Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College welcomed approximately 70 representatives from all 15 of Mississippi’s community colleges to the Hospitality Resort Management Center at the Harrison County Campus on Sept. 3 for the 2026 ADA & Support Services Coordinators Conference. The statewide event brought together professionals who serve students with disabilities, providing opportunities to connect, share best practices, and strengthen services across Mississippi’s community college system.

Held in partnership with the Mississippi Community College Board, the conference focused on strengthening accessibility and support for students with disabilities. The event, themed “Stronger Together: Supporting, Reconnecting, and Transforming Lives,” carried the message “Belong. Support. Grow.”

“Stronger Together reflects what this conference is all about,” said Aimee McGehee, ADA coordinator/enrollment specialist at MGCCC. “At the heart of this work is making sure every student feels they belong and has access to the support they need to be successful. By addressing barriers and strengthening support, we can help students continue toward their educational and career goals.”

Programming included MCCB updates, a keynote presentation by Dr. Mark Yeager on executive functioning and accommodations in higher education, two rounds of breakout sessions, networking opportunities, a lunch panel, and a vocational rehabilitation peer-mentoring session. Breakout sessions addressed PTSD and service animals, ADA and Section 504 support for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, dyslexia, mental health needs among community college students, and ADHD in adult academic settings.

The lunch panel, “Stronger Together: Conversations in Student Support,” brought together professionals from ADA and disability services, compliance and Title IX, instruction, and mental health counseling to discuss collaboration, challenges, best practices, and meaningful support for student success.

“The value of a conference like this is taking what we learn and putting it into practice on our campuses,” said Shellye Smith, ADA coordinator/enrollment specialist at MGCCC. “These sessions gave us practical ideas and resources that can help us continue improving how we support the individual needs of our students.”

With support from MCCB, the conference was planned and organized by MGCCC’s ADA team of Aimee McGehee, Maya Wabel, Shellye Smith and LeAnn Ibarra, with leadership from Dean Justin D. Mills.

“I am incredibly proud of our ADA coordinators and the passion and heart they bring to this work,” said Mills, dean of Student Services and Enrollment Management at MGCCC’s Harrison County Campus. “A similar statewide conference had not been held in Mississippi since 2019, and the need was clear. MGCCC’s ADA coordinators did an outstanding job bringing this conference together, and we are grateful to the Mississippi Community College Board for partnering with us to make it possible.”

The conference also provided professional development for MGCCC employees who work directly with students with disabilities and reinforced the college’s commitment to providing an accessible and supportive educational environment.

For more information about ADA and Support Services at MGCCC, including campus and center contacts, visit the Students with Disabilities webpage.