Preparing Teachers with Disabilities: Voices and Visions

How can we advocate for our students if we can’t advocate for ourselves and each other? This interactive forum centers the voices of educators with disabilities to share experiences, identify challenges, and co-create solutions. Participants will explore strategies to support both current and future teachers in inclusive preparation programs.Participants will be able to: 1. Identify and articulate key challenges and systemic barriers faced by current and future teachers with disabilities in teacher preparation programs, based on shared lived experiences and collaborative discussion. 2. Apply inclusive, practice-based strategies to support and advocate for educators with disabilities within their own institutions or programs, including mentorship models, accessibility practices, and policy recommendations. 3. Engage in collaborative problem-solving and advocacy planning by contributing to a co-created set of themes and action steps that address the needs of teachers with disabilities, with a focus on sustainability, equity, and institutional change.