Indiana AHEAD
Association on Higher Education and Disability
2016 Conference
Thursday, March 31 & Friday, April 1, 2016
Ivy Tech Community College
Lafayette, Indiana
Table of Contents
Letter of Invitation from the President .......................................2
Conference Agenda ....................................................................3
Speaker Bios. ..............................................................................5-7
Silent Auction..............................................................................8
Dining .........................................................................................8
Hotel/Parking/Directions………………………………………………………….8-9
Registration Form .......................................................................10
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Letter of Invitation from the President
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to invite you to the 2016 IN-AHEAD Conference at the Ivy Tech Community College Lafayette campus! The annual conference serves as an opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across
Indiana who support the needs of students with disabilities in our colleges and universities.
This spring, we have selected and invited five fantastic speakers who will cover topics that inform,
educate, and hopefully improve our effectiveness as disability support coordinators. I hope you will find
each of them informative and encouraging to your work with students.
On Thursday, we welcome speakers for three possible sessions. The first block session will allow you
to choose between two exciting presentations. Kylee Hope & Theresa Koleszar will speak with attendees
about Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR) to inform you on how students may benefit from VR services
and what updates may be applicable to our working partnerships with VR. A second option brings Tracie
DeFreitas from Job Accommodations Network (JAN) via webcast for more information on the transition
from college to the workplace. She will explore the role of helping students to prepare for accommodations
in the workplace. Both of these presentations promise to be informative and helpful to our work with
students with disabilities. The second full session of the day will be with Janet Peters who comes to us from
the Great Lakes ADA Center. She will be discussing web accessibility and how it applies to us as service
providers and within the greater college/university setting.
Thursday will also include our scheduled business meeting. Elections for vacant board positions will
be held. If you are interested in being nominated for an officer position, please let a board member know.
We will end the day in round-table discussions to share goings-on with our campuses and allow time for
further networking. As usual, attendees then have the opportunity to dine together off-campus.
Friday, we’ll hear from our keynote speaker. I am pleased to welcome Barb Blacklock, who joins us
from the University of Minnesota. Barb works in disability services and has worked on her campus for many
years to bring awareness and services to students with invisible disabilities, namely mental health disorders.
She will engage attendees in an interactive talk about our roles as providers: welcoming students, providing
appropriate accommodations, and bringing awareness to our campuses!
If you are joining the IN-AHEAD Conference for the first time, we encourage you to take advantage
of this wonderful opportunity, and look forward to welcoming you! For our friends who are returning, we
cannot wait to learn and connect with you this March 31st and April 1st at Ivy Tech in Lafayette!
If you have any questions or concerns before the conference, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Kayla Carlson
2015-2016 IN-AHEAD President
Email: kcarlson36@ivytech.edu
Cell: 765-414-3271
Indiana-AHEAD Officers & Planning Committee:
Kayla Carlson- President
Donna Keesling- Treasurer
Debbie Spinney- President-Elect
Donna Keesling- Treasurer-Elect
Nicole Nelson- Immediate Past President
Danyelle Foley- Web Master
Jacqueline Keiser- Secretary & Silent Auction Coordinator
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Conference Agenda
Thursday, March 31st
11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Registration – IVY 1114 & 1120
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Lunch provided –Christo’s New City Grille
Welcome & Silent Auction Bidding Opens
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Session 1: Breakout
OPTION 1
Kylee Hope & Theresa Koleszar
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Vocational Rehabilitation Services: Overview and Updates
IVY 1112
OPTION 2
Tracie DeFreitas, M.S., Lead Consultant, ADA Specialist
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Webcast: College to Career Transition: Leveraging the ADA &
Accommodations at Work
IVY 1114 & 1120
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Session 2:
Janet Peters, M.Ed., Project Coordinator
Great Lakes ADA Center
Why Web Accessibility Matters and How it Can Benefit Your School
IVY 1114 & 1120
3:00 pm to 3:15 pm
Break/Silent Auction Bidding
3:15 pm to 4:15 pm
Business Meeting
Robert Plienis re: National AHEAD Conference
Discussion/Coordination for National AHEAD
4:15 pm to 5:15 pm
Roundtable Discussions -- “What’s Happening on Your Campus (or
What Do You WISH Was Happening)?”
5:15 pm to 5:30 pm
Closing remarks for the day/Silent Auction Bidding
6:15 pm to TBD
Dinner with group @ Hour Time or on your own
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Friday, April 1st
8:00 am to 9:00 am
Continental Breakfast – Panera Bread
IVY 1114 & 1120
9:00 am to 11:00 am
Barb Blacklock, MA, LISW
University of Minnesota
A Campus-wide Approach:
Access for College Students with Mental Health Disabilities
11:00 am to 11:15 am
Break (as needed)
11:15 am to 12:00 pm
Barb Blacklock MA, LISW
 Q&A
12:00 pm
Closing Remarks & Silent Auction Winnings
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Topics and Speaker Bios
Thursday Sessions
“Vocational Rehabilitation Services: Overview and Updates”
The Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation program can provide persons with disabilities assistance to find, keep
and advance in a job. There is an effort to increase the public’s awareness about this program and the
services that can be provided to eligible individuals. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) system and what one can expect when entering into this rehabilitation
program. The presentation will cover the strategic vision for the year and will provide updates on the
program initiatives. Specific examples of services that can be provided to Vocational Rehabilitation
consumers enrolled in post-secondary institutions will also be given.
Kylee Hope currently serves as the Director of the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services for the Indiana Family
and Social Services Administration, which includes the Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Program and the
Randolph-Sheppard Business Enterprise Program. Her background is in special education and law with an
emphasis in special education and disability-related policy. She has a special education teaching license and
is admitted to practice law in both districts in Indiana. Ms. Hope’s demonstrated and distinguished
professional experience leading up to her current position has given her a comprehensive perspective on
disability, education, and employment. Whether through policy shaping, direct care or through her
leadership, the entire career of Ms. Hope has been dedicated to working on increasing opportunities for
youth and adults with disabilities to have healthier, more self-sufficient and independent lives. She believes
the investment in the preparation of the students of today will certainly pay off as they become the
workforce of tomorrow.
Theresa Koleszar has worked for the Indiana Bureau of Rehabilitation (BRS) services for 11 years. She
began her career with BRS as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in the Indianapolis area and now serves
as the Associate Director of BRS. Theresa also served as the Director of Indiana’s Medicaid Infrastructure
Grant (MIG), and was instrumental in implementing Project SEARCH in Indiana. Prior to her employment
with BRS, she was a Vocational Assessment Counselor at Easter Seals Crossroads. Theresa has a Master of
Science degree in Rehabilitation from the University of Illinois and has been a Certified Rehabilitation
Counselor (CRC) since 2002. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from St. Joseph’s
College.
“College to Career Transition: Leveraging the ADA & Accommodations at Work”
The transition from college to career is challenging enough without even thinking about how disability may
factor into the transition. For graduates with disabilities, preparing for the world of work often includes
learning how to advocate for what is needed to enable success on the job. By becoming familiar with the
requirements of title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and knowing how to request
accommodations and discuss disability at work, graduates with disabilities will improve their chances for
workplace success. This session will offer practical tips, resources, and ADA information to empower
graduates with disabilities to request accommodations at work. Information will also be provided about
how the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) service can be a resource in the interactive accommodation
process.
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Tracie DeFreitas, M.S. is a Lead Consultant for the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), the leading national
source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment
issues. With more than twenty years of experience in the disability employment field, Tracie is one of JAN’s
most senior consultants. She has served in various roles during her tenure with JAN, including Project
Manager for the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE), an award-winning national public awareness
campaign, and also as Sensory and Immunology Specialist and Team Lead.
Currently, Tracie supports all JAN specialty teams as Lead Consultant and Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) Specialist. She provides expert disability-related federal employment law and workplace
accommodation consultation regarding a broad range of medical impairments and ADA issues. Tracie is an
experienced national speaker and author who specializes in ADA Title I compliance and the interactive
accommodation process.
Why Web Accessibility Matters and How it Can Benefit Your School
For most people, surfing the web is an activity taken for granted. But for people with disabilities it can be
challenging and downright inhospitable. As an institution of higher education your web resources are of
critical importance to the successful integration of students (and employees!) on campus whom live with
disabilities. This session will explain the importance of web accessibility, discuss common barriers
experienced by people with disabilities, and examine the legal landscape of website accessibility in higher
education. We will also learn how to apply basic principles of accessibility in the development of web
content.
Janet Peters, M.Ed
Janet Peters is the Project Coordinator of Accessible Technology for the Great Lakes ADA Center. She has 18
years of experience with assistive and accessible technologies for individuals with disabilities. Janet has
worked with a wide range of stakeholders to promote full and unrestricted participation in society for
persons with disabilities through the promotion of technology that is accessible to all. She has a B.A. in
Computer Science and M.Ed in Learning Technologies from the University of Minnesota.
“What’s Happening on Your Campus (or What Do You WISH Was Happening)?”
An opportunity for attendees to break into small group roundtables and share information about what’s
happening on their campuses and learn from others across the state. Each table topic will be facilitated by
a returning member, but the idea is to have an interactive dialogue, share ideas and questions openly, and
walk away with new information and hopefully, new inspiration. Topics will be presented and decided on at
the conference. Join the table with the topic that interests you most or move around to more than one!
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Friday Sessions
A Campus-wide Approach: Access for College Students with Mental Health Disabilities
Most Disability Service offices are providing resources to facilitate access for more students with mental
health disabilities than ever before. The college years are the time when many mental health issues first
manifest, and they can be a time of significant stress and pressure. Mental illnesses are medical conditions
that can dramatically impact a student's thoughts, feelings, judgment and ability to function. These
conditions can affect people of any age, but often first appear between the ages of 18 and 24.
This session will focus on welcoming, identifying, and accommodating students with mental health
disabilities to our campuses while simultaneously developing partnerships to promote a campus-wide
approach to student mental health.
Participants will be able to:




Determine if their office environment and materials are welcoming to students with mental health
disabilities.
Identify barriers students experience when seeking access assistance.
Use an interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations.
Understand how to use a public health approach to reduce barriers through strategic campus
partnerships.
Barbara Blacklock MA, LISW
Barbara Blacklock has worked in Disability Services at the University of Minnesota for over 25 years and has
presented locally, nationally and internationally on disability issues. She is currently the Disability Services
Program Coordinator to the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center Programs. For the past 11
years Barbara has served as the co-chair of the University of Minnesota Provost’s Committee on Student
Mental Health and coordinated the development of a new website www.mentalhealth.umn.edu.
Along with her role as a direct service provider, Barbara recently was the Project Director of the Marcus
Foundation Faculty Education Grant: Taking it to the Next Level: Advancing Awareness and Equity of
Medical Trainees with Invisible Disabilities. She is the chair of the Association on Higher Education and
Disability (AHEAD) Special Interest Group (SIG) on Students with Mental Health Disabilities and was
awarded the AHEAD 2001 Professional Recognition Award. Ms. Blacklock is the co-author of an article, The
Emergence of Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in the Postsecondary Setting, a Research to Practice Brief
for the National Center on Postsecondary Education Supports (2004) and the book Meeting the Needs of
Students with Disabilities in Health-Related Education Programs (AHEAD 2014). In June 2014 she also
received the President’s Award for Outstanding Service from the University of Minnesota. Since 2013 she
has been on the Steering Committee of the Coalition for Disability Access in Health Sciences and Medical
Education, a national nonprofit focused on developing best practices for facilitating access within graduate,
professional and health science programs
Ms. Blacklock holds a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Michigan State University and is
licensed by the State of Minnesota, as an Independent Social Worker (LISW).
Silent Auction
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In order to minimize conference costs for participants, a Silent Auction is held to generate funds for future
conference speakers. We hope you will consider donating an item(s) to help defray these expenses! Please
indicate your donation on the registration form, and bring your item with you to the conference on
Thursday.
Dining
For those attending the full conference, lunch will be provided on Thursday, March 31st along with snacks
during the conference sessions. Breakfast will be provided on Friday, April 1st. Participants also have the
option to attend Thursday (lunch included) or Friday (breakfast included) only.
Gluten-free and vegetarian options will be available. Please contact Kayla Carlson at
kcarlson36@ivytech.edu as soon as possible if you have a food allergy or other dietary restrictions to
consider.
Thursday evening, join your colleagues for dinner and lively discussion at Hour Time, located on the Best
Western campus, or choose to dine on your own at one of our West Lafayette/Lafayette eateries.
Hotel/Parking/Directions
HOTEL INFORMATION
A block of rooms is on reserve at the Best Western Lafayette Executive Plaza & Conference Center located
on SR 26 in Lafayette. Parking and Wi-Fi are free to guests. To guarantee room availability, please make
your reservations by Tuesday, March 1st. Standard guest rooms booked by this date are available for the
reduced rate of $78.00 + tax.
Reserve a room by contacting the Best Western Lafayette Executive Plaza & Conference Center at 1-888295-2346 or 765-447-0575 and mention your affiliation with Indiana Ahead. For special accommodations,
accessible rooms, or further information, please contact Lori Knipp at bwlafayettesales@gmail.com.
Best Western Lafayette Executive Plaza & Conference Center
4343 South St.
Lafayette, IN 47905
Other hotels close to Ivy Tech include:
Holiday Inn – 765-449-4400
Homewood Inn & Suites – 765-448-9700
Hampton Inn – 765-447-1600
Fairfield Inn & Suites – 765-449-0083
PARKING INFORMATION
Parking is free and open to all Ivy Tech Community College visitors, unless specially marked reserved. For
easiest access to conference rooms, please utilize Lots A, B, or C.
DIRECTIONS/MAPS
Visit the following links for maps:
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Area Map for Directions: https://ivytech.edu/files/Major_Hiway_Map.pdf
Campus Map: https://ivytech.edu/files/Campus_Map.pdf
Ivy Hall Map: https://ivytech.edu/files/IvyHallMap2014updated.pdf
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Registration Form
*Please fill out one per Conference Attendee*
Name:
Phone:
E-mail Contact:
Institution:
Please check the conference registration package of your choice:
Full conference - 2 days (lunch, breakfast & snacks)
Thursday only (lunch & snacks included)
Friday only (breakfast included)
Attendants / Auxiliary aids
I require auxiliary aids and services, and/or accommodations:
$120.00
$78.00
$78.00
Discount Applied (50% reduction for President/Treasurer, 25% for Secretary/Webmaster)
Total Amount Due:
$_________
Payment:
To pay with credit card, use the PayPal link on the Indiana AHEAD Affiliate website and click on the
“Buy Now” button: http://www.ahead.org/affiliates/indiana
Please make checks payable to Indiana AHEAD.
My registration fee is enclosed with this registration form.
My registration fee will be submitted with another attendee’s payment
(Name: __________________________).
My registration fee will be sent in separately from my registration form.
My registration fee will be paid with Credit Card on PayPal.
I will pay on-site by cash or check.
Silent Auction:
I will donate items to the Silent Auction.
I will donate $__________ to the President’s Speakers Fund.
Registration submission:
Please mail, fax, or email your registration form and payment by March 25th, to guarantee your
spot to:
Donna Keesling
Earlham College
EC Drawer 134
Richmond, IN 47374
Phone (765) 983-1341
Fax (765) 973-2120
Email: keesldo@earlham.edu
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