The University of Mississippi is honored to host Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt as this year's keynote speaker.  Dr. Forber-Pratt received her Ph.D. in Human Development from the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign and is a professor in Vanderbilt's Department of Human and Organizational Development.  She also servces as a member of Vanderbilt's Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development.  Her research interests focus on 1) disability identity development, 2) perceptions of inclusion, and 3) victimization experiences in school.

Born in Kalkata, India and adopted by a loving family Massachusetts, Dr. Forber-Pratt participates in competitive wheelchair sports, including downhill skiing and wheelchair track and fielf.  She represented the US at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, where she won two bronze medals in wheelchair racing.  Dr. Forber-Pratt is a powerful activist, committed to the removal of barriers that impact the inclusion of people with disabilities in sporting, education, and work-related environments.

After the keynote address, Student Disability Services will present the annual ACCESS Award to one faculty member and one staff member who have shown a commitment to disability as a social justice and human rights issue.  Recipients of the ACCESS Award are nominated each year by students with disabilities at the University of Mississippi.

A light lunch will be served.