National Louis University Hosts International Conference on Disability Studies in Education

Many educational institutions have wheelchair ramps for people who can't walk and brail for people who can't see. But what type of access do students with psychiatric impairments or intellectual disabilities need to benefit from education?

These questions and many others will be discussed as National Louis University's College of Education hosts the 11th Annual Second City Disability Studies in Education Conference May 12-15, 2011 on their downtown campus at 122 S. Michigan Avenue. The annual event brings together researchers, professors, teachers, disabled individuals and others from around the world who seek to change traditional theory and practice around disability within the fields of education and rehabilitation services.

Conference discussion topics include:

· The Inclusion of Deaf Students in Higher Education
· Considering Accessibility in Educational Institutions
· An Example of an Aesthetic of Disability
· Navigating Accessibility for English Language Learners
· Creating Access for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in Higher Education – A Front Door Approach
· A First-Person Narrative: Disability and Inclusion
· Globalization and Disability Studies in Education
· Keynote Address: "Reconceptualizing Accessibility within Disability Studies in Education," by Robert A. Stodden, Ph.D., 2011 DSE Senior Scholar, Director and Professor, Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

"As co-founder of the disabilities studies in education movement, National Louis University teaches educators how to create inclusive classrooms and instructs leaders how to make schools accessible," said Susan Gabel, PhD, professor of Disability and Equity in Education at National Louis University's College of Education. "This annual conference provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with our partners in this effort from around the world and discuss ways to redefine disabilities and make education more accessible to individuals who are disabled."

As an example of National Louis connecting with experts throughout the world regarding disabilities studies education, Geert van Hove, Ph.D., has been in residence at National Louis University as a visiting professor. As a Professor of Educational Studies at Ghent University in Ghent, Belgium, Prof. Dr. van Hove studies accessibility in an environment that does not always foster inclusivity. Professors at Ghent, he says, are often at a loss as to how to best work with students with disabilities. While teachers at specialized elementary, middle and junior high schools are trained in best practices, professors face "attitudinal barriers" to changing their way of teaching and evaluation to fit disabled students. At National Louis, van Hove is examining how these same considerations play out in American university classrooms.  His study of how disability access in America impacts political, economical, and cultural access is being compared and contrasted with his research in Belgium and Europe.

For more information about the conference, visit http://www.nl.edu/dse/. To schedule an interview with Susan Gabel or Geert van Hove, please contact Kellie Kennedy at kelliek@theharbingergroup.com or 312.933.4903.