper that neither inform the office’s work nor guide its goals. However, the strategic development and active use of purpose and mission statements can also be critical steps in guiding both internal practices and external collaborations. When purpose and mission align with internal and external operations, the disability resource office can maximize its effectiveness by committing resources strategically, designing procedures that advance goals, and influencing the campus response to disability. 

This three-part webinar series will guide you in articulating a purpose for your office and using it to actively guide your work. Intentionally offered during the summer when you may have more time to think strategically, our goal is to offer food for thought, encourage deep thinking, and provide models for moving forward. You will explore how to identify a purpose that both guides your office and pushes it to be more than transactional. These webinars will support those working in large offices, small offices, or as the sole staff member addressing access on the campus.

• Part I: Identifying Your Purpose. We will focus on creating a purpose and mission for the office. This session will include discussion of the leadership and influence role that a disability resource office can play on campus. We will look at how philosophies such as social justice, civil rights, and legal compliance inform our work as influencers on campus. We will lead you through a critical analysis of sample purpose and mission statements, share resources for leadership development, and discuss strategies for communicating your message to the campus community. Thursday, June 6, 3 - 4:30 p.m. Eastern

• Part II: Using the Purpose to Inform Internal Practices. We will center on practical application, using the office purpose, mission, and philosophy to guide internal practices and processes. The language we use (in team communication, case notes, accommodation letters, recommended syllabus statements, and websites) will be explored. We’ll also address the impact of office procedures (i.e., can they create yet another barrier students must navigate?) and the implicit focus revealed though organizational charts and job descriptions. We will explore how the disability resource office can impact student development with framing conversations based on a social justice philosophy, purpose, and mission. Thursday, June 13, 3 - 4:30 p.m. Eastern

• Part III: Using the Purpose to Guide Collaborations. Collaboration is a necessary part of fostering a truly accessible and welcoming college experience for students with disabilities. We’ll explore strategies for empowering others to work within their spheres of influence to create a culture of access. Working outward, we’ll consider our role within the campus community. How can be we involved, develop allies, and broaden the scope of our work beyond individual accommodations? We will explore the potential role of the disability office professional. What sort of expert are we supposed to be? How do we empower others to facilitate access? How do we promote universal design and inclusion? Thursday, June 20, 3 - 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Full of practical examples and thought-provoking content, these webinars will build on one another. Participants will receive questions to consider before and after each session and have the opportunity to draft purpose, mission, and procedural statements for their offices. An online community will be set up to support sharing ideas and resource both during the webinar series and afterward.

Registration

• Price

  • Member: $179

  • Non-Member: $249