Coalition on Accessibility in Higher Education
“Accessibility is a promise we make to learners. A promise that they can fully participate in every part of the student experience: learning, advising, internships, labs, and ultimately a credential that unlocks important opportunities across a life.” — Lisa Marsh Ryerson, Southern New Hampshire University President
On May 13, the Coalition for Accessibility in Higher Education, co-convened by CHEPP and the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) brought together leaders in higher education, disability advocacy, and policy in Washington, D.C. for “Higher Education Accessibility in Action: Partnership and Progress.”
The event marked the one-year anniversary of the Coalition and the release of Accessible by Design: A Comprehensive Playbook for Higher Education, a practical guide for institutions ready to move from compliance to true inclusion.
SNHU President Ryerson set the stage with her opening remarks, covering the landscape of accessibility in higher education, the Coalition’s first year, and what comes next. She also shared the stories of SNHU learners with disabilities who, with the right supports, found pathways to complete their degrees.
Watch the event’s full recording:
https://snhu-externalaffairs.app.box.com/s/xxw341u3ib1upw83mnou6vhhyei7q1e8
Panel 1: The Power of Partnership
Panelists Lindsay Jones, Wil Del Pilar, and Jada Keye Hebra, moderated by Kim Knackstedt, discussed why advancing accessibility in higher education requires collaboration and shared commitment. As Hebra put it: “No one institution can accomplish this alone. In any healthy ecosystem, you need cross-sector collaboration. You want to avoid groupthink and learn from diverse ways of thinking and being.”
The panel explored what that collaboration looks like in practice: building proactive, co-designed systems rather than relying on students to navigate on their own; using data and student stories together to make the case for institutional and policy change; and drawing on the hard-won lessons from K–12 disability advocacy to push higher education further. The more perspectives and sectors at the table, the stronger the solutions.
Panel 2: Policy In Motion
Student advocate Matthew Savage, Delegate Laura Jane Cohen, and Lauren Rodriguez, Psy.D., CPACC, moderated by Katy Launius, Ph.D., explored the federal and state legislative landscape for accessibility. Panelists highlighted the Respond, Innovate, Support, and Empower (RISE) Act and outcomes-based funding formulas as critical tools to expand access and success for learners. Delegate Cohen and Matthew shared how they were able to work together in Virginia to get the RISE Act passed at the state level.
Concluding the day, Jacqueline Rodriguez encouraged those attending to continue to work to improve access and inclusion for students with disabilities across systems, saying, “now, more than ever, we have to advocate for disability rights.
Thank you to Lumina Foundation and ECMC Foundation for sponsoring the event and all the attendees who joined us for the discussion!
The Accessible By Design playbook is a resource for every college and university, whether you’re just beginning your accessibility journey or well on your way.
Read it here: https://www.chepp.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/CHEPP_ACCESSIBILITY-BY-DESIGN-PLAYBOOK.pdf