Access Granted: Rethinking Learning
with Accessibility, AI and Instructional Design
Registration
Registration is open – please register by September 25. Each NWACC member institution may register up to two people.
Agenda and Resources
The workshop will begin at 4:30pm on Wednesday, November 5th and adjourn at 11:45am on Friday, November 7th. Our keynote speaker is Scott James, a Professor and the Distance Education Coordinator at Santiago Canyon College (SCC). He began in Disabled Students Program & Services (DSPS) helping blind and visually impaired students use assistive technology, work that shaped his focus on ADA accessibility and led to an M.A. in Educational Technology. Over the past 11 years on faculty, he has led SCC’s online learning efforts, supported hundreds of instructors, and helped raise online student success rates. Scotty’s current work sits at the intersection of human-centered AI and equity. He teaches EDUC 235: AI for Educators and builds custom chatbots that remove access barriers, support executive function, and expand faculty capacity. He has presented to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, serves as a subject-matter expert with the AI for Learning Network (Harvard/MIT/Carnegie Mellon University & the AXIM Collaborative), and was selected as an AI Innovation Fellow by the CCC Chancellor’s Office.
The draft agenda is available at the NWACCo website.
Location and Lodging
Courtyard Portland City Center
550 SW Oak St, Portland OR, 97204
If you request hotel accommodations on your registration form, a reservation will be made for you and you will receive a confirmation via email. The cost of your hotel room will be billed directly to NWACC for up to two nights (November 6 and 7).
If you have questions about your reservation or need to make a change, please contact us immediately at office@nwacc.org. Attendees will need to present a credit card at check-in to cover incidental costs.
The program will be held on the C Level of the hotel. Meeting sessions will be held in the Park Ballroom and food service will be provided in the foyer on the C Level.
Travel, Transportation, and Parking
Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements. NWACC will reimburse travel expenses for all attendees. Reimbursement requests must be submitted by email to office@nwacc.org by November 24th. Requests must include a completed NWACC reimbursement form and itemized receipts (in PDF format).
The MAX light rail provides service from the airport and the Amtrak Station to the hotel. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket kiosk at each MAX stop (NWACC will reimburse you for the expense). The Green line stops half a block from the Courtyard, and the Red line stop is four blocks away.
If you are driving to the workshop, you can use the hotel’s valet service. Please indicate on the registration form if you need parking. When parking, be sure to mention that you are with NWACC so it can be billed directly to NWACC.
Food Service
Meals and breaks will be provided at the hotel, except for group dinners out on the town on Thursday. Dietary restrictions should be noted on the registration form. Make sure to keep meal receipts so you can receive reimbursement from NWACC.