[Katina Rogers]

Wednesday, February 8 | 2 PM to 4 PM EST, Skylight Room | Livestream: bit.ly/fight4edu-live | #fight4edu | RSVP 

Description

Join the Futures Initiative on Wednesday, February 8 from 2-3pm for “Accessibility, Mobility, and Design,” a conversation about the meaning of mobility and the role of design as a process that can cultivate a culture of accessibility that goes beyond accommodations. Sara Hendren (Olin College of Engineering) and April Coughlin (SUNY, New Paltz) will discuss physical, structural, and attitudinal barriers within and outside of the classroom that shape access to education for students with disabilities. The discussion will be moderated by Jessica Murray (Futures Initiative Fellow, GC Doctoral Student in Human Development).

This panel is the fourth in this year’s series The University Worth Fighting For. This series ties student-centered pedagogical practices to institutional change, race, equality, gender, and social justice.

We invite you to also join a student-led Twitter chat on “Accessibility, Mobility, and Design” on February 8 from 3-4 p.m. at the hashtag #fight4edu.

• 2:00 – 3:00 In person and livestream event
• 3:00 – 4:00 Reception & Twitter chat

This panel is the fourth in this year’s series The University Worth Fighting For.  This series ties student-centered pedagogical practices to institutional change, race, equality, gender, and social justice.

Panelist Bios 

Sara Hendren is an artist, design researcher, and assistant professor at Olin College. Her work engages adaptive and assistive technologies, prosthetics, inclusive design, accessible architecture, and related ideas. Her work has been exhibited in the US and abroad and is held in the permanent collection at MOMA (NYC), and her writing and design work have appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, FastCo Design, and on National Public Radio (US), among others. Work at various stages includes ramp design for wheelchair users and skateboarders; low-tech assistive devices; the long-running Accessible Icon Project, which she co-founded; and a book on the unexpected places where disability is at the heart of design, out from Riverhead/Penguin in 2018-2019. She lectures widely and formerly taught at the Rhode Island School of Design. She runs Olin’s Adaptation + Ability Group and the Abler website.

April Coughlin has been using a chair since the age of 6. She is an accomplished teacher and former competitive triathlete, competing in several races and marathons. She recently earned a doctorate in Inclusive Education and Disability Studies at Syracuse University. She is a passionate advocate for accessibility, particularly regarding physical environments. A champion of spatial access, April has a portfolio of considerations and suggestions to improve the usability of most physical locations. For years, April has worked closely with individuals with new spinal cord injuries to mentor them and ease them into their new reality. Likewise, she has worked with doctors and care providers to deliver sensitivity workshops and advice.

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