Creating a Culture of Access: Workshop with Dr. Amy Kenny

More than 14% of Georgetown undergraduate students, 10% of Georgetown graduate students, and 26% of adults in the US identify as disabled. The workshop held on September 29, 2023, was designed for faculty and grad students who want to make their classroom and department more accessible and inclusive, and want practical guidance on how to do so. Together, we explored how to create a culture of access by discussing best practices and language about disability. Led by Dr. Amy Kenny of the Disability Cultural Initiative, this workshop moved beyond individual compliance and into curating a community where disabled students, peers, and colleagues can thrive.

Dr. Amy Kenny is a disabled scholar-practitioner whose writing has been featured in Teen Vogue, Sojourners, Shondaland, Reader’s Digest, Huff Post, and in her award-winning book, My Body Is Not a Prayer Request. Kenny has served on the Mayor’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion taskforce, as a facilitator for Freedom Road Institute for Leadership and Justice, and is a co-founder of Jubilee Homes OC, a permanent supportive housing initiative in her community to support neighbors experiencing homelessness. She currently leads the Disability Cultural Initiative at Georgetown University, which seeks to celebrate the diverse disability community and cultivate a culture of access across campus.