Envision Access seminar will be on March 8

Ohio University Southern will host its third annual Envision Access Conference: Supporting Students with Disabilities in the Tri-State event on Friday, March 8.

The event seeks to increase awareness and understanding of trends in addressing the needs of students with disabilities.

Conference sessions include: Individualized Education Plans; S.A.V.E. Training- Suicidal Thinking, Ask the Questions, Verify the Experience with the Veteran, and Expedite or Escort to Help; Autism Coaching; Therapeutic Horsemanship and several concurrent sessions.

The conference luncheon will include a panel discussion featuring Debbie Swinehart, assistant superintendent for Chillicothe City School District; Carey Busch, Ph.D., assistant dean for Accessibility Services at Ohio University; Davin Marcum, Ohio University student and member of the Governor’s Council on Disabilities; and, Melissa Colyer, principal of the CAPE-Alternative School of the South Central Ohio Educational Service Center.

The Envision Accessibility Conference is devoted to the awareness, education and inclusion of all students, said Teresa McKenzie, coordinator of Accessibility and Veterans Services for OHIO Southern.

“Our goal is to create a positive space for the development of community connections, and to foster working relationships with educational institutions and community organizations,” she said.

Nicole Pennington, dean of Ohio Southern, said conferences, such as Envision Access, are important to help provide understanding of students of all abilities.

“Ohio University embraces diversity and inclusion and Southern is happy to host the Envision Access Conference for the third year,” Pennington said.

Conference registration is now open online at https://www.ohio.edu/southern/events/eaconference.cfm. The cost is $40 for professionals and $15 for students. College credit and continuing education units are available. All conference attendees will receive a certificate of participation.

For more information contact Robert Pleasant, associate director of Student Resource Commons at pleasanr@ohio.edu or at 740-533-4608; or accessibility coordinator McKenzie at mckenzt1@ohio.edu or at 740-547-3875.