Thank you for stopping by to learn more about the Coalition for Disability. Take some time to look through our content and don’t hesitate to share how you’d like to get involved. Use the menu below to jump to a section of interest.
Please contact us at [email protected] or connect with the members of our Directorate Body with questions or ideas.
Our MISSION
In conjunction with the mission of ACPA—College Student Educators International, the Coalition for Disability is committed to values that support inclusivity, engage people to have new experiences, and inspire others to become advocates through our work. In addition, the coalition is dedicated to the advancement of disability education within the field of higher education to further awareness, eliminate commonly held misconceptions, and encourage people to view disability as a tenet of diversity.
inclusion
As a Coalition, we aim to pull together students, faculty, those with disabilities, disability service providers, and allies to carry out the mission of the Coalition for Disability (CD). The CD works with other inclusion groups in ACPA, by facilitating dialogue and collaboration.
access
Primarily focused on environmental accessibility, the coalition plays an integral role in providing access for the annual national convention. The CD, through the leadership of the access chair, takes the lead ensuring that convention space, technology, and transportation are accessible to individuals of all abilities.
Advocacy
The Coalition for Disability values advocacy by recognizing and awarding the work of professionals in higher education that raises awareness, promotes inclusivity, and encourages advocacy of individuals with diverse abilities.
Education Research
Within the Coalition, we are dedicated toward the acquirement and dissemination of information regarding disabilities within society and, more specifically, higher education. Through annual newsletters and social media, the coalition strives to educate practicing professionals on best practices and current events.
HISTORY & Resources
Founder: Alice Mitchell (2000)
Past Chairs: Karen Myers (2001-05), Mary Tregoning (2005-2007), Nancy Badger (2007-2009), Katherine Stolz (2009-2011), Melanie Thompson (2011-2013), Michael Kutnak (2013 – 2014), Erika Heffernan (2015-2016), Dale Ellen O’Neill (2016-2018), Spencer Scruggs (2018-2022), Capria Berry (2022-2024)
Historical documents
News & Updates
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
upcoming events
There are no upcoming events at this time
Meet the Directorate
Rory O'Neill Schmitt
Special Projects Coordinator
she/her/hers
Antonia DeMichiel
Membership Engagement Coordinator
she/her/hers
Pamela Butler
Membership Engagement Coordinator
she/her/hers
Get Involved
Become a member of the Coalition for Disability! Support student learning in higher education by helping to share knowledge of best practices, policies, and programs for those working with disabilities or for students with disabilities in the higher education community.
Ready to join?
Joining an Entity through the ACPA Member Portal automatically identifies you as a member of that Entity! You will begin to receive Entity communications through their respective email listserv and have access to any resources they share!
- Login to your ACPA Member Account
- Click on Community Groups (Chatter)
- Click Groups
- Click Active Groups
- Find the entity you want to join and within that group, click +Join
Contact [email protected] to learn more or ask questions!
Any ACPA member can become involved and there are varying levels of involvement:
- Attend our open business meeting at the annual ACPA convention
- Review conference programs for the annual convention
- Submit a sponsored program proposal for the annual convention
- Host an ACPA2GO Webinar
- Write a blog post to be featured in our blog section below
Volunteer with the Coalition for Disability at ACPA25
- Connection Point (Convention On-Site)
- Description: Connection Point is ACPA’s involvement fair that happens on the first day of convention. This is an event where we table and give away small items, help folks sign up for the email list and tell them more about the coalition and opportunities for engagement. This can be done sitting or standing, it is usually a pretty loud event. We will have all the materials including talking points prepared for you.
- Timeline: The event lasts for a single hour on Sunday and is before the opening session.
- Endorsed Program Introductions (Convention On-Site)
- Description: Become an ambassador and welcome our endorsed program presenters. It is common for endorsed programs to have a small token from the coalitions providing endorsement as well as an intro announcement from the coalition. It is most appropriate that the group providing the endorsement has one person doing the speaking portion and greet the presenters and that person stays for the entire session.
- Timeline: Once endorsed programs are solidified and the program book schedule is set, we can connect with those of you expressing interest and divide the task.
- Social Media at Convention (Convention On-Site)
- Description: Our busiest season on social media usually begins 100 days out from Convention and really increases during convention itself. It would be helpful to have folks working on graphics and posting during the event in February and even leading up to February’s convention. Many convention items come with templates centrally from ACPA. This responsibility can be shared in a number of ways: Social Media volunteer(s) can do all graphics and all posting, awards folks can do awards graphics and send to social media folks, endorsed programs can write blurbs for endorsed program posts, etc. Any system will work, we just need people to be actively engaged in that process at Convention and assistance leading up to it. Coalitions & Networks also has short guidance on posting.
- Timeline: Late October start through February
Awards
Annually in the fall semester, the Coalition for Disability collects nominations for our annual awards process. Recipients are announced in mid-December and awarded at the next ACPA Convention.
Intersectionality Award
In line with ACPA’s mission, this award is given to a scholar and/or practitioner who promotes awareness of the intersectionality between disability and other identities. Through scholarship, community outreach, or professional services, this award winner will exhibit cultural competency and advocacy for the unique experiences and challenges that individuals with disabilities and other intersecting identities encounter.
Alice A. Mitchell Ally Award
In honor of the founder of the Coalition for (Dis)Ability, this award will be given to a postsecondary educator or staff member who is supportive of the disability community. An ally is actively involved in promoting inclusion of individuals with disabilities in addition to promoting awareness of disability-related concerns. Allies act as advocates for the (dis(ability community.
Disability Leadership Award
This award is given to an individual with a disability who has contributed to promoting awareness of, knowledge about, and inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Contributions may be made through research, advocacy, or professional work.
Disability Service Provider
This award is given to an individual who is a disability service provider in a postsecondary education setting. A disability service provider promotes access and inclusion for people with disabilities by working to ensure equal access to curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular programs, activities and services.
Nominations close on October 31. Nominate a colleague today! Here is the nomination form. Stay tuned for our Award Celebration!
Coalition for Disability Blog
Mid-Level Community of Practice’s Monthly Newsletter
Each month, the MLCOP publishes a newsletter which includes articles about best practices in student affairs/services, current trends in higher education, research opportunities, as well as Mid-Level Professional Spotlights. Please see below digest of past...
Fall 2023 Leadership Council Nomination, Election, and Appointment Information
Dear ACPA Members, The annual ACPA Leadership Council Elections process is open NOW through 11:59 pm (EST) on Friday, 20 November 2023. Thank you for visiting the 2024-2025 Leadership Council Elections site to learn more about the candidates by clicking on their...
Defending the critical work of DEI in Higher Education
ACPA - College Student Educators International expresses our profound sadness and alarm on the ongoing threats to the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within U.S. Higher Education. ACPA is committed to this work and to reinforcing the importance of...
Virtual Collective Visioning Sessions
Join the ACPA@100 Planning Team for VIRTUAL collective visioning sessions! Engage in conversations on the values and social norms that should guide our profession and Association as we prepare to meet the challenges of the next 100 years. Data collected via these...
(Blog) Finding Community Through ACPA23
Finding Community Through ACPA23 by Laura Vaughn Description: If you are curious about what ACPA 2023 at New Orleans was like, read what Laura Vaughn's blog post. She is a first time ACPA attendee and talks about the conference sessions, the environment, and the...
The Next 100 Years Podcast Series
The ACPA@100 Planning Committee seeks speakers for The Next 100 Years PodCast Series! Share your ACPA story while imagining what's to come in student affairs and higher education in the next 100 years. The committee hopes to have 2-3 speakers for each topic below to...
ACPA23 Photos
photos by ©Alexander Photographer
Guide on attending ACPA: How to maximize your conference experience
Attending a conference can be intimidating and overwhelming, especially if you are a new attendee. Other things might contribute to the uneasiness; for instance, meeting new people, feeling like you do not belong, or the ongoing pandemic. We hope this guide, curated...
Supervision is Selfless: Four things to keep in mind when supervising Graduate Assistant
By Nneka Walson Coordinator for RSO Support, University of Tennessee - Knoxville Student Organizations & Activities Chair, Commission for Student Involvement Supervision in Higher Education does not follow a one size fits all model. Supervision deserves an...
OEE at ACPA23 and Endorsed Programs
Find OEE at ACPA23 Annual Convention CelebrACPA and Opening Reception Look for the Task Force for Online Experiences & Engagement Table Sunday 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM Chat with Online Experiences & Engagement Task Force Balcony I - New Orleans Marriott Monday 8:45...