A new format to Accessibility Awareness Day will see live, virtual workshops held each of the five Tuesdays in March, from 11:30 a.m. to noon.

The Office of Human Rights, Equity, and Accessibility has organized the presentations on the theme “It’s Accessible, but is it Inclusive?” with the intention of fostering an environment in which all people feel like they belong and are active contributors to the campus and the greater community.

The first in the series is March 2, “Welcoming Disability with the Social Model.” This presentation will introduce central tenets of the social model of disability. Attendees will explore how the social model approaches disability differently from common medical and charity models, and the impact that valuing disability can have on teaching, learning, and practice.

Presenting are Jijian Voronka, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work who uses critical disability studies perspectives to elucidate confluences of power that affect disabled people in everyday, community, and institutional life; and social work student Iseonna Silliker, whose courses in disability studies have fostered her passion for accessibility, social inclusion, and human rights.

The series will continue

• March 9, “Accessibility, Inclusion, and the Limits of the Law”
• March 16, “Supporting Human-Centered Design”
• March 23, “Accessible Online Education During the Pandemic and Beyond”
• March 30, “Keynote Address: Inclusion has to be Purposeful”

Find more information, including session registration, on the Accessibility Awareness Day website.