Coming Events

Salome Heyward, one of the leading legal experts in the field, will continue offering our popular Best Practice Series. In Series 9, we will discuss significant OCR and DOJ pronouncements regarding the policies and procedures colleges and universities should have in place to implement their ADA/Section 504 compliance strategies, measures and programs. Replays are available!

All webinars and webinar replays are

closed captioned. All Webinars are offered Live and then are available on demand Replay. Your registration gives you the option of either participating in the Live presentation or receiving the replay of the webinar. All webinars are scheduled at 1:30 EST and are two hours long. Webinar materials are available 24 hours before each live presentation.

Best Practice Series 9

Topics Include:

We continue our popular Best Practice Series. In our new series of webinars we will again tackle the difficult disability access and accommodation compliance issues faced in postsecondary education. Salome Heyward will lead the legal compliance discussion during each webinar.

Webinar 1: The Policies & Procedures Checklist (Replay Available)
The first thing that the administrators are expected to be able to produce when a complaint is filed is the policies and procedures adopted and implemented in the relevant area(s). The key or necessary elements of acceptable policies and procedures have been identified in a number of significant compliance areas. Topics that will be discussed include:

Acceptable Policies and Procedures… What are the common elements of policies and procedures that will pass muster and what are the common mistakes to avoid?
Documentation Standards… What practices are acceptable for requesting and reviewing documentation and making disability determinations?
The Accommodation Process… What signals good faith decision-making and what does proper dispute resolution look like?
Disciplinary Procedures… How to recognize the difference between inappropriate different treatment and properly considering the manifestations of the disability?
Complaints and Grievances… Are there procedures in place to ensure that there is a safe and equitable way to challenge what are considered unfair and discriminatory actions?

Webinar 2: Facility and Program Accessibility (Replay Available)
College and universities are obligated to ensure that programs, services and activities offered are readily accessible to individuals with disabilities. There are a number of recent cases that reflect that there is either a lack of understanding concerning the regulatory standards or a lack of willingness to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided equal access. Topics that will be discussed include:

An Effective Access Plan… What are the necessary elements of a comprehensive plan, including barrier removal efforts, as well as, nonstructural alternative measures to achieve program access.
Ancillary Service Issues… How should institutions manage access issues concerning bookstores, food service and housing?
Navigating the Campus… What responsibility do institutions have regarding parking, path of travel, signage, as well as the sheer distance between essential locations?
The Institution as Entertainment Central… What is the responsibility of institutions to those invited to events hosted by institution personnel, as well as those hosted by third parties?

Webinar 3: On the Couch (April 3, 2018 (Replays Available)
These are the issues and problems that make us reach for medication and/or seek therapy services. No matter how much we talk about them we still remain confused or frustrated. Topics that will be discussed include:

Lions and Tigers and Bears… How should the increasingly out of control animal question be addressed?
Faculty Behavior… How should institutions manage faculty behavior that is arguably unfair or discriminatory, as well as, behavior which is overly paternalistic?
Parental Involvement… Is it possible to limit the participation of parents in the accommodation process?
Controlling Third Parties… What should an institution’s practices be regarding procurement, clinical placement and standardized testing?
Negotiating with Federal Enforcement Agencies… Is there really a way to exercise control during the investigative or resolution agreement process?

(To receive a volume discount, be sure to select the appropriate number of courses before you check out.)

Series 9 Webinar Pricing

Number of Webinars

DisabilityDirectResponse.com subscribers: be sure
to enter your code and select the appropriate
level for your discount)

Non-Subscribers

1 webinar

2 webinars

3 webinars

$147.50

$236.00

$280.25

$250.00

$400.00

$475.00

Best Practice Series 8 Webinar Replays -

Webinar 1: The Compliance Mandates Regarding Accommodation Practices are Rapidly Changing
This session addressed a number of OCR rulings that raised compliance concerns about some common accommodation practices that many institutions use. We discussed those rulings in detail and highlighted those practices that may require modification in light of some administrative procedures that have failed to survive the close scrutiny of the federal enforcement agencies.

Webinar 2: Student Responsibility… What are the New Rules of Engagement?
We discussed whether the OCR and DOJ in their rulings and resolution agreements shifted the balance in favor of students to such a degree that postsecondary institutions are severely hampered in their ability to manage the behavior of students with disabilities? We discussed a number of enforcement agency rulings that suggest that institutions should reassess their compliance obligations, as well as, the way in which they manage their interactions with students with disabilities.

Webinar 3: Legal Updates and Compliance Issues on the Horizon
This session includes a review of the important court decisions, settlement agreements and agency rulings of the year. We also discussed the significant provisions of the Final Rules Implementing the ADA Amendments, effective date October 11, 2016.