Meeting Students Where They Are
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM (EDT)
E-258 (2nd Floor)
York College CUNY's Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) transformed its outreach strategy by embracing AI and social media to better reach students with disabilities. Recognizing that traditional communication methods — emails, phone banking, in-person office visits — were failing to connect with a generation living on mobile platforms, the CSD developed the BabyCast Project: an AI-powered, culturally competent content series delivering disability services information through engaging, relatable social media formats.
The results were striking. A standard accommodation tutorial received a fraction of the views of its BabyCast counterpart, which generated nearly four times the engagement, alongside dozens of likes and shares spreading the message organically across campus. Enrollment in disability services soared, climbing well above target for multiple consecutive years and continuing to grow. The core lesson: students aren't disengaged — they're overwhelmed. Meeting them where they already are, in formats they trust, transforms accessibility into connection.
Isaac Augustin, York College; Ivy Sanchez, York College