Students - Boston
Information About the FULL ACCESS Student Summit - Boston
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN / GAIN?
* effective techniques and resources to become better prepared to be competitive in the career search process;
* about COSD Career GatewayTM as a resource to connect with employers
* networking and self-advocacy skills in a “safe” environment;
* confidence that quality employers will be looking for students with disabilities like me and raising my own personal expectation
* how to build a potential network of future employment contacts and peer support;
* what employers are looking for, so that your preparation will be most effective;
The Summit consists of two half-day sessions. We will begin at noon on November 5th and conclude at noon November 6th.
HOW DO STUDENTS RECEIVE AN INVITATION TO ATTEND?
Instructions on how students apply to the Summit are now available, you can click here to access them. Please submit your application and resume as soon as possible, the deadline for the Boston FULL ACCESS Summit is at 11:59 pm on Sunday, October 17th, 2010. Applications will be reviewed by a committee and applicants will be notified of their acceptance to the Summit October 19th, 2010.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, Graduate Level, Doctoral Students, Post-Doc and Professional Degree students and recent graduates with a documented disability.
As has been stated on this website, this Summit is open only to college students working toward their Undergraduate OR Graduate degrees and recent graduates with disabilities from a college or university. The definition of disability for this Summit is the same as the definition at your individual schools. All disabilities covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are welcome. This includes, but not strictly limited to, students with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Chronic Health, Psychological and Behavioral Health disabilities, Sensory disabilities (blindness and deafness / hard of hearing), Physical and Mobility disabilities and Traumatic or Acquired Brain Injuries.
DO STUDENTS HAVE TO PAY TO ATTEND?
Once at the site of the Summit, all expenses associated with hotel accommodations (room and taxes only) and meals provided as per the agenda of the Summit will be paid for through the generous support of our sponsor, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. However, it will be each attendees responsibility to get to the Summit location. Any costs associated with your travel will be your own. There may be additional students attending the FULL ACCESS Student Summit from your college or university, so we encourage you to ask your campus professional (Disability Services or Career Services contact) about the possibility of carpooling with others.
WILL THIS EVENT BE ACCESSIBLE?
The Hilton Boston Logan Airport is FULLY accessible in all areas. From Check-in, to Check-out, everything should be accessible for all physical and sensory disabilities. The materials will be made accessible to you, but ONLY UPON REQUEST. Please let us know on your application, whether you will need a sign language interpreter, captioning services, Braille or large print materials, specific seating requirements or assistance with your hotel room.
There are 15 accessible rooms in the hotel with four rooms having roll-in showers. All of these accessible rooms have been renovated and are very impressive. The staff of the hotel is ready to be responsive to our needs, as a group, and to your individual needs. If you have any questions about the hotel accommodations or the programmatic accommodations, please call Alan Muir at 865-974-7148 or e mail at amuir@cosdonline.org.
WHAT HAVE OTHER STUDENTS SAID AFTER ATTENDING A SUMMIT?
"It (the Summit) was extremely helpful and helped answer questions that were a mystery to me before this. I definitely think this is something that everyone should attend."
"This conference has changed my life. I now know that companies can want me irregardless of my different abilities. Really, thank you Mr. Alan and you staff -you have given me something so valuable that a million dollars can not buy."
"This (Summit) was very valuable because if we do not become comfortable talking about these 'issues' then we will never be able to work productively in our work environment. This is a vital first step."
"Although the information we learned was very valuable, I thought actually getting to talk to employers about how they hire and deal with people with disabilities was the most important part. I also thought it was good to be around students with disabilties to see how their disabilities affect their lives..."