Fall 2026 UA DS ‘All Access’ Neurodiversity Workshop Series: free registration links and details

October 16, 2026

Embracing neurodiversity begins with recognizing the value of different ways of thinking, communicating, learning and experiencing the world.

Practical tools. Meaningful conversations. Stronger communities.

There’s still time to join the second and third sessions of our fall 2026 University of Alaska Disability Services (UA DS) “All Access” virtual training series on neurodiversity in higher education. Each confirmation email will include a link to a brief presession survey.

Q&A will be an integral part of each presentation. After the series concludes, UA DS will also offer a free 30-minute follow-up coffee chat to continue the conversation (date and time to be determined). An invitation will be sent to all registrants.

Session video links will also be provided to all registrants, so if you cannot attend a live workshop, you’ll have an opportunity to catch up and stay connected as the series continues.

Select each of the blue workshop titles below to open the Zoom registration link.

Workshop 1
“Understanding Neurodivergence in Higher Education” was presented virtually on Sept. 16, drawing strong interest from 140 administrators, faculty and staff across the university system.

Workshop 2
Supporting Neurodivergent Students and Others: How to Accommodate Within Class and When to Refer to Disability Services
Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. Alaska time, 2 p.m. Pacific time
This session is designed for academic administrators, faculty, staff and instructional designers. All are welcome.

Session Summary
Participants in this 90-minute interactive workshop will have the opportunity to share experiences, ask questions and learn new ways to support, teach and assess neurodivergent students, as well as provide a flexible environment for all students. We will examine proactive as well as responsive ways to ensure not only legal compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) but true inclusion and accessibility. We will explore designing curriculum and assessments to deliver an accessible educational experience to all students, and particularly neurodivergent students, including weaving classroom accommodations into pedagogy. For nonfaculty staff, we will translate these practices into practical applications for supporting students outside the classroom. Participants will come away with information they can implement right away that will make a difference in student access and response. Resources for future learning will be shared as well.

Before the session, you will be invited to complete a presession survey when you receive your confirmation email.

Workshop 3
Navigating Classroom Challenges
Nov. 20 at noon Alaska time, 1 p.m. Pacific time
This session is designed for academic administrators, faculty and instructional designers. Student affairs professionals may also wish to attend. All are welcome.

Session Summary
Participants in this 90-minute interactive workshop will have the opportunity to share experiences, ask questions and explore proactive and responsive classroom management tools for higher education environments. We will review past learnings and consider correlations between course design and delivery and student regulation. Participants will explore how to establish classroom expectations and create relationships at the start that will support student behavioral management and intervention. We will identify current practices you are already using and answer questions you have coming into the workshop, as well as those that arise throughout. Participants will come away with practical tools they can implement right away that will make a difference in the student and faculty experience. Resources for future learning will be shared as well.

Before the session, you will be invited to complete a presession survey when you receive your confirmation email.

“All Access” Neurodiversity Presenter Bio
“Neurodivergence is part of the diversity of this region. It is not something to be fixed. It is something to be welcomed and celebrated.”
Sara Sanders Gardner

Sara Sanders Gardner (they/them) is an Autistic neurodiversity professional with more than 25 years of experience advancing understanding in higher education and the workplace. Their work brings together lived experience, research and practical implementation to help organizations better understand, support and engage neurodivergent people.

Gardner created and directs Bellevue College’s nationally recognized Neurodiversity Navigators program, one of the first college-based neurodiversity support programs of its kind in the nation. The program uses strengths-based education, self-advocacy, identity development and Collaborative Problem Solving to help neurodivergent students navigate college and prepare for meaningful careers. Gardner also taught college courses for more than a decade, designing curriculum specifically for neurodivergent students.

Gardner has designed and delivered Neurodiversity Cultural Responsiveness training for Microsoft’s Neurodiversity Hiring Program since 2015 and developed neurodiversity e-learning used across seven countries for Amazon Web Services. As founder of Autistic at Work LLC, they also provide workshops, training and consultation to colleges, universities, corporations and other organizations seeking to strengthen their understanding of neurodiversity.

Gardner’s expertise is grounded in both professional and lived experience. They are the parent of an adult Autistic child and were raised in an Autistic family. Gardner also served as technical editor for Wiley’s “Neurodiversity For Dummies” and “Autism For Dummies,” bringing a depth of lived and professional experience that informs their practical, engaging approach to neurodiversity education.

Informational graphic for the University of Alaska’s “All Access” neurodiversity training series for fall 2026. The graphic features a colorful rainbow pathway winding through a mountain landscape. A black-and-white illustration of a person with a dog appears in the foreground. Text advertises three free virtual workshops scheduled for Sept. 16 at 2 p.m., Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. and Nov. 20 at noon, all Alaska time. A banner at the bottom encourages viewers to “Join the Journey” and “Register Today.”