MISSION Through progressive, visionary leadership, grounded in social justice principles, AHEAD: develops, shares, and provides relevant knowledge; strategically engages in actions that enhance higher educational professionals' effectiveness; and advocates on behalf of its membership, their institutions, their work, and those they serve ensuring full, effective participation by individuals with disabilities in every aspect of the postsecondary experience. VISION AHEAD envisions a postsecondary experience that embraces disability and is free from barriers CORE VALUES AHEAD values the following: Diversity: We believe in creating and promoting diverse educational communities in order to foster the exchange of ideas and perspectives, offering the opportunity for individual growth and developing a forum in which we honor the disability experience Equity: Recognizing that equality is NOT the same as equity we believe in developing resources and fostering attitudes that provide a truly equitable experience that is responsive to individuals' strengths, weaknesses, and differences Respect: We believe in providing everyone with an opportunity to express individual thoughts, feelings, ideas, and needs; we listen and honor the individual's right to be heard, even if we do not agree. Inclusivity: We believe in creating an inclusive community that encourages participating of all members, colleagues, practitioners, students, and stakeholders in an environment of mutual respect, opportunity for development, and honoring of personal experience.