Hot off the Presses: Our Fall ADS Newsletter! We Invite You to Read Our Inaugural ADS Newsletter!
Welcome Back!
Happy first day of classes! We’re excited to kick off the semester with the very first edition of our ADS Newsletter. Inside, you’ll find helpful updates, upcoming events, and tips to make the most of your semester. We’ve also attached a PDF of the newsletter for you to download and enjoy. 

How to Download the Newsletter:
Scroll to the bottom of this post and click the grey button labeled “Download Document.” Once you click, the download will begin.

Here’s a little snippet of what you can expect…Image of SDS Newsletter
]]> Welcome Back! Happy first day of classes! We’re excited to kick off the semester with the very first edition of our ADS Newsletter. Inside, you’ll find helpful updates, upcoming events, and tips... Newsletter https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/attachments/a9ef470576fb8871021cc7092048a5e6/69ea9ca0/news/000/151/824/599d7fcf13b3392cd1c3aa8320996868/Newsletter Snippet.png?1756324873 https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/151824/guest@my.umbc.edu/87f1e51349802b89cb4bd98e31b747b6/api/pixel accessibility accessible ads and back campus college community disability education fall inclusion inclusive newsletter picketing resources school semester services student students success to umbc Office of Accessibility & Disability Services https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xsmall.png?1565792941 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/original.jpg?1565792941 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xxlarge.png?1565792941 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xlarge.png?1565792941 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/large.png?1565792941 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/medium.png?1565792941 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/small.png?1565792941 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xsmall.png?1565792941 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xxsmall.png?1565792941 Office of Accessibility & Disability Services https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/151/824/51a876c8d70af68851a1211012858519/xxlarge.jpg?1756819350 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/151/824/51a876c8d70af68851a1211012858519/xlarge.jpg?1756819350 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/151/824/51a876c8d70af68851a1211012858519/large.jpg?1756819350 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/151/824/51a876c8d70af68851a1211012858519/medium.jpg?1756819350 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/151/824/51a876c8d70af68851a1211012858519/small.jpg?1756819350 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/151/824/51a876c8d70af68851a1211012858519/xsmall.jpg?1756819350 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/151/824/51a876c8d70af68851a1211012858519/xxsmall.jpg?1756819350 The image features four hands of diverse skin tones and styles, encircling a bright blue Symbol of Access (the international wheelchair symbol) on a white background. 4 0 false Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:02:23 -0400 Fri, 03 Oct 2025 12:44:32 -0400 Transitioning to college from high school and home Freshman is ready to go solo. Mom/parent not so much. Transitioning to college from high school is a big shift, for students and parents.  Anna Sales speaks with Miguel Llapa, a rising college freshman with a disability. "As I got older, I started to feel more dependent when I wanted to be independent. Because I was always in and out of the hospital, I always had someone with me. I always had someone accompany me, which I loved. But after some time, you know, I started to grow, to feel like I wanted to test things out on my own."

Miguel, alongside his mom, talks about his excitement about heading off to college and living independently for the first time - in conversation with his mom during this Death, Sex and Money podcast (linked) episode.  -Transcript available at the link.

UMBC encourages students (graduate and undergraduate) with any health condition that may qualify as a disability to partner with Student Disability Services to explore the accommodation process. Incoming and returning students may register for accommodations online 24/7 (link).  The SDS registration form is linked here.

Those returning to campus can look at campus accessibility updates on UMBC's most recent 2021 Accessible Route Map.  Facilities Management has been busy while faculty, staff and students were remote - beyond upgrades such as installing hospital-grade air filtration systems.  Additional assisted doors have been installed in several academic buildings, accessible door handles have been added, and five (5) elevators are being replaced: two in Fine Arts, two in Sondheim, and one in Biology's Schwartz Hall, so the campus is welcoming new upgrades as well.


The post is accompanied by a photo of a musician with brown forearms holding mallets that are poised to play a marimba.

P.S. Campus maps get updated from time-to-time, and the most recent accessible route map is posted to the Campus Maps page within Visit UMBC, to better inform people, especially those who are coming to campus for the first time.

]]> Transitioning to college from high school is a big shift, for students and parents.  Anna Sales speaks with Miguel Llapa, a rising college freshman with a disability. "As I got older, I started to... https://accessibility.umbc.edu/ https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/111378/guest@my.umbc.edu/5c477cc1c62a2b9c32da22a05403be49/api/pixel accommodation adaption anna disability freshman high llapa marimba miguel mom parent sales school scoliosis transition Office of Accessibility & Disability Services https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xsmall.png?1565792941 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/original.jpg?1565792941 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xxlarge.png?1565792941 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xlarge.png?1565792941 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/large.png?1565792941 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/medium.png?1565792941 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/small.png?1565792941 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xsmall.png?1565792941 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xxsmall.png?1565792941 Office of Accessibility & Disability Services https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/111/378/769aa138a42e4c541c36813a69ef8de2/xxlarge.jpg?1627960696 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/111/378/769aa138a42e4c541c36813a69ef8de2/xlarge.jpg?1627960696 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/111/378/769aa138a42e4c541c36813a69ef8de2/large.jpg?1627960696 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/111/378/769aa138a42e4c541c36813a69ef8de2/medium.jpg?1627960696 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/111/378/769aa138a42e4c541c36813a69ef8de2/small.jpg?1627960696 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/111/378/769aa138a42e4c541c36813a69ef8de2/xsmall.jpg?1627960696 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/111/378/769aa138a42e4c541c36813a69ef8de2/xxsmall.jpg?1627960696 3 0 false Wed, 11 Aug 2021 12:22:12 -0400 Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:41:23 -0400