Advisory Group on Disability, Access, and Inclusion
The Advisory Group on Disability, Access, and Inclusion identifies ways to make Middlebury a more inclusive community, focusing on issues related to disability and people with disabilities.
Community Engagement
Our membership is made up of representatives from faculty, students, staff, disability resources, and a trustee.
The group engages with many Middlebury constituents, including—but not limited to the following:
- Faculty
- Student governance committees
- Academic, cultural, and health and wellness centers
- Facilities
- Student organizations
- Members of the Commons
We collaborate with committees and groups on campus with intersecting goals. Our advisory group shares updates regularly with President Patton and the senior leadership team, as well as the broader Middlebury community.
Membership
Current AGDAI group members include the following:
- Susan Burch, Co-facilitator (American Studies, Global Studies)
- Tara Affolter, Co-facilitator (Education Studies; Faculty Director of Equity, Justice, and Inclusion)
- Caitlin Goss (Human Resources)
- Kristin Hocker (Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)
- Jennifer Bates (Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research)
- Jodi Litchfield (Disability Resource Center)
- Peter Ploegman (Disability Resource Center)
- Deirdre Kelly (Disability Resource Center)
- Aaron Smith (Information Technology Services)
- David Wright (Information Technology Services)
- Tom Woodard (Learning Spaces and Technologies & Digital Learning and Inquiry)
- Mike Moser (Facilities)
- Luther Tenny (Facilities)
- Aaron Conger (Student)
- Anna LeClerc (Student)
- Lili Platt (Student)
Our Scope of Work
We are asked to assess campus values and understandings. Our community’s shared values, social attitudes, and understandings reflect a commitment to diversity that directly impacts access and inclusion. These are expressed in many ways, including policies, curricula and pedagogies, support services, events and programming, communications, and everyday interactions.
Our advisory group also assesses accessibility in our built environment—such as residential and academic spaces, related campus structures, and transportation—through regular interactions with colleagues from facilities and space planning. As part of our work, we review and discuss previous Middlebury diversity and accessibility strategic plans, as well as diversity and accessibility status reports, and our work may contribute to future plans. We consult with experts from outside of Middlebury as needed to identify best practices.
We may also consult with other Middlebury committees about related projects.
Contact
Please contact us at AGDAI@middlebury.edu if you have any questions or concerns.
To report an accessibility concern with a physical space, please submit a facilities service request form.