Q&A with the new director of Student Accessibility Resources

Jayne Fraley-Burgett is the new director of Student Accessibility Resources . She has worked in higher education for 26 years, most recently at Western Michigan University, where she was the director of disability services for students. Fraley-Burgett was in that position for 15 years before moving to Grand Valley.

Tell me a bit about your background.

I'm from a small town, Marine City, and from a large family, the youngest of six. I am the first individual in my family to graduate from college. I did both my bachelor's and master's degrees at WMU. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology and communications and a master's degree in student affairs and higher education, then counseling and psychology, which was a combination degree at Western. My husband and I have four kids and we've been in Kalamazoo for about 27 years.

What made you pursue a career in higher education? 

I worked with students who have autism spectrum disorder during both my degree programs. I also identify with having a learning disability; I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was in high school. In college, I learned I could receive accommodations. Like most students, I did not want to have to jump through hoops to figure out how to get more time on a test or talk to my professors about my accommodations. It seemed difficult and I was embarrassed. So, I did poorly, academically, during my first year. But I wanted to stay in college, so I used my academic accommodations and advocated for myself with my professors.  

I used a screen reader to read assignments, which was a game-changer for me. I went from having a 2.5 GPA to getting As in my classes. I really wanted to learn how to help others and share my story of success as a college student.

What do you say to students who might be hesitant about applying for accommodations?

I know that going through this process can be tough. It's important for students to make that decision if they are struggling with access to their education. SAR staff will do their best to work with students to make the process as easy as possible to help bring down barriers to their education at GVSU.

Student Accessibility Resources used to be known as Disability Student Resources. Why the change?

We want to destigmatize the word "disability," but for students who are 17-19 years old, there is still that stigma. We want to meet students where they are and if students do not identify with "disability," they are less likely to register with SAR and ask for support. Once they meet with us, we can have a conversation about disability and how we can start to destigmatize that word. The goal is for students to find the SAR office and help them access their education and remove any barriers.

What are your upcoming goals for SAR?

Nationally, approximately 23% of college students identify as having a disability. Currently, our office has about 3,500 students registered, roughly 14% of the GVSU student population. Our objective is to increase the number of registered students to align more closely with the national average of 23%. It is essential to cultivate a campus culture at Grand Valley that prioritizes universal design for our entire community. This includes providing robust support and training for faculty members to ensure they understand best practices in accommodating students who are blind, deaf, have learning disabilities or are neurodivergent.

Are you looking into different uses for artificial intelligence for different disabilities?

Certainly, I view the current advancements in AI in education as a significant opportunity for supporting students with disabilities. Individuals with ADHD or learning disabilities often face challenges with organization, which can hinder their ability to initiate tasks such as drafting papers or completing projects. 

AI can serve as a valuable resource for students, providing guidance and support without encouraging academic dishonesty. AI can be particularly beneficial for individuals with disabilities to support and enhance their educational experience through note-taking applications, grammar editors, spell check and auto-generated captioning.

– Samantha Drougel is a student writer for University Communications.