tag: Accessibility
Upcoming Event
April 10, 2026
Unlocking Access
ADA, Accessibility, and Assistive Technologies in Carceral Classrooms and Libraries
At the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison’s NCHEP Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Ess Pokornowski will join a panel to discuss accessibility and assistive technologies in carceral classrooms and libraries. Drawing from firsthand experience and research, panelists will share how accessible education and library services can transform prison environments, support rehabilitation, and foster lifelong learning. Attendees will leave with real-world examples, actionable strategies, and collaborative pathways that are grounded in recent studies, publications, and research to help make aspirational changes…
Past Event
September 19, 2024
Locked Out: Barriers to Accessible Technology Inside Prison Education Programs
Accessible technology can be a powerful tool in providing independence to persons with disabilities. However, for many individuals with disabilities in the correctional system, there are additional barriers to obtaining these critical tools, particularly when it comes to higher education programs in prison. In a webinar on Thursday, September 19 at 2:00 – 3:30pm ET hosted by the Great Lakes ADA Center, Ess Pokornowski and Jenifer Montag will discuss some of the greatest challenges related to accessible technology in…
Blog Post
October 26, 2023
Accessibility and Disability Services in Postsecondary Education in Prisons: A Student Perspective
An Interview with Ben Wright
In the third installment of our series on issues of disability, accessibility, and accommodations in postsecondary education in prison programs, we spoke with Ben Wright on his personal experience with disability and higher education in prison and the many challenges people with disabilities face inside. This follows our interview with Dr. Jenifer K. Montag, Director of Disability Services, at Marion Technical College, which highlights the issues that service providers face. Last April,…
Blog Post
September 25, 2023
Accessibility and Disability Services in Postsecondary Education in Prison Programming
An Interview with Jenifer Montag
This is the second post in our series spotlighting the complex and challenging situation regarding disabilities, accessibility, and accommodations in postsecondary education in prison programs. Read the first entry and announcement of the series. We recently spoke with Dr. Jenifer K. Montag, director of disability services at Marion Technical College, about her work as a researcher-practitioner, the challenges of providing disability services to postsecondary students in prison, and what needs to change for equitable access to education inside. To…
Blog Post
July 26, 2023
Disability, Accessibility, and Higher Education in Prisons
Earlier this month, the FAFSA Simplification Act restored federal Pell grant funding for students who are incarcerated in US prisons. This has driven excitement about higher education in prisons, with pieces celebrating the revised policy in Inside Higher Ed and The Chronicle of Higher Education. While this is unequivocally good news, it is important to understand that full Pell reinstatement is propelling, and arriving amidst, rapid change in higher education in prisons,…