European Parastronaut Program Includes Disabled People With space travel, we are all disabled
As part of its latest astronaut selection, the European Space Agency is seeking to recruit one or more 'Parastronauts' to examine and demonstrate the feasibility of selecting astronauts who would otherwise be fully qualified for spaceflight but would be excluded from prior selection criteria by disability.

Read more with the BBC's European Space Agency Astronaut Recruitment Drive for Greater Diversity

Thinking about applying? Details are here:

European Space Agency Parastronaut Feasibility Project (link).   

ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforett notes "we did not evolve to go to space so when it comes to space travel, we are all disabled. What brings us from disabled to go to space to being able to go to space is just technology."   ESA astronaut Tim Peake is also ready for a more inclusive team.

Scientific American makes a strong case for disabled astronauts.

From the BBC article, addressing many myths and misperceptions: "To be absolutely clear, we're not looking to hire a space tourist that happens to also have a disability," said Dr. David Parker, the director of ESA's robotics and human spaceflight programme. "To be very explicit, this individual would do a meaningful space mission. So, they would need to do the science; they would need to participate in all the normal operations of the International Space Station.." Eddie Ndopu agrees and would like to be the first wheelchair user in space 

Closer to home - here's a link for NASA's program.

ALSO:  Deaf History Month begins tomorrow, read how NASA's human space flight program was substantially supported by 11 deaf men.

More firsts with NASA and Women's History:  Mae Jemison and Sally Ride

Student Disability Services - which serves all students with disabilities, including graduate students -is located next to Astronaut and Physicist Ronald McNair Scholars Program. when we return to campus.
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Words matter, especially when it comes to disability, and oftentimes, our department engages in both formal and informal outreach and informal communication about how disability - as an identity, a function of identity, concept and experience. - is communicated.  While the National Center on Disability and Journalism has a Disability Language Style Guide (linked here) remains an excellent in-depth resource, it's good to cover some basics.

The two primary ways that we identify with disability in language are person first (person who uses a hearing aid) and identity first (Sandra Mae Frank is a Deaf actor).  Both options have implications for how we, as a community, think about disability, and it is important, when working with individuals to glean  their preference for either centering on identity, or identifying as a person first, which can create distance, especially based on their lived experiences to date. Someone with a person-first perspective may state, "I identify as a person with a disability to separate my Self from the stereotypes and stigma that others associate with disability."

Similarly, identity-first language challenges the miasma of negativity by claiming disability directly.  This directness embraces the diversity of how brains and bodies work, and the how inaccessible systems, structures and environments  persist and are slow to evolve.  It's important to emphasize that identity-first language is an option.  Lenny Letter exemplifies this with  "I don't have autism, I am Autistic." The National Association of the Deaf embraces identity-first language and also acknowledges that Deaf and hard-of-hearing people have the right to choose what they wish to be called.

When referencing disability, naming it explicitly is important.  Accessibility and Disability Services and Student Disability Services embrace the word  "disability" and work with people with any health condition that may qualify as a disability, regardless of how the person self-identifies.   In the same vein, avoid coming across as condescending by not using euphemisms such as handi-capable, diverseability or differently-abled.  We agree with Lawrence Carter Long's #Say the Word Campaign.  Other terms have been retired or don't apply in higher education where the emphasis is access and on not being "Special" and acknowledging that "handicap" is very Last Century. 

The following resources (many with direct links to content) were informed by recent communications from our professional association the Association of Higher Education and Disability/AHEAD. If you would like to explore further, check out these links and books:


●    Becoming Disabled: Rosemarie Garland-Thomson*, New York Times, 2016

●    Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist: Judy Heumann (Beacon, 2020)

●    Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure: Eli Clare (Duke UP, 2017)

●    Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity, Simi Linton (NYU Press, 1998)

●    Disability as Diversity: Lilah Burke, Inside Higher Ed., 2020

●    Disability Visibility Project: Alice Wong

●    Disabled: Just Say the Word: Barbara J. King, NPR, 2016

●    Disabled Person or Person with a Disability: Annie Elainey

●    Guidelines: How to Write About People with Disabilities, University of Kansas, Research and Training Center on Independent Living

●    Guidelines for Writing About People with Disabilities: ADA National Network

●    Identity-First Language: Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)

●    Language and Disability: Explore Access, UA Partners for Inclusive Communities

●    The Language of Disability Activity: Disability as Diversity Toolkit, Explore Access, UA Partners for Inclusive Communities

●    Language Guide: Disability Cultural Center, Syracuse University

●    Leaving Evidence (blog): Mia Mingus

●    PC Labels Do a Disservice: Stephen Stern, Inside Higher Ed., 2020


*Rosemary Garland-Thomson came to UMBC as a speaker for the Dresher Center's Humanities Forum on May 8, 2019



A photo of Scrabble letters stating "choose your words" illustrates this post. Credit: Brett Jordon via unsplash.com

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National Disability Awareness Month is  held in October to raise awareness about issues that arise within the lived experience of people with disabilities, and celebrates the many and varied contributions of Americans with disabilities.

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 30th 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. 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). 

Kick off the month with  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

Student Disability Services
The Counseling Center has counseling (of course) as well as events and group meetings

University Health Services supports campus members of all abilities.

Student Organizations:
Faculty Group:  Disability Studies Working Group


A sampling of Disability Awareness Events (Online):
Oct 2:  Film : Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (flexible viewing times)
Oct 16-18: Superfest Film Festival
Oct 21 at Noon - Campus Accessibility Project Update and Discussion
Oct 28 at Noon, Online -Accessible Course Design and Fixes with Blackboard Ally


Disability intersects with the history of the LGBTQ+ community that shares this month for awareness.  October is also Relationship Violence Awareness Month, and we are very conscious that people with disabilities are at a much higher risk of Relationship and Sexual Violence.
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National Disability Awareness Month is a national campaign held in October that raises awareness about issues for people with disabilities, and celebrates the many and varied contributions of Americans with disabilities.

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."

Americans with disabilities make up almost one-fifth of our population. Since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by the 41st Present George H.W. Bush on July 26th 1990.  There have been huge strides in accessibility and inclusion. People with disabilities still face discrimination and lack of understanding. 

However, the fight is not done.

The Presidential Proclamation of 2015 states: “America is at its strongest when we harness the talents and celebrate the distinct gifts of all our people.  This October, as we observe the 70th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, let us pay tribute to all who fought for better laws, demanded better treatment, and overcome ignorance and indifference to make our Nation more perfect.  In their honor, and for the betterment of generations of Americans to come, let us continue the work of removing obstacles to employment so every American has the chance to develop their skills and make their unique mark on the world we share.”

Disability Awareness Events:
Oct 1 All Day MP 212 - Open House with Office Accessibility & Disability Services
Oct 7 at Noon, MP 222 - Mission Possible! Disability & Accessibility Scavenger Hunt
Oct 14 at Noon, Online: Make Your PDFs Accessible
Oct 23 at Noon, UC 310 - Campus Accessibility Project Update and Discussion
Oct 25 at Noon, Online - Make Your PDFs Accessible
Oct 30 at Noon, Sondheim - Trick or Treat: Accessibility Walk, Tap, and Roll
Oct 31 at 11:30 ENG 102 Make Your Word Documents Accessible 

We hope to see you there!
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Live presentations can be thought-provoking, inspirational, and powerful. A great presentation can inspire us to think about something in an entirely different way or bring a group together around a common idea or project. But not everyone experiences presentations in the same way. We may speak a different language from the presenter, or be a native speaker in another language, and some of us are deaf and hard of hearing. So, what if speakers could make their presentations better understood by everyone in the room? Now they can with live captions & subtitles in PowerPoint.

In honor of the U.N. International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Microsoft announced this new feature—powered by artificial intelligence (AI)—which provides captions and subtitles for presentations in real-time.

Read more about it, and view a short demo here.

]]> Live presentations can be thought-provoking, inspirational, and powerful. A great presentation can inspire us to think about something in an entirely different way or bring a group together around... https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2018/12/03/present-more-inclusively-with-live-captions-and-subtitles-in-powerpoint/ https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/81330/guest@my.umbc.edu/43de399e47b5424d6e5cdfaeb87ed27e/api/pixel access accessibility audio captions deaf disability diversity hearing inclusion language powerpoint presentation subtitles Office of Accessibility & Disability Services https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xsmall.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/original.jpg?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xxlarge.png?1565792941 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xlarge.png?1565792941 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/large.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/medium.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/small.png?1565792941 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xsmall.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xxsmall.png?1565792941 Office of Accessibility & Disability Services https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/081/330/649eef70df6f4fb3280504c2b6d9ec0a/xxlarge.jpg?1547074181 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/081/330/649eef70df6f4fb3280504c2b6d9ec0a/xlarge.jpg?1547074181 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/081/330/649eef70df6f4fb3280504c2b6d9ec0a/large.jpg?1547074181 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/081/330/649eef70df6f4fb3280504c2b6d9ec0a/medium.jpg?1547074181 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/081/330/649eef70df6f4fb3280504c2b6d9ec0a/small.jpg?1547074181 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/081/330/649eef70df6f4fb3280504c2b6d9ec0a/xsmall.jpg?1547074181 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/081/330/649eef70df6f4fb3280504c2b6d9ec0a/xxsmall.jpg?1547074181 2 0 true Wed, 09 Jan 2019 17:52:31 -0500 Wed, 09 Jan 2019 18:13:06 -0500 Explore Accessibility in the Technology Test Kitchen Join this hands-on collaboration & learn more!

The Accessibility Technology Test Kitchen will offer a hands-on, collaborative experience for faculty and staff who would like to explore innovative technologies and strategies to support accessibility in traditional, hybrid, and online classrooms at UMBC. The event kicks off on Thursday November 8, 2018 at noon in ENG 102.

Bring your own device (laptop, tablet, smartphone) to one of our Technology Test Kitchen areas to learn and explore both faculty and student approaches to accessibility. Each Kitchen features “chefs” from Accessibility & Disability Services or IT to discuss “recipes” (strategies, tools, resources, etc.) for addressing a particular issue. Participants will have hands-on opportunities to explore the Kitchen’s tools and resources.

Our featured Test Kitchens include:

Classroom Technologies

Discover solutions to large and small classroom spaces: Cameras, displays, document cameras, wireless video, wireless audio, and more. New assistive technologies will be introduced at three unique stations!

  • Chefs: Jack Malone & David Toothe (DoIT)

Personal Assistive Technologies

Explore the student experience: Screen readers, note taking tools, audio recorders, smartpens, text-to-speech, and more.

  • Chefs: Cassie Kilroy Thompson and Andrew Drummond (SDS)

Universal Design for Learning

Optimize teaching & learning for all students & ensure course materials are accessible.

  • Chefs: Michael Canale and Tawny McManus (SDS)

Video Technologies

Identify best practices for recording videos, captioning requests, and get a sneak peek at the future of screencasting at UMBC.

  • Chefs: Mariann Hawken and Tom Penniston (Instructional Technology)

Participants will begin in ENGR 102 with a light lunch and orientation before exploring the test kitchens. No experience necessary.

Please click on the website link below to reserve your seat for this session. Contact Instructional Technology to note any dietary restrictions. The deadline to register for the National Distance Learning Week events is Thursday, November 1, 2018.


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Join us for this Homecoming highlight on disability and inclusion within the Grit-X Talks on Saturday

Where? Performing Arts & Humanities Building in the Dance Cube 

This talk happens Saturday October 13th at 11:30, though the series begins at 10:00 a.m. with breaks between sets 


Robotic Journeys – A Quest for Independence
The modern era has seen an increase in the use of robotics and assistive technologies, which open the doors of accessibility to people with disabilities and seniors. By developing abilities and problem-solving skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, we can tackle challenges in healthcare through innovation and technological advancement to benefit society today and impact future generations. Presenting via the Beam telepresence robot, Kavita Krishnaswamy shares her personal and professional experiences – from her dissertation research to overcoming challenges with the power of assistive technologies, artificial intelligence, and robotics to achieve independence.

Register via the website below!
]]> Join us for this Homecoming highlight on disability and inclusion within the Grit-X Talks on Saturday Where? Performing Arts & Humanities Building in the Dance Cube  This talk happens... https://homecoming.umbc.edu/grit-x-talks/ https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/79435/guest@my.umbc.edu/67c8953b60e8efedb11ddf18ca47f23f/api/pixel accessibility accommodation assistive-technology disability diversity homecoming inclusion phd robotics Office of Accessibility & Disability Services https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xsmall.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/original.jpg?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xxlarge.png?1565792941 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xlarge.png?1565792941 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/large.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/medium.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/small.png?1565792941 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xsmall.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xxsmall.png?1565792941 Office of Accessibility & Disability Services https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/079/435/0090088d9af37bbdce42c66851471271/xxlarge.jpg?1539392314 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/079/435/0090088d9af37bbdce42c66851471271/xlarge.jpg?1539392314 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/079/435/0090088d9af37bbdce42c66851471271/large.jpg?1539392314 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/079/435/0090088d9af37bbdce42c66851471271/medium.jpg?1539392314 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/079/435/0090088d9af37bbdce42c66851471271/small.jpg?1539392314 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/079/435/0090088d9af37bbdce42c66851471271/xsmall.jpg?1539392314 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/079/435/0090088d9af37bbdce42c66851471271/xxsmall.jpg?1539392314 0 0 false Fri, 12 Oct 2018 21:12:02 -0400 Accessibility & Pedagogy at the Provost's Symposium Dynamic Poster Presentations on Blackboard Ally and UDI
The 2018 Provost’s Teaching & Learning Symposium Posters on Transformative Learning Experiences for Diversity & Inclusion will happen on October 12, 2018, 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. 

Two noteworthy presentations:

Making Course Content Accessible: A Blackboard Ally Pilot, Mariann Hawken (Instructional Technology) Are your Blackboard courses fully accessible? How would you know if your course materials are accessible to all students? Blackboard Ally is a tool that focuses on making digital course content more accessible. Integrated into the Blackboard system, Ally provides a robust toolkit to help remediate inaccessible content, provide alternate formats to students, and inform faculty about ways to improve accessibility of their materials. The FA2018 Ally pilot will provide participating faculty with an opportunity to evaluate the system, remediate course content for accessibility, and provide feedback support staff about Ally's future use at UMBC. 

Universal Design for Instruction, Michael Canale (Office of Accessibility and Disability Services) Institutions reported enrolling approximately 1.1 million students with disabilities during the 12-month 2016-2017 academic year. An increase of 28% from the 2006-2007 12-month academic year. The types of disabilities reported by institutions are 26% learning disabilities, 24% Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), 15% Autism Spectrum Disorder, 20 % mental illness/psychological conditions, 11% Physical/health impairment, 4% sensory impairment. Only 1 in 4 will graduate with a bachelor’s degree. These numbers only reflect those students who have registered with their student disability service office. Universal Design of Instruction has been defined as: an approach to teaching that consists of the proactive design and use of inclusive instructional strategies that benefit a broad range of learners including students with disabilities. The nine Principles of UDI provide a framework for college faculty to use when designing or revising instruction to be responsive to diverse student learners and to minimize the need for “special” accommodations and retrofitted changes to the learning environment (Scott, McGuire, & Embry, 2002).

Want to stop by and learn more?  RSVP through the event link below.


]]> The 2018 Provost’s Teaching & Learning Symposium Posters on Transformative Learning Experiences for Diversity & Inclusion will happen on October 12, 2018, 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.  Two... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/fdc/events/60628/ https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/78955/guest@my.umbc.edu/e2a2f6c22123db7eadb926e19d669d8b/api/pixel accessibility blackboard-ally disability diversity inclusion instructional-technology Office of Accessibility & Disability Services https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xsmall.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/original.jpg?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xxlarge.png?1565792941 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xlarge.png?1565792941 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/large.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/medium.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/small.png?1565792941 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xsmall.png?1565792941 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/480/1109171419a1b66ae0d9168429adfb61/xxsmall.png?1565792941 Office of Accessibility & Disability Services https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/078/955/33b1af93f317f8b530268d7c9d0662b0/xxlarge.jpg?1538092432 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/078/955/33b1af93f317f8b530268d7c9d0662b0/xlarge.jpg?1538092432 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/078/955/33b1af93f317f8b530268d7c9d0662b0/large.jpg?1538092432 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/078/955/33b1af93f317f8b530268d7c9d0662b0/medium.jpg?1538092432 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/078/955/33b1af93f317f8b530268d7c9d0662b0/small.jpg?1538092432 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/078/955/33b1af93f317f8b530268d7c9d0662b0/xsmall.jpg?1538092432 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/078/955/33b1af93f317f8b530268d7c9d0662b0/xxsmall.jpg?1538092432 2 0 false Thu, 27 Sep 2018 19:55:08 -0400 Thu, 27 Sep 2018 19:59:36 -0400