Powerhouse Speakers to Kick off Landmark College’s First Annual Capacity Building Institute

PUTNEY, VT – Landmark College, the nation’s premier college for students who learn differently, will serve as host site for its first annual Capacity Building Institute.

The Capacity Building Institute will bring together postsecondary faculty from the computer science and engineering fields, disability service providers, and instructional technology personnel from around the country to discuss ways to increase the number of students with disabilities successfully pursuing higher education degrees and careers in the computing fields.

With interest in the conference building, the program has expanded to include K-12 and postsecondary educators, especially from computer science and engineering; disability service providers; resource room teachers; and instructional technology personnel such as library/multimedia resource staff, web designers, web masters, and education technologists.

Sheryl Burgstahler and Richard Ladner will serve as inaugural keynote speakers at the event, scheduled for April 8 and 9.  Drs. Burgstahler and Ladner are internationally recognized for their work as co-directors of the Alliance for Access to Computing Careers (AccessComputing) at the University of Washington, which serves to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in computing fields.

Landmark College’s own Dr. Manju Banerjee — Vice President and Director of the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training — will join Drs. Burgstahler and Ladner to give presentations on best practices for students with learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and  autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They will cover topics including Universal Design of Instruction, the Future of Accessibility, and Assistive Technology and Accessible Web Design.

Dr. Burgstahler is also the founder and director of the DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center, and is the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious AHEAD (Association for Higher Education and Disability) Professional Recognition Award and the President's Award for Mentoring. Dr. Burgstahler is the author or co-author of eight books, and the lead editor of the book Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice.

Dr. Ladner is a Boeing Professor in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, and is the recipient of many honors including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

As Director of Landmark College’s Institute for Research and Training, Dr. Banerjee brings over 27 years of experience in the field of learning disabilities and ADHD. She is Co-Principal Investigator of a $1.03 million federal grant investigating the application of principles of Universal Design to online and blended courses. During her professional tenure she has served as a researcher, faculty member, and disability service provider. Dr. Banerjee is also a faculty member and Research Scholar at the Center for Postsecondary Education and Disability, University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut.

Landmark College was the first institution of higher learning to pioneer college-level studies for students with dyslexia. Today Landmark College is a global leader in integrated teaching methods for students with learning disabilities, ADHD, and ASD. Students, faculty, and other professionals from all over the world are drawn to Landmark College for its innovative educational model, one designed through research and practice to help all students who learn differently become confident, self-empowered, and independently successful learners.