Challenging access situations are prevalent in higher education, and it’s tough to know where to turn for advice on the “right” answer. Ask a question on a listserv and get a dozen different answers: someone will quote a court case and OCR Resolution Agreement, another colleague will bring up universal design, and a third will provide an explanation based on systems of power, privilege, and ableism. This is what makes listservs confusing but also wonderful! ADA compliance, universal design, student development theory, and disability studies are not mutually exclusive schools of thought; they are critical lenses to analyze and inform our work. We’ll discuss these “lenses” and share case studies outlining how we can use each in resolving questions of access.

Originally presented April 13, 2021 by Jon McGough and Mary Gerard.