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Members of the UMass Amherst Disability Services team recently presented a daylong pre-conference session at the 2026 National AHEAD (Association of Higher Education and Disability) Conference in Providence, R.I.

Rachel Adams, associate director for education and training, Lauren Collier, associate director of operations, Alex Deschamps, associate director of accommodation services, and Hira Paulin, access coordinator, presented “I’m in Charge… Now What?,” which provided tools and frameworks for new disability services leaders.

The July 20 session included “Relational Resilience: Sustaining Disability Community as Disabled Working Professionals,” which was co-presented by the team’s colleagues from Mt. Holyoke College and Hampshire Colleges, and “From Chaos to Clarity: A Project Management Framework for Transforming Office Operations.” 

More information about the program the team presented can be found on the conference website.