Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
AHEAD is the leading professional membership association for individuals who are committed to equity for persons with disabilities in higher education, with a membership of more than 4,000 professionals, representing all 50 US states and 10 countries. AHEAD members are actively engaged in service provision, consultation and training, and policy development on their campuses, and they promote accessibility across the entire realm of higher education. In support of AHEAD, APS:
- Completed a government affairs strategic plan and created the AHEAD Policy Platform, which serves as the platform for AHEAD’s voice among policymakers.
- Initiated contact with over 200 legislators in Washington, DC, targeting past supporters, members of the relevant committees, sponsors and advocates of related legislation, members of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, and AHEAD’s local representatives.
- Helped advance the reauthorization of the National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD) by helping garner needed support to introduce the bill including the reauthorization of the RISE Act, in the House and Senate, and helping secure the inclusion of the RISE Act into the House Education and Labor Committee’s passed Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization bill.
- Prevented Congress from closing down the NCCSD, which is funded by the US Department of Education and hosted by AHEAD, by securing millions of dollars in funding in multiple appropriation cycles.