Join us today and every day to raise awareness about hearing health and support those with hearing loss.

Did You Know?

• Hearing loss is twice as common as diabetes or cancer.
• 80% of hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids, but only 1 in 4 people use them.
• Untreated hearing loss increases the risk of cognitive decline (5x), depression (18% vs. 8%), and falls (3x higher risk).
• 28% of adults over 52 with hearing loss struggle with daily activities, compared to 7.3% with normal hearing.
• 1 in 8 people in the U.S. (ages 12+) experience hearing loss.
• Hearing loss is linked to lower salaries (up to $30,000 less) and higher unemployment rates (44% vs. 27%).

Let’s break the stigma and support better hearing for all.


Credit:  Maryland Department of Disabilities 

Every year on March 1st, the disability community gathers across the nation to remember disabled victims of filicide–disabled people murdered by their family members or caregivers. Earlier this week, UMBC's Women Gender and Equity Center held a vigil as this year it falls on a Saturday.

We see the same pattern repeating over and over again. A family member kills their disabled child or spouse. The media portrays these murders as justifiable and inevitable due to the “burden” of having a disabled person in the family. If the person stands trial, they are given sympathy and  comparatively lighter sentences, if they are sentenced at all. The victims are disregarded, blamed for their own murder at the hands of the person they should have been able to trust the most, and ultimately forgotten. And then the cycle repeats within often inadequate and broken social systems.  

Since 2012, ASAN and other disability rights organizations have come together at local vigils across the country to mourn those losses, bring awareness to these tragedies, and demand justice and equal protection under the law for all people with disabilities. On March 1st, we will come together again, and we ask you to join us.  More information on those lost to filicide worldwide can be found on the Disability Day of Mourning website, which includes an Anti-Filicide Toolkit.

Resources include calling the 988 Crisis Response hotline, and reaching out to support via local resources, including Employee Assistance Programs, Retriever Integrated Health for self-care options.

Photo credit by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash accompanies the Post

Accessibility and Disability Services and Student Disability Services joins The Mosaic Centerand all UMBC partners with honoring Black History Month.

Rediscover how some members of the Black Civil Rights Movement also played essential roles as activists in the US Disability Rights Movement, and paved the way for disability rights activists to influence social change and legislation. Many people with disabilities were part of both movements and continue to be today.

Dr. Sami Schalk presented at UMBC in March of 2023 on 504 and Beyond: Disability Politics and the Black Panther Partyvia the Dresher Center - in co-sponsorship with ADS and I3B.

Why Black Disabled History Matters by Dikko Yusef of WID provides a great summary.

Some of the intersectionality within the documentary  Crip Camp shows how intersectional being black and disabled can be - beyond the Black Panthers. Further back in history, learn new things about the famous Black figures who also had disabilities. For instance, Harriet Tubman lived with epilepsy and narcolepsy, a reminder that disability is both directly and indirectly linked to many forms of violence.

In the links described below, you may rediscover or learn for the first time about Black history  being made in this moment, and there is so much to learn from the past.  Research forays have been known to start at Brad Lomax, and end up at the Wild Zappers, a DC-based all black all deaf dance company - what new-to-you ancestral influencers and history-makers will become front-of-mind to you? The research of Dr. Stephanie Keeney Parks takes a racially nuanced approach to Autism via In A Different Key. In 2022 Megan Thee Stallion launched a website to support mental health.  Haben Girma remains an important advocate for disability inclusion.

Important figures in Black History:

• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) has a Black History Bio for each day of February: (link)https://www.ndrn.org/resource/disability-rights-in-black/
• On the website for Respect Ability, an advocacy organization, you can find an article featuring the experiences and voices of current African-American celebrities who have disabilities. (link)https://www.respectability.org/2018/02/highlighting-african-americans-disabilities-honor-black-history-month/
• Learn about Black History heroes who are or were deaf or blind: (link)https://dcmp.org/learn/203-black-history-month

·       Enter “Black History” plus any disability (i.e. "autism," "dyslexia," etc.) into a search engine and explore more about the intersectionality of disability.

Explore Black History and Disability Rights:

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has a great article about the integral role Black disability rights activists played in securing rights for all US citizens with disabilities.  (link)https://www.ncld.org/news/honoring-black-history-month-unsung-heroes-of-the-disability-rights-movement/ For more on Brad Lomax, a leader in the 1977 protests that led to the implementation of section 504 of the rehabilitation act, see this NYT obituary (link) https:/www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/obituaries/brad-lomax-overlooked.html

Black Disabled and Proud: College Students with Disabilities is a website by the HBCU Disability Consortium. Their page titled “Black Lives Matter and Disability” speaks to the recent and daily making of Black history as it intersects with disability. (link)https://www.blackdisabledandproud.org/black-lives-matter.html The page includes links to thoughtful articles as well as self-care info.

The Disability Visibility Project’s Black Lives Matter page has podcasts (with transcripts) that explore the individual experiences of people who are actively contributing individually and/or organizing to raise awareness about being Black and having a  disability.  (link)https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/tag/black-lives-matter/  Click through on the posts and find things like Jen White Johnson’s Black Disability Lives Matter mural (link)https://jenwhitejohnson.com/Black-Disabled-Lives-Matter-Mural-Project 

The Zinn Education Project offers Teach The Black Freedom Struggle classes with ASL and transcripts via this link - with the reminder that violence in any format may create disability. If you are looking for UMBC-based disability resources - use these links:

• Student Disability Services: For ALL students - graduate and undergraduate, as well as Information for Faculty working with student accommodations
• Accessibility and Disability Services: Work Accommodation for Faculty, Staff and Student Employees as well as technical accessibility support
• Report Accessibility Concerns online 24/7 here

Photo credit: Unseen Histories downloaded from Unsplash.com 

As we begin this new semester, we want to highlight a few key updates and resources to help you support our students with disabilities. Here's what you need to know:

• Updated Spring 2025 Memo: The new memo for working with SDS and supporting students with disabilities is now available on our SDS Faculty Resources Webpage. 

• Recording of 1/29 Faculty Session: If you missed our session "I Got an Accommodation Letter, Now What?", we're uploading the recording to our Faculty Blackboard organization shell, where you'll find additional resources. Access the session recording by self-enrolling in our Blackboard Shell.

• Upcoming Events: We encourage you to participate in the following events throughout the semester:

  • Accessibility Walk & Roll Tours (monthly)
  • Assistive Technology Demos (monthly)
  • Inclusive Excellence in Action: A session on Disability Awareness and Inclusion will be held on April 8th.

• Join the Sunflower Initiative: Be part of supporting students with hidden disabilities. Learn more and get involved here.

• Look Ahead: Stay tuned for our upcoming Faculty Accessibility Challenge, which will help raise awareness and highlight best practices in accessibility.

• Testing Services Reminder: Our testing hours and location remain the same. 

• Location: Math/Psychology Building, Room 212 and UC Testing Room
• Monday, Thursday, & Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
• Tuesday & Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Please remind students to schedule their accommodated exams and tests in advance to ensure a smooth process.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all students! We look forward to working with you this semester.

Join the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower movement began in the United Kingdom just a few years ago and has quickly become a symbol of support and understanding in public spaces across Great Britain, Ireland, and Scotland.

If you see someone wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, please offer patience and understanding—they may need more time or support. By displaying a sunflower on your office door, reception desk, or waiting area, you signal to those with hidden disabilities that they are welcome, understood, and supported.

What is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower?
Living with a hidden disability can make daily life more challenging, and it’s not always easy for others to recognize or comprehend those struggles. Wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a discreet way for individuals to communicate that they have a hidden disability and may need additional support or understanding.

This movement has already made a significant impact in the UK, and with your help, we can bring the same level of awareness and inclusivity to the UMBC community.

How to Participate in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Training

Join our training module on Blackboard to learn more about supporting individuals with hidden disabilities.

1. Follow the group: UMBC Sunflower Program
2. Access the training on the group's page: Once enrolled, you’ll find the training module under the "Organization" section of Blackboard.
3. Complete the requirements: Watch the two short training videos and fill out the exit form.

Upon successful completion of the training, you will receive a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (sticker or button) to proudly display as a sign of support and inclusivity!

Let’s work together to make UMBC a more welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone!