Fall 2020 Conference Recordings

ORAHEAD’s logo. The letters O and R are red and the word ahead is black. A black pine tree emerges out of the left side of the H. Underneath the text reads Oregon Association for Higher Education and Disability.

The $55.00 Fall 2020 Conference Recording Package includes the following presentations:

“Bringing theory to practice: Applying a Critical Dis/ability Studies lens to our work”. Presented by Jewls Griesmeyer Krentz, Portland State University Critical Dis/ability Studies (CDS) is an interdisciplinary field that emphasizes the ways in which dis/ability is constructed within social, political, historical, economic, and cultural contexts. This session will focus on seven themes gleaned from CDS literature and their implications to the everyday work of disability services. There will be time to discuss specific issues in our field and brainstorm solutions by adopting a CDS lens.

 “Using this Moment to Create a Movement Toward Greater Equity and Access”. Presented by Malissa Larson, Western Oregon University, and panel guests  

"Re-considering educational support services for deaf learners with language deprivation". Presented by Melanie DeLeon, Portland Community College and Dr. Shannon Graham, Washington School for the Deaf. New research around language deprivation and it's impacts on development will inform the accommodation process for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Providing an ASL interpreter might not be enough. Dr. Graham will share her observations and touch on how language deprivation impacts learning in the academic setting. Let's talk about what additional services might be needed to provide services that better ensure retention and success of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students who experience language deprivation.

“Disability Equity Center: Building Cross-Identity Community and Coalition”, Presented by Allison Hobgood and panel guests, Disability Equity Center. How can we all work together to build disability culture and pride while making the world more equitable for everyone? What does safe space for coalition, community building, and connection between disabled people as well as their friends and allies look like? This presentation will entail discussion about social justice matters from grassroots organizing to intersectional identities to disability and public health and education. We also invite you to consider how local, community grassroots organizing models are/are not translatable in higher ed, and how these community partners can be an important part of the fabric of both institutions and student experiences.

“Building Bridges of Communication: Taking Accessibility and Inclusion Beyond The Classroom”. Presented by Patricia Kepler, Phyllis Petteys, Shasti Mclaughlin, Usha Ramanujam, Portland Community College. College students (as well as faculty and staff) with disabilities often feel they lack a connection with the college community. Few identity centers on campuses focus on disability, causing disability to be omitted from student led social justice work. In response to the need to shift the culture so that disability is always recognized as diversity and as a marginalized group, PCC developed the Committee on Accessible College Culture. This presentation outlines the work we have done to support the cultural development of students with disabilities, and steps we have taken to build bridges of communication and collaboration between students, staff and faculty. We will share where it’s been hard to get traction, our activities during the pandemic, and planned next steps. We hope to engage with other Oregon colleges and universities to share efforts, and discuss how we can all partner to encourage and foster college culture that celebrates and values disability.

“Lessons Learned from Conversations with the Community”. Presented by Fay Stetz-Waters, Director of Civil Rights, Oregon Department of Justice. What happens when the Oregon Department of Justice—the state’s largest law firm--endeavors to have a conversation with the community about barriers to access to services and programs? During the summer of 2020, the Oregon Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Unit and our Crime Victims Survivor Support Division did just that. We held 12 community conversations and invited people from communities impacted by inequity to learn more about the barriers that keep some people from accessing programs and services. Our conversations could not have come at a more crucial time. We learned from people’s experiences and are using their comments to help update and revise our policies and to provide greater access to those who rely on our services.

ORAHEAD Business Meeting

Listserv in Real Time. Moderated by Gabe Merrell, Oregon State University, and Jennifer Gossett, Oregon Health and Science University. This session provides a chance for participants to pose a question or make a comment just as you would over the listserv, but in real time! Responses are generally limited to three replies, before the topic changes to a new thread.

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