Summary
Touching Base and Checking In.
A quick HELLO with important updates and some human connection.
The waiting is the hardest part.
(Shout out to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for this headline.)
It was the end of a long Wednesday in the middle of a long week. While wrapping up a meeting with one of my colleagues, I absentmindedly opened the laptop.
Truth?
I was searching to see if yet another fire had popped up while I was offline during the last hour. Because it’s been one thing after another.
Instead of going to the gym as I had planned, I checked the dang email.
Bad habit, I know, and one I am trying to break.
And yet there it was.
The budget approval for the next year of funding for the National Disability Center for Student Success.
After months of waiting, and down to the wire, our project is able to move forward. I know we are lucky to have this chance. Many others are still waiting, or are unable to continue their work.
As a leader, it’s been a REALLY challenging time. I know I am not alone, and it’s an honor and a privilege to work in this space. And wow, have I been stretched.
This fall I will work even more intentionally to guide our projects, bring in new collaborations, mentor students, and shine a light on all things disability and accessibility in higher education.
Onward!
National Disability Center’s Resources
Look for the helpers.
Mr. Rogers used to say this in times of struggle: “Look for the Helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
When I walk into my building this first week of class, the ground floor is full of the dedicated academic advising team.
Helping new students find their way.
Helping fix jumbled course schedules.
They’ve been helping all summer during the orientation sessions for the (very large) incoming class.
Academic advisors, disability service providers, and the many unsung heroes of higher education: Our staff.
Today I had the chance to give back: A one hour author Q and A with members of NACADA — the National Academic Advising Association — an organization dedicated to promoting effective advising that supports student retention and graduation.
The topic? Disability Is Human: The Vital Power of Accessibility in Everyday Life.
We discussed how this book offers a foundation for a holistic approach to guiding young people through their academic career development journey.
We covered many topics, including:
- How to cultivate an accessibility mindset, both in our teams and across the campus.
- How to prevent burnout, especially if staff members are also managing disabilities of their own.
- How to create a community of support that brings in the collaborative conversations needed to truly address the needs of disabled students.
It may feel as if we are always at square one.
Doing this together is the catalyst we all need to make progress.
Where to start?
I’m always open to joining your lunch hour on zoom for constructive conversations about where we can make a difference in accessibility on campus or in the workplace.
Hit me up!
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Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.
As Maya Angelou reminds us, there are rainbows everywhere. I caught a glimpse of this incredible rainbow earlier this summer, and am happy to share it with you today.
Here’s to the rainbows in your world!
