Past News and Updates

Digital accessibility awareness + workshop

Happy Global Accessibility Awareness (also known as GAAD)!

In the spirit of global accessibility awareness, the University of Maryland will be hosting its first Digital Accessibility Empathy Lab, accompanied by a scavenger hunt. The goal of this event is to increase awareness of digital accessibility fundamentals, gain perspective on how users with disabilities interact with the web, and how we as a community can work together to create inclusive digital experiences for all users.

June 23, 2022 | 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm via Zoom | Register: go.umd.edu/DEL

For more information, visit https://pcdi.umd.edu/other-events/digital-accessibility-empathy-lab

Questions? Please contact Allison J. Dickinson at allison1@umd.edu .

This signature gathering brings together hundreds of faculty, students, and industry colleagues, and includes presentations on innovative research including UX and accessibility, demonstrations of new technologies, and discussions by key leaders in the HCI field.

Stay tuned for updates on the schedule, location, and registration at https://hcil.umd.edu/2022-symposium/

May 26, 2022 | Program

The University of Maryland is committed to promoting the full participation of all individuals with disabilities in the commencement exercises.

General information: Visit the UMD Ceremony Accessibility website.

Requesting Accommodations: Guests attending the Campus-wide Ceremony who need accessibility accommodations or have questions regarding the accommodations may contact the Office of Special Events at events@ur.umd.edu or 301.405.4638.

Sign Language Interpreters are available upon request. Please contact the Accessibility and Disability Service (ADS) at 301.314.7209 or dhhs@umd.edu to make arrangements.

Accessible Parking:: Those with handicap parking permits may park in any available handicap parking space on campus. ADA accessible parking is available via the north entrance of Stadium Drive Garage. Check interactive maps for accessible parking.

May 20, 2022 | 12:00 pm | Maryland Stadium

Gates will open 1hr prior to the ceremony. Tickets are required (one student ticket & up to four guest tickets per graduate).

Questions? Visit https://commencement.umd.edu/.

RecWell's Climbing Wall values inclusion and is committed to creating spaces that are accessible to all members of the UMD community. To foster community for underrepresented groups, we are hosting affinity spaces at the climbing wall throughout the spring semester. Affinity spaces can be a place for underrepresented people in a community to come together to feel less isolated and more connected.

No sign up is required! Participants can simply show up at the Eppley RecWell climbing wall. They should be wearing comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes.

April 22 from 12 PM - 2 PM

More details about the event are available from the 2021 news article, UMD Rock Wall Hosts Disability Affinity Space.

Questions? Please contact Meghan Loughry at mloughry@umd.edu.

The University of Maryland is co-hosting an International Workshop on the Neural and Social Bases of Creative Movement at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia. This workshop will bring together scientists and artists from around the world to consider the relationship between the brain, dance, and creative movement more generally.

Our goal is to recruit 20–30 University of Maryland faculty, students, and staff (as well as community members) who are interested in issues surrounding difference, body image, and disability to take part in the events. If you are interested in performing, please fill out this form and we will be in touch.

April 8 from 10 AM - 12:30 PM | McKeldin Mall West (near the library)

April 9 from 12 PM - 1:30 PM | Wolf Trap conference

Register

More details about the events are available at https://sites.google.com/umd.edu/on-display/home or the MarylandToday article, Creative Movement, 'On Display'

Questions? Please contact Patrick Warfield (pwarfiel@umd.edu)

The Circle is a monthly restorative space to center those impacted by identity-based trauma. 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.

March 10 | 4 - 5 PM | Zoom | Register

A candlelight vigil to remember the people with disabilities murdered by caregivers.

People with disabilities are twice as likely as non-disabled people to be victims of violent crime. Every year, the national media covers dozens of stories about murders of people with disabilities by family members or caregivers, and many more go unnoticed.

March 1 | 12 - 1 PM | Zoom | Register at https://go.umd.edu/mourning22

For more information, please visit here.

Every year the President's Commission on Disability Issues organizes the October Disability Awareness Month. Join us for a month full of events.

Please contact PCDI at pcdi@umd.edu with questions or if you need accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in the events.

Please find the program at https://pcdi.umd.edu/summit/2021/summit-program-2021.

During the UMD Disability Summit, we will host an online space to exchange ideas, research, practices for academics, scholars, activists, advocates, allies, practitioners and more.

Please mark your calendars, and save the date for the week of April 12th-14th, 2021.

For more updated information, please check the Summit Homepage.

Each year PCDI hosts the vigil to remember, mourn and celebrate people with disabilities killed by family members or caregivers. Live captions and ASL will be provided. For more information, please visit the Day of Mourning homepage.

Join us on Monday, March 1 from 4 to 5 PM on Zoom.

Please register at https://go.umd.edu/dayofmourning21

A Conversation with Disability Rights Activist

In recognition of the 30th anniversary of the American Disabilities Act in July 2020, we had the honor of talking with Judith about her experiences working towards passing the ADA, her perspective on the current state of the ADA, and her vision for the future of ADA.

Date: Wednesday, July 8th, 2020
Time: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm EST

Get to know Judith Heumann:

• Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, an award-winning documentary on Netflix
• Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, check out Judith's electronic book or listen to the audiobook.
• Our Fight for Disability Rights -- And Why We're Not Done Yet, Judith’s 2016 TED Talk

Recordings

• UMD PCDI - ADA 30 years Anniv…with Judy Heumann - July 2020
• CRIP CAMP: A DISABILITY REVOLUTION
  

UMD Sponsors

• President's Commission on Disability Issues
• University Libraries

Dr. Palla-Kane will be receiving the prestigious President's Distinguished Service Award at the 37th Annual Faculty and Staff Convocation on Monday, October 19 at 3 PM. Please join us in celebrating Dr. Pall-Kane and her accomplishments!

View the event at https://umd.edu/convocation.

Held each October, Disability Awareness Month is a national campaign that raises awareness about disability issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America's employees with disabilities. The President's Commission on Disability Issues organized a list of events to be held online.

Find the program here.