AHEAD 2025 – The 48th Annual Conference

logo for AHEAD's annual conference

Monday, July 14 – Friday, July 18, 2025
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel
Denver, Colorado


AHEAD is excited to announce its 48th annual conference, as an in-person professional development and networking event. Presenters and participants from diverse fields, including education, technology, law, scholarship, and government, will gather in Denver in July, and we hope to see you there!

President's Welcome

Katy Washington

by Katy Washington, J.D., Ph.D., AHEAD President

I have the honor of welcoming you, on behalf of the AHEAD Board of Directors and staff, to the 48th Annual AHEAD Conference being held in the beautiful city of Denver, Colorado, surrounded by the spectacular Rocky Mountains! This conference is the perfect opportunity to scale new heights by learning best practices and building meaningful connections with colleagues from around the world.  In addition, you can take time to renew your excitement for this work and honor outstanding contributors in our field.
 
Whether you're attending your first AHEAD conference or returning for another year, we encourage you to make the most of the professional development opportunities available for both new and seasoned professionals. This is your chance to deepen your knowledge, exchange insights, and engage in discourse that will enhance your knowledge and strengthen our community.
 
Thank you for your dedication to elevating the importance of disability access on your campus and in your communities. We appreciate your support of AHEAD and look forward to an incredible time together in Denver! 

Conference Quick Links

Conference Home Page

Virtual Conference

Registration Information

Planning Resources

Conference Program

Networking Events & Highlights

Exhibitor Information

Topics to be Covered in This Year's Conference

This year's conference will cover many subjects important to anyone working with disabled students in postsecondary education, from disability office staff to ADA/504 Coordinators to faculty and administrators and more! 
 
No matter your institution or role, the requirements of disability law have not changed—and it’s more important than ever to stay ahead. AHEAD’s annual conference is the preeminent event to equip yourself with the latest knowledge and skills. You’ll leave empowered, ready to lead with confidence, and connected to a nationwide network of experts you can rely on when challenges arise. 
 

The Conference's over 155 concurrent sessions will cover a wide variety of topics including:

ADHD
A.I.
Alt Format Materials
Animals
Assistive Technology
Autism
Blind/Low Vision
Built Environment
Burnout
Campus Collaborations
Campus Culture
Career Services for Students
Careers in Disability Professions
Coaching
Community Colleges
Complex Accommodations 
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Data Collection
Digital Accessibility
Disability Cultural Centers
Disability History
Disability Identity

Disabled Staff and Faculty
Disclosure of Disability
Distance Learning
Dual Enrollment
Educational Programming
Event Planning
Faculty Collaborations
Food Allergies
Fundamental Alteration 
Graduate Students
Health Science Accommodations
Hiring and Retention of Staff
Housing
Intellectual Disabilities
International Students
Internships/Off-Campus Accommodations
Leadership
Learning Disabilities
Legal Issues and OCR Findings
Math Accommodations
Medical Schools
Mental Health
Mentoring New Professionals

Multiple/Cross Campus Collaborations
Networking
Neurodiversity
New Leaders
New Professionals
Office Management/Leadership
One Person/Small Offices
Parents
Peer Mentoring for Students
Pregnant Students
Research
Self Harm/Suicidal Ideology
STEM Accommodations
Student Workers
Study Abroad
Technology
Testing
Transition to College
Universal Design (UDL)
Veterans
Vocational Rehabilitation
And more!
 

Don't miss out! We look forward to coming together with you in Denver!

Registration and Costs

Below are the 2025 Registration costs, for your budgeting purposes.

Main Conference, Wednesday - Friday

Registration Date AHEAD Members Non-Members
On or before Friday, May 30, 2025 $795 $950
After May 30, 2025 $995 $1150

  • Main Conference Daily registration (regardless of member status or timing): $395/day 
  • Students enrolled full time and emeritus members always register for the Main Conference at the low price of $425

Pre-Conferences, Monday - Tuesday

Prior to the main conference, AHEAD offers in-depth sessions on topics of particular interest, priced the same for members and non-members:

Registration Date Half day One-day Two-day
On or before Friday, May 30, 2025 $100 $200 $395
After May 30, 2025 $125 $250 $495

Requests for refunds can only be provided for cancellations received in writing on or before June 30, 2025. A $125 administrative fee will be charged for cancellations made on or before May 30, 2025. Between May 30 and June 30, 2025, an administrative fee of $195 will be charged. We regret that no refunds can be issued after June 30, 2025 for any reason; however, registration can be transferred to another attendee from the same institution. If the conference has to be cancelled or postponed, full refunds will be offered regardless of timing.

  • Rates are based on single registration.
  • There is a 10% discount on registrations of 10 or more people from one institution. For information on this, contact ahead@ahead.org.

Register Online

Hotel Info

The Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel
1550 Court Place, Denver, CO 80202
303-893-3333
 
All housing and events associated with the AHEAD 2025 Conference will be held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel.  AHEAD has secured a special, reduced conference room rate of $239+tax per room per night for single or double occupancy sleeping rooms.
 
Please book your hotel room early, as space is limited, and the room block often sells out before the deadline.  The cutoff date to book hotel rooms is Friday, June 20th, 2025.
 
 
Please note, for attendees requiring accessible and/or adapted sleeping room accommodations, or having specific requests for your sleeping room, please enter that information when you get to the “Guest Information Page” in the reservation system.

Requesting Accommodations for the Conference

Requests for accommodations during Conference events should be made in the registration portal at the time you register for the conference. The last day to request accommodations there is June 15. If you register for the Conference after that date, please email Stephan Smith at stephan@ahead.org. Requests for hotel accommodations should be made directly with the hotel.

Conference Health and Safety Policy

AHEAD encourages all attendees to consistently take infection control measures such as thoroughly washing hands and containing coughs and sneezes. If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, please consider other attendees' health and safety: test yourself for COVID, mask to avoid spreading germs, and avoid attending events in person until at least 24 hours after your fever subsides.