Disability Awareness Month

Every year the President's Commission on Disability Issues organizes the October Disability Awareness Month.

If you would like to propose an event, workshop, presentation, performance, or any other activity, please complete this form.

2023 List of Events

Access to the 2023 Disability Awareness Month flyer is provided in PDF and Microsoft Word versions. Use and distribution of the flyer is encouraged!

FRI Oct. 6 | 12:00 PM | McKeldin Mall

The Self-Care Fair is an interactive mental health & self-care fair sponsored by the campus-wide Mental Health Coalition as a part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2022.

Join student organizations, campus departments, and community partners in our quest to end the silence around mental health. Learn about how we can take care of ourselves and each other.

Meet those on campus who are passionate about mental health, engage in games and activities, access resources, and grab giveaway items that promote self-care!

More information

WED Oct. 11 | 1:00 PM | Virtual Event

Please join Leave Management, University Human Resources, for a conversation on disability accommodations for University staff. We will discuss:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA);
• Process for securing staff accommodations;
• Status of covid-19 related accommodations;
• New Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA);
• Difference between ADA and Family Medical Leave; and
• Role of the ADA/504 coordinator on campus.

Presenters include:
Vandaliah Aderholt, UHR Leave & ADA Manager, Leave Management;
Natacha Thys, UHR ADA Specialist, Leave Management; and
Emily Singer Lucio, ADA /504 Coordinator

Register

THU Oct. 12 | 3:00 PM | Virtual Event

This session will provide an overview of the accessibility options that McKeldin Library offers to our users, both in the physical space and in digital services. This is also an opportunity for library users to give feedback on what you would like to see us add or change, and on what you think we should know in order to provide the best, and most accessible, services that we can to all of our users.

FRI Oct. 13 | 9:00 AM | JTCC (5200 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20740)

The third annual JTCC Wheelchair Championships Tennis Tournament will feature wheelchair tennis players from around the Mid-Atlantic area. Juniors and adults of all levels will compete in this three-day competition. For the first year, we are introducing a Para Standing division for amputees or people with limited mobility who prefer to play standing. The tournament is sponsored by MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital and will feature a run-roll social event for players with and without disabilities to play together, a juniors clinic, and more! Join the festivities October 13-15 at JTCC (5200 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20740)

More Information

TUES Oct. 17, 2023 | 5:30 PM | MICA’s Cozy Corner STAMP

Queers With Disabilities will be hosting an event on Tuesday, October 17 from 5:30 to 8:00 PM in MICA's Cozy Corner in STAMP. This event will be a part of UMD's Disability Awareness Month celebration and LGBTQ+ History Month celebration. At the event there will be rock painting and button pin making. All necessary materials will be supplied, but if you want something special you may bring it.

Register

MON Oct. 23 | 1:00 PM | Virtual Event

Focusing on delivering instructional content and implementing accommodations through ELMS-Canvas, this online webinar is designed to provide instructors with:

* An overview of the six areas that have the greatest impact on making your online content more accessible, which we call The Six Essential Steps.

* Resources for implementing common academic accommodations online (extended time for quizzes and exams, and captioning).

Please Note:

This event is intended for members of the University of Maryland community, and attendees will be required to log in to Zoom with their UMD email addresses.

Live automatic captions will be provided for this event. If you need additional accommodations please contact us at itaccessibility@umd.edu.

Register

TUES Oct. 24 | 4:00 PM | Virtual Event

The Circle is a monthly restorative space to center those impacted by identity-based trauma or systemic harm. All UMD members are welcome into The Circle, acknowledging that we are holding space for one another as we share with vulnerability and humility. Restorative circles derive from Indigenous ancestral wisdom as a means for individual and community healing.

For this month's Circle, we will be naming physical (in)accessibility across campus and navigating various resources and support. Restorative questions will connect how we experience and feel barriers to physical access and care, enabling us to describe what we need for repair. As a disability community, we can better affirm one another toward our individual and collective healing as we advocate for improved physical access.

Register

THURS Oct. 26 | 3:30 PM | 2105 Hornbake South, HCIL Lab

The College of Information Studies presents our first Accessibility Hackathon, where innovation meets real-world utility! Using physical and virtual tools and hands-on guidance, participants will have the unique opportunity to design groundbreaking accessibility solutions. Collaborate with peers, industry experts, and disability advocates to ensure technology serves everyone equally. You can make a difference! Let's build a world without barriers together!

Register

Need Accommodations?

Please contact us at pcdi@umd.edu, if you need accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in the events.

Past Events

Last update: October 04, 2022