2026 AHEAD Virtual Conference

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.
 
If you're already registered for the in-person Providence conference, you can add the virtual conference to your registration for just $25! To add it to your existing registration, click the “manage your registration” link in your Providence registration confirmation email. (To find it in your inbox, look for the subject line “Registration Confirmed - 2026 AHEAD Conference”). Contact ahead@ahead.org for assistance. 


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Quick Links

 

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  
 

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  
 

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
 

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 

Registration Costs

  • Member Pricing, Virtual Conference only: $349.00
    • Discount code to receive the member rate (member sign-in only) 
  • 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

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, Oxford Abstracts. 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 KPC Led 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 KPC Led Discussions will NOT be recorded. 
  • For any other accommodation requests, please email profdev@ahead.org.


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