Georgia Association on Higher Education and Disability
MISSION STATEMENT
We are a highly visible statewide organization of experts and advocates in the field of post-secondary disability services that promotes high professional and ethical standards and serves as a primary training and information resource to professionals in post-secondary education and other agencies that work with students with disabilities.
VISION
The Georgia Association on Higher Education and Disability aspires through our vision and actions to…
- promote a society that is sensitive to and supportive of universal access for all individuals.
- respond to changing needs and expectations of our students, our institutions, and our communities
- provide excellence in service to students with disabilities
- foster an active, involved, and committed membership
- support, collaborate, and include all professionals in post-secondary disability services
- create and enhance collaborative relationships with other agencies that serve students with disabilities
- serve as the primary source for professional development and resource for disability issues related to students in post-secondary education in the state
- endorse high professional and ethical standards
- demonstrate leadership in the state and nation in implementing innovative research and outstanding best practices
HISTORY
Around 1989 and 1990, informal "networking" lunches were being held by service providers from several colleges and technical schools in Atlanta. Representatives from these campuses "combined forces" to assess the interest in forming a larger networking system. In the Fall of 1991, the "First Professional Networking and Organizational Meeting" was held in Atlanta with 27 attendees. Thus was created what is now known as Georgia AHEAD. Membership has grown to over 85 persons, representing 2 and 4 year public and private colleges and technical schools around the state. The By-Laws were instituted using the constitution from AHEAD as a model. We are now serving as a model for a number of other states. Representatives from Georgia AHEAD have presented at national conferences such as AHEAD and Touch the Future.