Don't just read it, FEEL it through our newly edited wrap-up video, celebrating all the people who made The Art Life happen.

The question is something like, "how do we build bridges between people who are different from one another?" How do we build a harmonious culture of giving, openness, and learning? A safe space shielded from the incessant and persistent urge to do something, to be something, to live a phantom life, living in dreams of tomorrow but not acting in the now? It's weird, I'm describing opposites: don't do everything, but do something right now. Imagination is vital to make something happen, but it can be a misleading force. If we focus on a distant point, working and working, it becomes a routine and a fragile husk of a life if it loses the essence of why we do it. We need to build the life-force, the spontaneous communities IN PERSON so we can get at the things that really matter - finding other people, and finding ourselves. Following our personal legends.

If we need this so much, why should we wait to create it? Hence, The Art Life is that space exactly, and it keeps expanding.

The Art Life put together a series of concerts on campus this semester in Lecture Hall 1 to the FA Amphitheatre to Flat Tuesdays showcasing UMBC arts: live music, poetry, and the visual arts. We raised close to five hundred dollars for charities supporting the unhoused in DC, Gritty Kitties, and Catonsville Emergency Services.

Seventy people attended the last couple of shows, almost two hundred followers on the Gram', and there are a million ways to get involved in Spring 2026… murals on campus (which yearns for color in these bleak times,) an Involvement Fest for Arts orgs and initiatives on campus featuring live performances and flea markets in collaboration with the (seb), and artists who'd like to bring their art to a show.

Our website has all the ways you can get involved, regardless of what you can currently do. Art is a way of life, and it is for everyone. Why wait?

As UMBC continues strengthening digital accessibility across teaching and learning, many faculty have already taken steps to reduce, remake, and remediate existing documents, videos, and course resources. However, the most sustainable opportunity to support digital accessibility is to design new materials that are born accessible from the start, or "created in a way that allows people with disabilities to read content from the get-go, without retrofitting or reengineering (Benetech, 2017). 

Here are five practical strategies to help you create accessible course materials from day one.

1. Start with Structure, Not Style

Clear structure is the backbone of accessibility. Using built-in features in available platforms, such as headings, lists, paragraph styles, and slide layouts, allows screen readers and assistive technologies to interpret content correctly, in the exact order you intended it to be presented. These tools include Office 365, Google Workspace, Blackboard, and Sites.

Try this:

• Apply Heading styles in hierarchical order instead of manually adjusting font size to create sections.
• Use real bullet or numbered lists rather than typed dashes or tabbed text to organize content.
• When creating presentations, choose provided slide layouts instead of drawing your own text boxes.

Good structure ensures your documents and slides remain accessible no matter how they are exported or shared.

2. Use Meaningful Text Alternatives for Images

Images, charts, infographics, and icons must communicate their purpose to students who cannot perceive visual information. Alt text should describe meaning, not appearance.

Ask yourself:Why is this image here? What should students learn from it?

• For simple images, include 1-2 concise sentences of functional alt text. 
• For complex charts or diagrams, offer a short summary in the text and provide a longer description nearby (such as a caption) or as an optional linked resource. 
• If an image is decorative, mark it as decorative so assistive technologies skip it. Just don't use the decorative tag to avoid describing an image because that's not fair to students who need the information.

Intentional text alternatives reduce barriers and improve clarity for all learners. It not only ensures we meet ADA requirements, but it's just good communication.

3. Choose Accessible File Formats and Templates

The formats you choose can open doors -- or accidentally close them.

• Create content directly in Blackboard Ultra. Leverage the formatting tools in Ultra Documents and the rich text editor in Announcements, Tests, Assignments, and Discussions. Ultra is accessible by design so it's really hard to create inaccessible content!
• Create with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, HTML, or Google Docs as native content when possible; these formats support accessibility features more reliably than PDFs. It's also far easier to fix the original file than retrofit a PDF.
• If you must create a PDF, generate it from a structured, accessible source file rather than scanning or exporting flattened text.
• Consider using UMBC-approved accessible templates for syllabi, slides, and course documents.

Starting with the right format reduces the need for time-consuming repairs later when evaluating your documents using the 3-R framework.

4. Ensure Your Multimedia Works for Every Learner

Accessible multimedia goes beyond checking the "captions" box.

• Use captions for all videos. Automated captions are improving, but always review for accuracy and make corrections to avoid egregious errors in spelling and content.
• Provide transcripts when appropriate, especially for audio-only materials or longer lectures.
• Consider brief audio descriptions if essential visual information is not spoken aloud.

Tools like YuJa and Blackboard's updated video recorder for announcements and grading feedback make captioning easier than ever, and UMBC's accessibility resources can guide you through quality checks.

5. Build Courses with Flexibility and Clarity in Mind

Born-accessible materials align naturally with Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

• Offer multiple ways for students to access information (text, visuals, short video explanations).
• Use descriptive link text such as "Download the syllabus (PDF)" rather than "Click here."
• Keep navigation predictable with consistent module structures and clearly labeled activities.

These practices help all students -- whether they use assistive technologies, learn in non-traditional environments, or simply benefit from clearer design. Doing so not only supports UMBC's commitment to equitable learning under updated federal accessibility requirements, but also saves time, reduces future remediation, and improves the learning experience for every student.

Ready to take the first step? Visit UMBC's Digital Accessibility site or run an Ally course report today. Support is also available from Student Disability Services and Instructional Technology.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is releasing a Policy Notice for its 2024 Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The PAPPG documents the agency's proposal and award process, which govern the management of grants and cooperative agreements.

NSF will defer release of the 26-1 version of the PAPPG, previously developed and planned for publication in Fiscal Year 2026, to ensure alignment with forthcoming Uniform Grant Guidance updates. NSF will issue policy revisions via supplemental Policy Notices in the interim.

Please refer to the full notice linked above for specific changes. 

If you have questions, please contact the Office of Sponsored Programs.