OH AHEAD 2025 Conference
Coming Together and Moving AHEAD
📅 Date: April 4, 2025
📍 Location: Kent State University at Stark, North Canton, OH
🔗 Register Now!
About the Conference
The Ohio Association on Higher Education and Disability (OH AHEAD) is excited to present our 2025 conference, Coming Together and Moving AHEAD. This year’s conference is dedicated to fostering collaboration, sharing innovative practices, and advancing accessibility in higher education. Join us as we explore new strategies, build connections, and empower each other to best support students.
Cost:
- Non-member: $100
- Current OH AHEAD Professional Member (with code): $75
- Student Registration: $50
Keynote Speaker: Jim Ferris
What We Talk About When We Talk About Disability—and What we Should Be Talking About
Jim Ferris is a poet and performance artist. He is author of Slouching Towards Guantanamo, Facts of Life, and The Hospital Poems, which won the Main Street Rag Book Award in 2004. Ferris, who holds a doctorate in performance studies, has performed at the Kennedy Center and across the United States, Canada and Great Britain; recent performance work includes the solo performance piece “Scars: A Love Story.” Past president of the Society for Disability Studies, he has received awards for performance and mathematics as well as poetry and creative nonfiction. His writing has appeared in dozens of publications, ranging from POETRY to Text & Performance Quarterly, from the Georgia Review to weekly newspapers. He holds the Ability Center Endowed Chair in Disability Studies at The University of Toledo.
Concurrent Sessions
Our conference features three dynamic session blocks, each offering a diverse range of topics: A more detailed list and details for each concurrent session will be coming son.
Volunteer Opportunities
Be part of the movement! We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make the OH AHEAD Conference a success. Whether you’d like to moderate a session or assist with day-of logistics, we welcome your support.
Volunteer Roles:
- Session Moderators – Introduce speakers, facilitate Q&A, and ensure sessions run smoothly.
- Day-of Volunteers – Assist with registration, direct attendees, and provide general conference support.
Sign Up to Volunteer
If you’re interested in volunteering, please complete the form below:
Thank you for joining us as we Come Together and Move AHEAD toward a more accessible and inclusive future in higher education!
For questions, please contact the professional development chairs: Annastashia Blesi and Emma Weihe at events@ohioahead.org
Register for Conference
To register, please complete the registration form
Hotels
There are several hotels in the area attendees can book reservations through.
Courtyard by Marriott
4375 Metro Circle NW
North Canton, OH 44720
(330) 494-6494
Embassy Suites – Akron Canton Airport
7883 Freedom Avenue NW
North Canton, OH 44720
(330) 305-0500
Holiday Inn Canton
4520 Everhard Road NW
North Canton, OH 44720
(330) 494-2770
SpringHill Suites by Marriott
5770 Dressler Road
North Canton, OH 44720
(330) 433-0101