Working Group on Universal Access

Mission

Comprised of faculty, staff, and students, this group aims to create a culture of universal access by sharing best practices, educating the campus community, and connecting ongoing community efforts towards universal access through a central hub. We see access as the shared responsibility of an interdependent community, beyond just compliance, that is intersectional in nature, connected to broader forms of diversity, and an essential part of the Jesuit commitment to care for the whole person.

The Working Groups on Universal Access is housed in the Office of Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and co-chaired by Tom Merrell, Assistant Dean and Director of Student Disability Services and Karyn Schell, Professor of Modern & Classical Languages.

Timeline 

• Fall 2017 - Dr. Emily Nusbaum and VP and CDO Mary Wardell-Ghirarduzzi begin preliminary discussions about starting a university working group focused on accessibility and disability justice
• November 16, 2017 - First meeting of the Working Group on Universal Access (WGUA); Emily Nusbaum, Assistant Professor, School of Education and Tom Merrell, Assistant Dean and Director of Student Disability Services appointed as co-chairs
• September 2018 - WGUA reviews findings of the campus climate survey
• February 12, 2019 - WGUA welcome Stacy Milbern for a Disability Intensive entitled Leaving No Body Behind: A Practice of Radical Imagination
• April 15, 2019 - WGUA welcomes Mia Mingus to lead a discussion entitled Bridging Sexual Violence Awareness and Disability Justice Advocacy Disability Awareness Week and Sexual Violence Awareness Month