Raising Awareness About Mental Health in May Respect, Dignity, Inclusion, and Resources
Each year, millions of people navigate the lived experience of mental illness.  UMBC's Office of Accessibility and Disability Services joins the movement  with its many departmental partnerships, to promote mental health awareness, fight stigma, and provide support. One in five people will have a mental health diagnosis in their lifetime.  We are in this together.

More information about Mental Health Awareness Month from NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) is linked here.

While more people are on campus now we are sharing,  NAMI's Strength over Silence series  which provides stories of courage, culture and community to share lived experiences, resilience and recovery from African American and Latinx communities in anticipation of National Minority Mental Health Month in July.

Mindfulness and meditation practices can boost mental health - look into these apps to engage in this practice at a time that works best for you:

Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/
Smiling Mind:  https://www.smilingmind.com.au/
Calm: https://www.calm.com/
Head Space: https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app
UCLA Mindful: https://www.uclahealth.org/ucla-mindful
Stop, Breathe, Think: https://www.stopbreathethink.com/

Being physically active also boosts mental health. If you would like to do more than walk around your neighborhood, see what classes UMBC's Recreation Department offers for remote participation via this link to their website.


While Accessibility & Disability Services works with faculty, staff, and student employee work accommodations and campus accessibility, and Student Disability Services manage academic accommodation requests, the following links for campus and community-based information and resources offer more depth:

Students (undergraduate and graduate) groups and resources include:

UMBC NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Group

UMBC Counseling Center (Link) which includes
University Health Services (link)
Wellness Initiative (link)

Faculty and staff mental health supports available through Human Resources include

UMBC's Wellness Initiative
Connecting with mental health providers and wellness coaches through employee health benefits, as well as
24/7 free confidential counseling via the Employee Assistance Program (link)

If a campus member's health situation changes (such as a recent injury or diagnosis, they can apply for, or update academic accommodation requests via Student Disability Services (link) and work-related accommodations via Accessibility & Disability Services (link).  ADS works in partnership with HR for faculty, staff and student worker job-related situations.

Community

While some 24 hour resources are provided, it's important to know that  anyone can have a moment of crisis, and are people available to listen and help at any time, including:


Have a safe and healthy month!

Photo illuminated neon "Open" sign by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash
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During a recent University System of Maryland online gathering , our Assistant Vice Provost jointly presented with College Park about tips and strategies for digital accessibility.  We work in partnership with DoIT, and directly with Instructional Technology, beyond our collaboration and communication with faculty and the Faculty Development Center.  We are broadly sharing resources campus-wide to refresh awareness, including:

Tips for Creating an Accessible Online Course (from Educause)
which is also posted on  SDS's Information for Faculty Resource website (link). and

Faculty Accommodation Guidelines/FAQ for Remote Instruction (link). 

These postings supplement and complement ongoing work with DoIT's Instructional Technology office, their department supports Blackboard, Ultra, Collaborate, Ally (Accessibility information linked here) and more.  UMBC's DoIT has a strong and enduring association with Educause that informs the drive for inclusive excellence online. The collaboration between Student Disability Services, students with accommodations, Instructional Technology and faculty/Faculty Development began when course content started  to shift online and continues today.

Faculty can learn more about Instructional Technology's web-based  PIVOT training here. The Planning Instructional Variety for Online Training was mentioned during this week's online Student Town Hall.  Additional FAQ information and technology-based training options are also available through DoIT.

Voicethread training, and Universal Design for Learning is being promoted by Intstructional Technology via this link. (Lots of captioning provided via this app during URCAD - it's not just for faculty!)

On a broader scale, UMBC is active with the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD).  The next Maryland meeting includes collaboration with IT and instructional Technology Departments to continue on the path of inclusive excellence.


A  gentle reminder - Accessibility and Disability Services remains a resource for anyone fielding a UMBC-related accessibility question or concern.  ADS and Student Disability Services are also available for accommodation questions and intakes during this period of telework, and distance learning, including if there is a change in the need for accommodation. Details can be found here:

Faculty, staff and student employee accommodation information (link)
Academic (Student) Accommodation/SDS link

Accessibility Concerns may be reported to our office via this link at any time.  Office staff can be reached via 410-455-5745 and slazar@umbc.edu during regular business hours. 

Photo of Sign reading You Got This Next to a laptop by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash
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Undergraduate and graduate students who are immunocompromised in this manner may request new or supplemental academic accommodation by contacting Student Disability Services (link) via phone 410-455-2459, email disAbility@umbc.edu or through their Accommodate account.

Similarly immunocompromised UMBC employees - faculty, staff, and students - who wish to discuss work accommodation options shall contact Accessibility & Disability Services via phone 410-455-5745 or email slazar@umbc.edu if the need arises.


Follow UMBC's COVID-19 website for updates. 

March 16 update: The ADS office has resumed operating remotely, we look forward to working with you - give us a call, send us an email, or initiate the work accommodation process online (link).

Campus members with other risk factors (e.g. age, someone else at home) may also have questions. Support and instructions for all high-risk employees (beyond faculty, staff and student workers with disabilities) are linked here, 

General information for faculty with the provision of academic continuity if an emergency situation arises can be found on DoIT's website and Instructional Technology's myUMBC page.



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"Talking about Deafness and disability has never been easy.  I realize as time goes on, my being Deaf was the first identity that I was consciously aware of.  And I have cerebral palsy.  The days before where I had gone to speech therapy, physical therapy, then of course being Japanese American, we were the only Asian American kids on the block.  Then there is the issue of being female in a male-dominated field..." -Wendy Maruyama, Furniture Maker, Artist and Professor

What is the legacy of embracing identity?

"The thing that she instilled in me and generations of students is 'Don't ever settle on the thing that you did as the final product.  Keep pushing." - Adam John Manly, Artist


Take a moment to explore Wendy Maruyama's journey from childhood to world-renowned artist and scholar with the video linked here and below:  Wendy Maruyama segment on Craft in America: Identity.  (8.5 minutes)


The journey toward success for people with disabilities has strong partnerships on campus.  UMBC students with disabilities may request accommodation through Student Disability Services (link).

UMBC employees with disabilities may request work-related accommodation through Accessibility & Disability Services (link).

More information on how UMBC provides accommodation for members of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing community is linked here.

Wendy Maruyama's website, featuring more information about her life and work is linked here.

Image illustrating the post: Photo of small paper/wooden block figure standing in the crook of a tree, gazing at the ascending trunk.
]]> How do we talk about disability as an identity? "Talking about Deafness and disability has never been easy.  I realize as time goes on, my being Deaf was the first identity that I was... https://youtu.be/jF6lJNx5NRA https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/89375/guest@my.umbc.edu/ce893f5b1cd2fa54582c98651f171541/api/pixel art artist cerebral craft deaf disability faculty female furniture hearing identity japanese maruyama mfa palsy professor wendy wood working 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/000/089/375/6c13c56c7cb2d14a10002f86d7819677/xxlarge.jpg?1577984850 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/375/6c13c56c7cb2d14a10002f86d7819677/xlarge.jpg?1577984850 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/375/6c13c56c7cb2d14a10002f86d7819677/large.jpg?1577984850 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/375/6c13c56c7cb2d14a10002f86d7819677/medium.jpg?1577984850 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/375/6c13c56c7cb2d14a10002f86d7819677/small.jpg?1577984850 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/375/6c13c56c7cb2d14a10002f86d7819677/xsmall.jpg?1577984850 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/375/6c13c56c7cb2d14a10002f86d7819677/xxsmall.jpg?1577984850 4 0 false Thu, 02 Jan 2020 13:02:40 -0500 Thu, 02 Jan 2020 22:51:19 -0500 Designing Courses Inclusively for Students w/Disabilities Faculty know-how w/Blackboard Ally & UMBC Instructional Tech Instructional Technology is hosting a series of events for National Distance Learning Week, and many of concepts and skills that are imparted directly support better outcomes for students with disabilities.  These same strategies also work for faculty and staff with disabilities who use Blackboard to communicate with their classes, senates or groups.  Blackboard Ally has features and tools to support how content is shared with distance learners which can include a higher proportion of students with disabilities.

Universal Design for Learning, Accessible Content and Blackboard Ally is a one-hour session on Tuesday November 5, 2019 at noon, which includes lunch if you RSVP, and it also has an online option via Blackboard Collaborate.  Details are here: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/76798

Additional course offerings next week can also increase accessibility of course materials, such as the adoption of Open Educational Resources, during which faculty share their experience with OER, use cases and resources.

We want more accessibility in course design, and we hope to see you there!

Accompanying thumbnail image:  hand holding sign stating "we want more"
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Are your PowerPoint presentations accessible to every student in your course? Instructors routinely upload PowerPoint presentations into their course, but this doesn't mean that every student has the same opportunity to access the materials, based on an individual's abilities. 

Instructional Technology is conveniently offering this online, one-hour course on November 13th at noon.  Click on the Visit Website button below to register through myUMBC.

Microsoft PowerPoint is widely used to distribute content and information. Unfortunately, students with disabilities are often faced with an array of challenges when accessing PowerPoint presentations. According to the Quality Matters rubric for assessing courses, “course design [and content] should reflect a commitment to accessibility and usability for all learners, ensuring they can access all course content and activities.” 

Join us to learn how you can make your PowerPoint Presentations more accessible. Remember: accessible content is good content! 

Objectives
Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:
  • Update to the latest version of Microsoft Office through UMBC's Office 365 license 
  • Utilize headers, formatting tools, and text styles rather than stylizing text
  • Modify alt text on images and shapes for screen-readers
  • Explain the importance of layout stylization and its impact on accessibility, like creating table headers, or splitting text into multiple columns 
  • Review accessibility through the Read Aloud, Check Accessibility, and Ally tools   

About Ally
Ally is a tool used for instructors to receive feedback on the accessibility of their content, coupled with instructions on how to improve the accessibility of their content. Additionally, Ally automatically creates alternative versions of files which allows students to choose the type of file they want that best suits their needs. To learn more about Ally, visit our extensive FAQ collection. 

Accessible Content Ally Badge
Instructional Technology will be awarding the Accessible Content Ally Badge to instructors who complete all of the following trainings:
  • Making Word Docs Accessible -- 1 training OR 1 webinar
  • Making PowerPoints Accessible -- 1 training OR 1 webinar
  • Making PDFs Accessible -- 1 training OR 1 webinar
  • Any Ally Orientation -- 1 training OR 1 webinar
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WEBINAR IS ONLINE, SEPTEMBER 16, NOON TO 1 PM

Learn to make your course materials accessible in Blackboard.

During the SP2019 semester, Ally was deployed to courses using Ultra. Ally is available in all courses regardless of course interface starting in SU2019.

Learn about Ally, a new tool to help improve the accessibility of course content in Blackboard. Attend this orientation and demonstration session to see Ally’s powerful file conversion tools for alternative formats. Review the accessibility of your own course materials using the Ally indicator.

Workshop Objectives

Upon completion of the workshop, participants should be able to:

The webinar will take place in a Blackboard Collaborate virtual conference room. Use the link below to enter the webinar up to 15 minutes before the start time:
https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/F86094D72DC738A34DDA685549B72E78  

Prior to the session

If this is your first time joining one of our webinars, please review Getting Started Guide. You will also find additional helpful information for using Blackboard Collaborate at our extensive FAQs. 

For the best viewing experience, we recommend using Chrome or a recent browser update. Webinars are bandwidth intensive, so closing any unnecessary browser tabs will help conserve your bandwidth. After joining the session, please configure your audio. 

The session will be recorded if two or more people attend and the link will be distributed to everyone who registered.

For more information about Ally at UMBC, please see this announcement and the FAQ collection.

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Learn about Ally, a new tool to help improve the accessibility of course content in Blackboard. Attend this orientation and demonstration session to see Ally’s powerful file conversion tools for alternative formats. Review the accessibility of your own course materials using the Ally indicator while getting an understanding of how to create accessible course materials.

If you would like to learn sooner, put the Ally Orientation on your calendar for Monday August 12th from noon-1:00 p.m. It's being held online.  

Read more about Instructional Technology's event, and get the link to join in the orientation here:

https://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/training/?id=70663

If you can't make Monday's training, additional options (all online and interactive via Blackboard Collaborate) sign up here:

August 23rd:  https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/71615

September 16th:  https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/72091

October 16th: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/72092
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His advice for seeking accommodation? Get ahead of it if you can.  UMBC faculty, staff and student employees can learn more and request accommodation via UMBC's Employee Accommodation site linked here.  If you have questions about disability and reasonable accommodation on the job, contact Stephanie Lazarus, Accessibility Manager via 410-455-5745 or slazar@umbc.edu.  
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