2026 AHEAD Virtual Conference

AUGUST 4-6, 2026

AHEAD understands that not everyone will be able to join us in Providence this year for the 2026 Conference, therefore, AHEAD is excited to offer a virtual conference option on Tuesday through Thursday, August 4-6, 2026.

The three-day Virtual Conference will feature 30 different concurrent sessions, selected from the Providence conference, as well as multiple opportunities to network with other disability professionals from around the country through roundtable discussions on various topics. The package also includes a recording of the keynote presentation from Paul Grossman!

We want to ensure there is something for everyone, so the concurrent sessions selected for the Virtual Conference will include content relevant to all stages of a disability professional’s journey, specific fields, student populations, and more. Content will range from legal frameworks and the nitty-gritty of accommodation decision-making to campus-wide alliances and other topics pertaining to the issues happening on campuses right now.

Most sessions of the virtual program will be recorded so that you can join live or catch up on presentations via recording whenever it’s convenient. CRCC and RID CEUs will be preapproved for both the in-person (Providence) and Virtual Conferences, and certificates of attendance for other types of CEUs are available.

For those already registered for the in-person conference in Providence, but also interested in catching additional sessions you couldn’t attend there, registration for the Virtual Conference can be added to the in-person Providence conference registration for just $25!

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Registration Costs

Member Pricing, Virtual Conference only: $349.00
- Discount code to receive the member rate (requires member sign-in)
Non-Member Pricing, Virtual Conference only: $499.00
Virtual Conference Add-on to the Providence In-Person Conference: $25

For the Virtual Conference Only registration, there is a 10% discount on registration of 10 or more people from the same institution. To enquire, please email ahead@ahead.org.

Event links and information will be sent the week before the virtual conference.

Registration for the Virtual Conference should be treated like registration to an in-person event--each registration supports access for one person to the virtual event. A single registration cannot be shared with any other individuals to access the Virtual Conference, EVEN WITHIN THE SAME OFFICE.

Links to recordings cannot be shared. To receive access to the recordings, you must be registered for the virtual conference.

No refunds are available because recordings of most sessions will be available to all registrants to watch at their convenience.

Register Online

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Schedule (all times Eastern)

Tuesday, August 4th

Virtual Block 1: 11:00 - 12:30 pm

V1.1: OCR Year in Review
V1.2: I’m OK, & Neither Are You: Balancing the Needs of Self & Others with Our Institutional Obligations

Virtual Block 2: 1:00 - 2:00 pm

V2.1: Promoting Disability Identity and Culture: Creating Programs That Engage and Educate
V2.2: Crafting Clear Accommodation Wording
V2.3: Faculty's Wish List for Disability Services Offices
V2.4: Factors Contributing to Drop-Out versus Persistence: Community College Students with Disabilities

Virtual Block 3: 2:30 - 3:30 pm

V3.1: When ‘Reasonable’ Gets Complicated: The Realities of Graduate Program Accommodations
V3.2: Building Belonging: Equipping Residential Life Staff to Support Neurodiversity
V3.3: Bridging the Gap: Contextualizing Accommodations from K12 to the Higher Ed Perspective
V3.4: Best Practices for Notetaking Accommodations

KPC Led Discussion Block 1: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

D1.1 Community College KPC
D1.2 Career Planning KPC
D1.3 Disability Identity Studies & Culture (DISC) KPC
D1.4 Housing KPC

Wednesday, August 5th

Virtual Block 4: 11:00 - 12:30 pm

V4.1: Access Beyond Academics: Athletics, Housing, Internships, and Campus Life for Deaf Students
V4.2: Accommodation Denials: Communication, Process, and Determining Fundamental Alteration
V4.3: Advancing Access: Building a Campuswide Culture of Inclusion
V4.4: Title II Digital Accessibility: Practical Strategies for Compliance and Inclusion

Virtual Block 5: 1:00 - 2:00 pm

V5.1: Enhancing Success and Inclusion for Neurodivergent Learners in Studio-Based and Creative Programs
V5.2: It’s Not My Problem, Right? Liability and Risks Arising from Inaccessible Third-Parties
V5.3: Fast Track and Partial Approvals: Streamlining the Interactive Process
V5.4: Stuck in the Middle: Helping Disability Services Staff Navigate Faculty-Student Dynamics

Virtual Block 6: 2:30 - 3:30 pm

V6.1: Beyond Documentation: Shining a Light on Equity in Accommodation Decisions
V6.2: From Books to Belonging: How Library and Disability Services Co-Create Access
V6.3: Team Effort: A Collaborative Game Plan for Supporting Student-Athletes with Disabilities
V6.4: From Helicopters to Lawn Mowers: Exploring Parental Involvement in Disability Services

KPC Led Discussion Block 2: 4:00 – 5:00 pm

D2.1 ADA Coordinator KPC
D2.2 LGBTQA KPC
D2.3 Coaching KPC

Thursday, August 6th

Virtual Block 7: 11:00 - 12:30 pm

V7.1: Legal Year in Review
V7.2: A Media Year in Review: Deconstructing Dominant Disability Narratives in Higher Education

Virtual Block 8: 1:00 - 2:00 pm

V8.1: When School Hurts: Understanding the Overlap of Trauma and Disability in Higher Education
V8.2: Managing or Leading: Finding the Balance in Disability Services
V8.3: Accessible Futures: Immersive Assessment of Barriers for Nursing Students with Physical Disabilities
V8.4: Accommodated Testing 201: Operational Strategies for Sustainable and Scalable Testing Centers

Sponsored Lunch-and-Learns: 2:30 – 3:30pm

L1.1: The Practical Guide to WCAG compliance: How to Test Tools Like an Engineering Accessibility Lead
L1.2: The Extended Runway Toward Compliance & Beyond: Power of Proactive Design
L1.3: From Clues to Conclusions: Identifying Needs When the Report Falls Short
L1.4: From Reactive to Reliable: A Practical Framework for Language Access in Higher Education

Virtual Block 9: 4:00 - 5:00 pm

V9.1: Policy to Practice: Accessible Events by Design
V9.2: Onboarding New Staff in Disability Services: Building Competence, Confidence, and Community
V9.3: At the Crossroads: Supporting Experiences of Multiply-Marginalized Disabled Students
V9.4: Beyond Documentation: A Holistic Approach to Assessing/Supporting Students With Visual Impairment

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Quick Links

Technology & Accessibility

Technology:

All conference sessions will be hosted in Zoom. All conference participants should download the most recent version of Zoom prior to the conference start date.
AHEAD is pleased to offer an enhanced virtual conference experience via the conferencing software, CVent Attendee Hub. Information about logging in will be sent to all registrants prior to the virtual conference.

Accessibility:

All concurrent presentations and Sponsored Lunch-and-Learns will include captioning and sign language interpretation. NOTE- captioning and sign language interpretation services must be requested for any Roundtable Discussions.
All slides and other presentation materials will be posted to the Oxford Abstracts system prior to the virtual conference.
Most concurrent sessions will be recorded. Any concurrent sessions NOT recorded will include a disclaimer in the description. The Roundtable Discussions will NOT be recorded.
For any other accommodation requests, please email profdev@ahead.org.

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