Event Contact

Speaker Information

Dominic Dorsey is the Director of Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). He has worked with students with disabilities for over a decade after serving in previous roles at Indiana University Purdue University–Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC). In doing so has developed a philosophy that pushes the conversation from one of limitations, to one of possibilities by emphasizing access over simple compliance. A practice which focuses on the removal of barriers through a social justice lens while identifying and educating gatekeepers to student success through interactive processes instead of boilerplate accommodations. Acutely aware of the afterthought of equity, Dominic is passionate about being more than an advocate, but an accomplice to diverse learners and those individuals with major life impairments. His favorite phrase is that “compliance is the floor, but accessibility is the ceiling.” A statement he frequently brings up administratively, while demonstrating his commitment to achieving a welcoming and inclusive campus environment for all.

Dominic earned his Master of Science in Education in Higher Education & Student Affairs (HESA) at Indiana University in 2011 and a certification in behavior analysis from the University of Cincinnati in 2016. He is currently finishing his doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

In addition to being the Director of ACCESS at SIUE, Dominic Dorsey II is the founder of the social justice organization D.O.N.T. S.L.E.E.P. (Deconstructing Oppression Now Through Solidarity Liberation Empowerment Equity and Perseverance) which aims to battle and dismantle those systems of oppression that contribute to injustice locally and nationally. Dominic believes in a simple quote as stated by author Alice Walker, “activism is the rent I pay for space on this planet.” Each day he strives to afford the rent that is due.