Tag Archives: learning services

Accessibility, Part II – Barb Mussman & Amanda Thompson

Accessibility, Part II – Barb Mussman & Amanda Thompson [read the transcript]

Barb Mussman and Amanda Thompson are case managers for students needing accommodations. I didn’t know much about what this involved until our conversation. Sure, I’ve received accommodation forms before, but I hadn’t considered how these accommodations came to be, or what the process is for students who need accommodations. And what about the students who could benefit from these supports but decide to go it without accommodations? I had many unknowns and questions.

If you’d like to learn more about where Accommodation Services fits into the college organization, jump back an episode and listen to Accessibility, Part I with Arron Wings.

Here are links to a few resources mentioned during our conversation:

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Accessibility, Part I – Arron Wings

Education Is Accessibility, Part I [read the transcript]

To get started with accessibility, I wanted a big picture of where accessibility fits into the larger institution. Arron Wings, Dean of  Learning and Library Services, came in to talk me through some of the changes he’s seen and opportunities we discover when framing our minds to accommodate everyone.

Next week, we’ll go deeper into the Accommodation Services section of Learning Services.

Learn more about the Learning Services Department at Kirkwood.

Book Reference: College Success for Students with Disabilities, Irene Ingersoll
Movie Reference: Hidden Figures (2016)

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Education is Accessibility – Intro

Edis_016_AccessibilityIntro [read the transcript]

I’ve been talking with some knowledgable people about accessibility lately. Arron Wings, Barb Mussman and Amanda Thompson of Learning Services at Kirkwood Community College provide a detailed sketch of support for students needing accommodations. Lauri Hughes, Nursing Department Coordinator, describes her personal story of receiving support as a student at Kirkwood and where that has led her career and her heart. Andrea Skeries of Geonetric regularly educates me on web accessibility (A11Y) solutions and news. Maryam Rod Szabo and Wilson Rojas from KCELT help me fit accessibility into the big picture of Universal Design for Learning.

Five conversations to be published over the next five weeks (or so). My goals are to raise awareness and to continue the conversation about making learning accessible to everyone. Thanks for listening!

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