Disability Advocacy Week

You are Your Best Friend: Self-Advocacy in the Disability Sphere

When: Monday, March 23 | 11:30am - 1:00pm
Location: UC Fountain View Room/ Join Online

Description:In this hybrid event, students will learn about the advantages of learning the skill of self-advocacy in the academic setting. Dr. Benford will share her real-life experiences that students can then generalize to their lives. This event will also include interactive activities/scenarios and a panel of DRS students who will also share their journey of growing in self-advocacy.

Presented By: Dr. Jennifer Benford, Katy Rentschler, and student panel

More Than a Checkbox: Why Digital Accessibility Matters

When: Tuesday, March 24 | 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Location: Join Online

Description: Accessibility regulations can feel overwhelming—or worse, like just another box to check. This session offers a clear, practical overview of the key digital accessibility requirements impacting higher education, including the ADA, Sections 504 and 508, and the Department of Justice’s 2024 Web and Mobile App Accessibility Rule, and how they align with WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA. Moving beyond compliance, the presentation connects regulations to real-world experiences by exploring how people with disabilities navigate websites, documents, videos, and online tools. Through relatable examples, participants will gain insight into why accessibility matters, how it directly supports students and users, and how small, intentional design choices can make a meaningful difference. Whether you create content, manage digital platforms, or make purchasing decisions, you’ll leave with practical takeaways, a clearer understanding of accessibility beyond the rules, and a renewed perspective on designing digital experiences that work for everyone.

Presented By: Amy Nephew, Director of Accessibility for the Tennessee Board of Regents

Ms. Nephew leads and supports system-wide efforts to advance digital accessibility across the state’s public higher education institutions. In this role, Amie collaborates with content managers, faculty, and staff to promote best practices in digital accessibility, designs and delivers comprehensive training programs and workshops, and assists institutions in monitoring and improving accessibility compliance. Her work helps embed accessibility into everyday workflows and institutional culture. With more than 15 years of experience in education and digital accessibility, she brings both strategic insight and practical expertise to her work.

Planning Accessible Events

When: Tuesday, March 24 | 3:00pm - 4:30 pm
Location: UC 350/Join Online

Description: Are you an event planner or someone who hopes to be one in the future? If so, you don’t want to miss this interactive workshop. The presenters will provide actionable steps towards proactively creating an accessible environment for events. Participants will use the Accessible Events Checklist to plan a new event or evaluate a past one.  Students, faculty, and staff are welcome.

Presented By: Amanda Rodino, Associate Director of Disability Resources for Students, and Verties Sails, Assistant Director of Disability Resources for Students

Artificial Intelligence: Implications for People with Disabilities

When: Wednesday, March 25 | 4:00pm - 5:00pm 
Location: UC Memphis Room/ Teams

Description: This presentation will discuss the implications of AI for people with disabilities. It will include an overview of some of the latest developments in AI, an update on how AI is enhancing and facilitating accommodations for people with disabilities, and some discussion of how AI may impact the future job market with an emphasis on the job market for people with disabilities.

Presented By: Dr. Jaafar Al-Azzawi, Access Coordinator of Disability Resources for Students, Dr. Susan Neely-Barnes, and Dr. Seokwon Jin

Deaf President Now! Film Screening and Discussion

When: Wednesday, March 25 | 5:00pm - 7:15pm
Register: Join Deaf President Now! Screening and Disscussion

Description: Join DREAM for a virtual screening and discussion of Deaf President Now!, a powerful documentary that chronicles the historic 1988 student-led protest at Gallaudet University. This pivotal movement demanded Deaf leadership, reshaped disability and civil rights activism, and continues to influence Deaf studies, disability justice, and higher education today.

Following the screening, participants will engage in a facilitated discussion reflecting on Deaf activism, language access, collective organizing, and the ongoing fight for disabled leadership. This event invites disabled students, educators, advocates, and community members to learn, reflect, and connect across movements.

ASL interpretation and access-centered facilitation will be provided. All are welcome.

Accessibility in the Work Place

When: Thursday, March 26 | 12:00pm - 1:30pm 
Location: UC Beale Room/ Teams

Description: While many students are familiar with classroom accommodation and the protocol for submitting requests, the process for requesting workplace accommodation does not always contain the same clarity. In this workshop, participants will learn of the process for requesting accommodations from an employer and gain insight into the criteria used to determine reasonable workplace accommodations. Students, faculty and staff are welcome.

Presented By: Dr. Stephen Zanskas

We See You, Memphis - Purple Day Resource Fair

When: Thursday,  March 26 | 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: UC Student Plaza

Description: Join us at the University of Memphis on Thursday, March 26 for We See You, Memphis, an outdoor community event hosted by B.E.A.T.S and co-sponsored by Tennessee Disability Pathfinder, and Disability Resources for Students. In recognition of Purple Day, the internationally recognized epilepsy awareness day, this event brings together local organizations, students, and families to raise awareness, share resources, and support individuals living with epilepsy and other hidden disabilities.

Interested in being a vendor? Sign up using the Vendor Registration Link. 

Free and open to the public.