At NC State, building an open, accessible and welcoming community is a shared effort — one extending beyond formal job descriptions to every classroom, office and lab across campus. Now in its third year, the Equal Opportunity Forum brings faculty and staff together to deepen our collective impact and put our values into practice by:

• Promoting Awareness: Deepen our understanding of EO challenges and opportunities.
• Enhancing Skills: Equip ourselves with the practical tools and language needed to lead inclusively every day.
• Upholding Compliance: Ensure every action adheres to, and exceeds, all necessary regulations and standards.

Whether you are looking to gain practical leadership tools or stay up to date on university standards, this annual gathering equips you with actionable strategies for everyday success. Together, we will focus on key areas that strengthen our campus community:

Key Takeaways

• Effective Accommodations: Learn practical, supportive solutions to help our students and employees thrive.
• Accessible Environments: Discover real-world strategies and digital tools to break down barriers and ensure physical and digital spaces are open to everyone.
• Proactive Leadership: Build everyday welcoming practices that empower your team and classroom environment.
• Rights and Compliance: Stay informed with clear, essential insights on ADA standards, policy and proactive prevention.
• Campus Networking: Connect with peers across NC State to share experiences, exchange ideas, and build lasting partnerships.

Equal opportunity is a daily practice, and your voice is a critical part of the conversation. Join us to build your skills, expand your network and help move our Wolfpack forward.

Program Highlights

Sara Hendren

We are thrilled to welcome Sara Hendren as our keynote speaker for this year’s Equal Opportunity Forum. A distinguished writer, design researcher, and filmmaker, Hendren is renowned for her pioneering work reimagining how the human body interacts with technology. By challenging conventional ideas around dependence, independence, and innovation, she invites us to view accessibility not as an afterthought, but as a core element of human-centered design.

Read more about Sara

Connecting Vision to NC State’s Legacy

Hendren’s transformative approach aligns directly with NC State’s pioneering approach to accessibility. The birthplace and global hub of the Universal Design movement, NC State coined the term and established its foundational frameworks. For decades, the university’s Center for Universal Design led world-class efforts toward creating environments and products accessible to everyone without modification. Hendren’s keynote promises to spark meaningful reflection on how we can build on this legacy, ensuring equal opportunity remains at the forefront of how we design, lead and serve at NC State.

Our sponsors and Partners

College of Design

We are grateful for the College of Design’s sponsorship to help make this year’s Forum possible. The College of Design educates students to become innovators and thought leaders while creating a community for designers, researchers, scholars and practitioners.

Read about the College of Design

NC State Accessibility Collaborative

NCStAC’s primary goal is to facilitate collaborative engagement with accessibility topics and initiatives as part of a universitywide commitment to removing barriers to engagement.

Join NCStAC

The Alliance for Inclusive Design Practice and Research

The Alliance’s mission is to advance equal opportunity in the built environment. This approach includes designing spaces, products, and systems that are centered on inclusive experiences across a spectrum of user considerations, including but not limited to age, disability, and neurodiversity.

Learn about the Alliance

Planned Event Accommodations

• ASL Interpreters and CART Captioning: Provided for all main event programming and afternoon session “Access for the Deaf* Community at NC State”. To request accommodations for the other concurrent sessions, please indicate your request during registration.
• Mobility and Physical Access: Includes stage ramp access and designated, integrated seating spaces for wheelchairs at every table.
• Assistive Listening: Equipped with a hearing loop system (Auracast) that transmits audio directly to compatible hearing aids and cochlear implants. If your devices are not compatible, assistive listening devices will be provided. 
• Dietary and Religious Accommodations: Tailored meal options provided for all dietary restrictions and religious requirements specified during registration.
• Welcoming Facilities: Dedicated lactation room, quiet prayer/meditation space, and single-occupancy, gender-neutral restrooms located on-site. 

We are committed to providing a welcoming and fully accessible event. If you require additional accommodations not listed above, please let us know when registering. 

Can’t make the Forum?

Don’t miss out! The keynote speaker’s presentation will be available to watch live via Zoom (NC State Unity ID required for access). An ASL interpreter and CART captioning will be integrated into the live broadcast of the keynote presentation. 

Read about last year’s EO Forum

Check out this article that includes highlights and a link to watch the keynote presentation featuring Ann Knettler, VP of Consulting at GrackleDocs.

Read more