Shannon Bessette
A Jamestown Community College Anthropology professor has been named a SUNY Accessibility Advocates and Allies Faculty Fellow.
Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced Shannon Bessette as one of 11 inaugural fellows across the SUNY system to be chosen to join the cohort, which brings together a community of faculty leaders and champions committed to promoting and growing accessibility practices in and out of the classroom on their campuses.
The program was created by SUNY’s offices of the Provost and Student Success. Fellows will meet virtually and in person throughout the year.
The cohort will work to expand digital accessibility and Universal Design for Learning practices across their campuses.
Students with disabilities self-identifying with their campus disability services or accessibility resources offices are increasing as a share of total enrollment, with more than 10% of students enrolled across SUNY. This number does not capture the many students who do not self-identify with the student disability office, either because they do not know they are eligible or have chosen not to disclose due to a wide variety of reasons, including stigma.
Besides her professor responsibilities, Bessette serves as chair of JCC’s Direct Support Professional and Community Health Worker programs. She is also a member of the President’s Wellness Task Force, which seeks to make JCC locations a hub of wellness for the college community and surrounding communities.
While at JCC, Bessette has worked to spark and expand conversations about diversity and meeting the needs of all learners. She recently created a new course, Introduction to Dis/Ability studies.
Bessette also created JCC’s Direct Support Professional microcredential and certificate and was part of a team that secured a grant to provide free college courses for DSPs in this area.
Bessette has master’s degrees in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma, and in Public Health from the University of New England.
As part of her community involvement, Bessette has helped manage an accessible community garden for more than a decade; volunteered with several organizations focused on food access; and is part of efforts led by the Jamestown Justice Coalition to regularly collect hats, mittens, scarves, and warm socks that are accessible to people with limited mobility, people who are elderly or who have disabilities, and those who are unhoused.
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