October was Disability Identity and Awareness Month, and SDS was bustling with exciting events! One of the highlights was welcoming our special guest, Chip, who joined us for one of our monthly Accessibility Walk & Roll Tours.

We're thrilled to share this video showcasing Chip as she explores and demonstrates some of the accessible routes around campus. If you missed this one, don't worry! There are more opportunities to join us. Our next tours will take place on

November 10 and November 19 at 12 PM.

Click on the image below to watch it!

What are the features? We have many, including a Skywalk and several upgrades (lecture halls and elevators) and more on the way.

What are the bugs?  Learn more about how work with situations, whether it's contacting Work Control for a repair (410-455-2550), reporting an accessibility concern, or working with campus partners, such as Facilities Management  and DoIT to support inclusion.  Accessibility is everyone's responsibility.

We will gather in the ADS Conference Room - learn the skywalk and tunnel connections within the Academic Core, review Adaptive Computing within the Library, and visit the reception area of Retriever Integrated Health - which supports both physical and mental health.  The tour is limited to a small group, and please know that mask use is VERY WELCOME.

Can't make the day or time? More tours are planned.  Have a (small) group? Email us to set up a day and time that works for the occasion.  

Come learn, explore, and experience how accessibility shapes our campus community. See you then!

oSTEM Group for LGBTQ+ Students working in STEM fields

Spectra UMBC for LGBTQ+ Mathematicians

Sami Schalk, Associate Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison will be speaking on campus on Thursday February 23rd at 4:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts and Humanities Building Room 132.  To RSVP for this in-person event, click on the website button below.

Drawing from the book, Black Disability Politics, this talk will detail the Black Panther Party’s involvement in the 1977 504 Sit-in, in which protesters around the country picketed and occupied government offices to urge passage of delayed regulations related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Schalk will discuss the sit-in as an historical example of how Black cultural workers have engaged with disability as a political issue in ways that have sometimes been obscured in Black studies and disability studies alike.

This lecture is organized by the Dresher Center for the Humanities.

Biography: Dr. Sami Schalk (she/her) is an associate professor of Gender & Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction (Duke 2018) and Black Disability Politics (Duke 2022). Dr. Schalk’s academic work focuses on race, disability, and gender in contemporary American literature and culture. She also writes for mainstream outlets, including a monthly column called “Pleasure Practices” in TONE Madison. Dr. Schalk identifies as a fat, Black, queer, disabled femme and a pleasure activist.

Co-sponsored by the Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (I3B); and the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services.

Image description: A multi-racial group of four students is laughing and talking at an outdoor table on UMBC's campus.  An image of Dr. Schalk is provided on the Dresher event website.

UMBC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all students, staff, and visitors. If you would like to request a disability-based accommodation on site or have questions about this event or its location, please contact us at dreshercenter@umbc.edu.

For Disability Awareness Month - take a look at UMBC's Style Guide for tips on how to write effectively about people with disabilities with the section on Inclusive and Affirming Language. With 20-33% of the population either having a disability or having a qualifying health condition  (which includes mental health) during their lifetime, it's a tangible benefit to know the basics.

Certainly with the wide range of people with disabilities, this entry is a beginning, with several examples.  Additional resources beyond the guide include:

If there are further disability-related questions, please reach out to  UMBC Accessibility & Disability Services. 

A cropped photo of a person's hands writing in a notebook with a pen, near a laptop, books, a pair of glasses and a hot beverage accompanies this post.  Credit: Thought Catalog via Unsplash.com.

NDAM's roots go back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with various types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to "National Disability Awareness Month" to address inclusion more broadly.

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 31st anniversary. This month includes:

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). 

Join CSJ by viewing and discussing  Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution and take a moment to review UMBC resources, organizations, groups and events that support awareness and inclusion of people with disabilities.

Accessibility and Disability Services

Retriever Integrated Health includes The Counseling Center as counseling (of course) as well as events and group meetings

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:

Faculty Group:  Disability Studies Working Group

Oct 27:  Film : Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (flexible viewing times, online discussion at 5p)

Oct 15-17: Superfest Film Festival

Oct 6 at Noon - Campus Accessibility Project Update and Discussion