On Wednesday, December 3, 2014, Michael McSheehan was the opening Keynote Speaker for the 2014 TASH Conference.

His presentation with Michael Yudin, the Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education, titled “Equity in Education” used film, stories, and more than thirty years of research to demonstrate how the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms creates equity and excellence for all. It introduced the School-wide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) Center and highlighted the goals and activities of the center since its founding in 2012.

“It was an honor to be invited to share our work with a group of attendees so crucial in its success.” explains Michael.

Michael McSheehan is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of New Hampshire and has been affiliated with the Institute on Disability at UNH since 1993. He serves as the Coordinator of Technical Assistance for the OSEP funded School-wide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) Center. Established in 2012, SWIFT is a national K-8 technical assistance center focused on providing academic and behavioral support for all students, including those with the most extensive needs. Prior to working with the SWIFT Center, Michael led a variety of state and federally funded initiatives to advance research, policy, and practice in inclusive education, alternate assessment, collaborative teaming, and Response to Intervention.

For nearly 40 years, the TASH Conference has impacted the disability field by connecting attendees to innovative information and resources, facilitating connections between stakeholders in the disability movement, and helping attendees reignite their passion for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life.

The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. Its mission is to promote full access, equal opportunities, and participation for all persons by strengthening communities and advancing policy and systems change, promising practices, education, and research.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.