What does it take to make higher education more accessible for everyone? At Michigan State University’s third annual Disability Summit, the answer began with a simple idea: Accessibility is a shared responsibility, and meaningful change often starts with the everyday choices people make.
Held Oct. 2 at the MSU Union in recognition of Disability Pride Month, the summit brought together 140 in-person and 80 online attendees, including students, faculty, staff and disability advocates, to exchange ideas, share experiences and explore the future of accessibility in higher education.
Hosted by the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, or RCPD, the Office for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance, and MSU Libraries, the full-day event featured a keynote address, a roundtable discussion, breakout sessions, flash talks and poster presentations. A series of Friday webinars throughout October extended the conversations beyond the in-person gathering.
Moving beyond accessibility requirements
Keynote speaker Sami Schalk, a professor in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, challenged participants to think about accessibility as more than meeting legal requirements or responding to individual accommodation requests.
Drawing on her research and experiences as an educator, Schalk explored how disability justice principles can help create learning environments where students feel supported from the beginning.
“It can be difficult for some to navigate getting a diagnosis, so it is important to provide access without question,” Schalk said.
Rather than waiting for students to request accommodations, Schalk encouraged educators to build accessibility into their courses from the outset. One practical approach is to survey students before classes begin to better understand their needs, including access to technology and other learning resources.
She also emphasized that accessibility is an ongoing process, one that requires flexibility, collaboration and a willingness to respond when something is not working.
“When we are in spaces where access is not being met for everyone, we should stop, pause and try to figure it out,” Schalk said. “It doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect, or you can always make it happen exactly as it should, but it means you put an effort into it.”
Schalk’s message extended beyond individual classrooms. She encouraged participants to consider the accessibility needs of faculty and staff, including flexible work arrangements, physical environments and workplace practices.
Throughout her presentation, Schalk returned to the importance of interdependence, recognizing that everyone relies on others and that supportive communities are essential to meaningful access.
Her message offered participants both a challenge and a starting point: Improving accessibility does not require solving every barrier at once, but it does require a commitment to recognizing and addressing barriers as they arise.
Centering lived experiences and campus perspectives
The conversation continued beyond the keynote with a roundtable discussion featuring disabled students, faculty and staff, followed by afternoon sessions exploring accessibility across academic and professional life.
MSU staff and faculty members Haley Strassburger, Naoko Wake and Swapna Hingwe shared their experiences, offering perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing people with disabilities in higher education.
Afternoon breakout sessions expanded the discussion to topics ranging from student success and career decisions to disability communications ethics, disability history and the future of disability in higher education. Flash talks and poster presentations provided additional opportunities to share ideas and approaches.
The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities displayed a variety of two-dimensional art pieces during the summit. The work represented student artists’ struggles, successes and everything in between. Oil pastels, acrylic paint, colored pencil and other mediums gave students creative freedom to express — in different ways — their own individual experience with having a disability.
Together, the sessions highlighted how accessibility intersects with teaching, learning, employment and campus culture, reinforcing the importance of including disability perspectives in decisions that shape university life.
“Accessibility is fundamentally about unlocking human potential,” said Alexis Travis, assistant vice president/assistant provost of University Health and Well-Being. “By reducing barriers and embracing inclusion, accessibility becomes a true engine for a thriving academic and professional ecosystem where every student, faculty and staff can reach their goals.”
The summit also incorporated accessibility into its own design, offering American Sign Language interpretation, live captioning, virtual participation options and a sensory space for attendees.
Turning conversations into action
The conversations extended beyond Oct. 2 through a series of virtual Friday sessions throughout October. Topics included disability justice in the workplace, supporting medical students through the accommodations process and rethinking the role of slowness in disability justice.
The additional programming offered opportunities for participants to continue exploring accessibility across teaching, employment, healthcare education and campus life.
For Tyra Khan, MSU’s ADA coordinator, the summit offered a chance to connect the university’s accessibility efforts with the experiences and ideas of the people they aim to support.
“The future of higher education depends on our ability to create environments where people with disabilities can fully participate and thrive,” Khan said.
Khan emphasized the value of bringing together lived experiences, emerging ideas and innovative practices to help advance accessibility across the university.
Across the summit and its extended programming, participants explored how shared learning and individual experiences can inform broader approaches to accessibility. The discussions also underscored a message from Schalk’s keynote: Accessibility is not a one-time achievement, but a continuing commitment to making spaces and experiences more welcoming and supportive.
For the MSU community, that work extends beyond the summit, into the classrooms, workplaces and everyday interactions that shape university life.
