October is Disability Awareness Month

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 12:13:44 -0400
awareness, disability, equity, etiquette, hiring, inclusion, recruitment, retention, welcome

Americans with disabilities make up almost one-fifth of our population, which brings more celebration to this month, underneath the umbrella of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) celebrating its 32st anniversary, and Section 504 celebrating its 50th Anniversary. This month includes:

ADHD Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Dysautonomia Awareness Month

Learning Disability Awareness Month

National Disability Employment Month

National Down Syndrome Awareness Month

Spina Bifida Awareness Month

Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 1-7, NAMI)

National Depression Screening Day (October 5)

World Cerebral Palsy Day (October 6)

OCD Awareness Week (October 8-14)

White Cane Awareness Day (October 15)

Invisible Disabilities Week (October 15-21)

and given the beauty and complexity of being human, we respectfully nod to disability-related health conditions that are highlighted at other times. We see you. You matter.

Accessibility and Disability Services, remains committed to building on past progress and creating inclusive change as we work in partnership with the entire UMBC community, including Facilities Management, Human Resources and Instructional Technology. Student Disability Services provides support for students with disabilities, as education is a path toward progress. While huge strides have been made with accessibility and inclusion (which can happen via accommodation), people with disabilities still face discrimination and lack of understanding. and has many events planned - the fight for full inclusion remains (Judy Heumann Ted Talk link).

Accessibility and Disability Services

Faculty, staff and student employee accommodations

Accessibility Concerns (24/7 online form)

Student Disability Services

Requesting Accommodations

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services

Retriever Integrated Health includes The Counseling Cente r as counseling (of course) as well as workshops and group meetings - they are recruiting for their Neurodiversity group now.

Retriever Integrated Health also has a range of health services that support campus members of all abilities in the new, very-accessible Center for Wellbeing across from Erickson Field (D7 on the map).

Student Organizations:

Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society for Students w/ Disabilities (next meeting October 13)

UMBC College Diabetes Network

Sign of Life (ASL/Deaf Culture)

Disability Advocate Union

Cancer Awareness Society

NAMI UMBC

Start a new student organization if this list seems incomplete!

Faculty Group: Disability Studies Working Group

A sampling of Disability Awareness Events:

Oct 2: Campus Accessibility Tour

October 4: Neurodiversity in Language Teaching and Learning Seminar

October 18: Campus Accessibility Walk

Oct 19-22: Superfest Virtual Film Festival

October 24: Hands On Assistive Technology Demonstration

October 25: Assistive Tech at Work MDoD Webinar

October 25: Freedom and a Friend: Cultural Histories of the Guide Dog (Dresher Center Humanities Series)

October 26: Silent Tears: Toward a Theory of Bad Crip/Queer Feelings J. Logan Smilges (Dresher Center)

October 27: Boost Accessibility with Ally Instructional Tech Event

Oct 30: Campus Accessibility Presentation with Facilities Management

Disability identity is intersectional with the history of the LGBTQ+ community that shares October as an awareness month. October is also Relationship Violence Awareness Month, and we are very conscious that people with disabilities are at a much higher risk of Relationship and Sexual Violence and that any violence can cause, complicate and/or exacerbate disability.

A photo of UMBC's Campus Visitor Guide Accessible Route Map next to a disability pride pin and an illustration of diverse group of fourteen people, each with differing disabilities accompanies this post.