This workshop demonstrates and encourages participants to incorporate the Cliff and the Disability Inclusive Excellence framework when facilitating transitions from graduation, through employer interviews, to where they can seamlessly access the same, if not similar, workplace accommodations. When the transition doesn’t occur from school to entering the workforce, individuals find themselves going from standing on the cliff, to falling off.

What is "The Cliff"?

Coined by Kate Delver, this concept describes the experience of high school and college graduates who enter the workplace expecting the exact, or at least similar, accommodations they received in school to carry over to their new employer, but that is often not the case. The Cliff aims to create a bridge for recent graduates and new employers.

What is Disability Inclusive Excellence?

Disability Inclusive Excellence focuses on the lived experiences of people with disabilities, urging workplaces, governments, and organizations/institutions to move beyond compliance toward genuine belonging and wholeness.

Target Audience:

• Individuals/students with disabilities

• Parents

• K-12/Higher Ed School Counselors

• Special Education Teachers/Higher Ed Disability Specialists

• Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

• Workforce Development services [i.e., recruiting agencies, HR Managers, Advocates/Clinicians/Doctors, Allies]

Schedule

Fireside Chat: Discussing “The Cliff” and elements of Disability Inclusive Excellence in education and the workplace.

Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | Time: 7 pm ET / 8 pm CT 

From education to employment, disability rights evolve. This one-hour podcast-style discussion examines significant legal transitions and questions the concept of "reasonable accommodations," highlighting how workplace expectations and productivity systems can impose unfair burdens on employees with disabilities.

Workshop: Applying “The Cliff” and elements of Disability Inclusive Excellence in educational settings and the workplace.

Tuesday, July 21, 2026 | Time: 11 am ET / 10 am CT (2.5hrs)

This session delves into The Cliff, a concept highlighting the challenges faced by many graduates with disabilities as they transition from school to the workplace, where accommodations and responsibilities for disabilities shift. By utilizing The Cliff and the Disability-Inclusive Excellence framework, participants will acquire practical strategies to support these transitions, enhance self-advocacy, and create inclusive environments that transcend mere compliance to achieve genuine belonging. Attendees will depart with improved skills to assist individuals in bridging the gap from education to meaningful employment.

This workshop covers the evolution of disability rights from IEPs to employment and focuses on developing practical advocacy skills. Attendees will learn how to address obstacles and craft a tailored strategy for managing work and support systems.

About our facilitators