Monthly Newsletter from Disability Services

SEPT 2023

And just like that... we're into the semester. Drop/Add is over and classes are in full swing. And if we look up a bit, we'll see those early signs of fall. #sweaterweather Please do reach out to disability@uml.edu with any concerns or feedback!

The DS Team (Jodi, Brandon, Lauren, Evelyn, and Aida) 

Are you someone diagnosed with Autism or ADHD or both? Are you a college student whose age is 18 or above? Do you consider yourself successful now in college?

If so, please contact Joseph Barry for interest or more information for Honors Thesis interview where you will be asked questions on past experiences in relation to your K-12 schooling.

Contact Info: Joseph_Barry3@student.uml.edu

The Disability Dish is now on your favorite podcast platforms! Find us at: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts 

At long last, Episode 13! Jodi and Lauren talk about putting oneself out there in a new environment and being vulnerable with Hannah Monbleau, Assistant Director of Student Life and Well-Being; and Sayf Al-Aziz Rashad, Freshman in Chemical Engineering.

Would you like to be a guest on our podcast or have an idea for a topic? Faculty, staff, and students welcome! Email jodi_rachins@uml.edu

Tutoring

Fall 2023 Tutoring is live and robust!   

The Writing Center

You can sign up for a 30-minute virtual meeting through the Writing Center website.

Advising

To find your faculty or professional advisor, login to your Now Dashboard and select “My Academics.” to find your advisor’s contact information or to schedule an appointment. If you need assistance please reach out to advisement@uml.edu.

Want to talk with someone right away? Did you know that Peer Advisors can talk with you about your schedule, SiS, class search, campus resources, deadlines, etc.? Check out the Peer Advising webpage for more information!  

AbilityLinks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide employment opportunities to people with disabilities in an environment where they can thrive and advance their careers. The free online platform serves as a bridge between job seekers with disabilities and employers who are actively seeking to create inclusive work environments. 

If you or someone you know is interested in a seamless job search process, you can sign up for free today! If you want to join the AbilityLinks mailing list or have any other questions, please introduce yourself at info@abilityLinks.org. 

Hire Autism has a scholarship for autistic adults 18+ called the Synchrony Tech Scholarship. This scholarship funds certificate programs in the IT/Tech Field for those individuals interested in pursuing or advancing their career in this field. For more information, contact Courtney Carroll, manager of the Hire Autism Program.

Webinars                 

Autism Inclusion in the Workplace Panel

Oct. 12, 11 a.m. to noon ET

The Southwest Airlines Campus Reach Neurodiversity internship program offers 12-week, paid internships within our Technology department for eligible part-time and full-time college students. This program is designed for neurodivergent individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Internship dates: May 21 – August 9, 2024

Application dates: Jan. 22 – Jan. 29, 2024 

Design: 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday during normal business hours

Program: This tailored program will provide valuable work experience, career coaching, and mentorship for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Have any questions about the recruitment process? Email Southwest directly at CampusReach@wnco.com.

Don’t Miss Alejandra Campoverdi, Author of “First Gen: A Memoir” 10/4

Alejandra Campoverdi is a nationally recognized women’s health advocate, author, founder, producer and former White House aide to President Obama. She produced and appeared in the groundbreaking PBS documentary “Inheritance,” and founded the LATINOS & BRCA awareness initiative in partnership with Penn Medicine’s Basser Center for BRCA. 

Wednesday, Oct. 4  3-4 p.m.  Alumni Hall, North Campus
Free and open to the public
Register now

CTE & Families: Amy Bell, Widow of Former NFL Player Adrian Dingle 10/5

Amy Bell, widow of former NFL player Adrian Dingle reflects on Dingle's health and life.

Thursday, Oct. 5  11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.  Dugan Hall Room 209

Friday, Oct. 20 to Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023

Family Weekend 2023 is here! See all the events.

The weekend will be full of fun events designed for your entire family! Events are open and free of cost unless otherwise noted.

Fill out the Family Weekend RSVP Form and get a free gift at check-in! 

Wellness Wednesdays

4-6 p.m. Serenity Center, University Crossing, 3rd Floor

Join the Office of Student Life & Well-being for Wellness Wednesdays in the Serenity Center every Wednesday afternoon. 

Have you joined Engage yet? 

Clubs and Organizations are open to all students and are a fantastic way to meet people, have fun, develop your leadership skills and make a difference.

Are you looking to get involved in a club on campus?

At the ENGAGE website you can find a profile and primary contact for every active club as well as member resources

Club Highlight: Disable the Label

Disable the Label's purpose is to unify and connect students with and without disabilities at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Members interact and talk about their personal experiences with other students who can relate. The club is here to unify every member of our college community and create equality regardless of abilities. The goal is to unite people with unique challenges and to welcome those students with disabilities and their allies. As a club, we stand for acceptance and inclusion. Everyone is welcome!

Contact Kira_Cote@student.uml.edu

Tolerance for Error reduces the harms and adverse consequences caused due to unintended actions. This is sending impulsively or without editing or making mistakes due to dexterity and fine motor abilities.

For Example:

Put back and the use of undo button on computer to go back to the previous state.

The handrail on the stairs of your home, to provide additional support if anyhow you get unbalanced.

The fire extinguisher cylinders need you to remove the pin before using it.

The 988 Lifeline is a network of more than 200 state and local call centers supported by HHS to help people who have suicidal thoughts, mental health or substance use-related crises. The crisis line has received more than 5.5 million texts, calls and chats since its launch a little over a year ago.

The new service will offer crisis counseling in American Sign Language, which many Deaf and Hard of Hearing people speak as their primary or native language.

The service will be accessible using a videophone, a device used by people who are deaf and blind that transmits audio and video.

To access American Sign Language services via 988, you can call 1-800-273-8255 on a phone with video capabilities, or press the ASL NOW button on 988lifeline.org. The 988 Lifeline is working to make videophone services reachable via the 988 phone number in the coming weeks.

sideeffectspublicmedia.org

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, here's a strategy that may help boost your mental health: Spend the next week observing your daily habits. You can jot them down in a journal to keep track.

How well are you sleeping? Are you eating foods that nourish you? Did you make time for a favorite hobby and exercise? Did you gather with friends or loved ones?

Your answers to these questions may help explain your mood — and your risk of depression too. 

npr.com

Daniel Belquer worked to develop a light haptic suit with a total of 24 actuators, or vibrating plates around the body like a hiking backpack.

When you wear the suit, it's surprising how much texture the sensations have. It can feel like raindrops on your shoulders, a tickle across the ribs, a thump against the lower back.

It doesn't replicate the music — it's not as simple as regular taps to the beat. It plays waves of sensation on your skin in a way that's complementary to the music.

npr.com

Actor Tommy Jessop was in one of the biggest TV shows of 2021 - Line of Duty. He was certain it would lead to bigger and better roles, but when the show wrapped, the phone stopped ringing. Not one to take things lying down, he decided to write a screenplay and pitch it to Hollywood.

bbc.com

The show is adapted from Alexandra Shiva's 2015 HBO documentary, which follows the challenges faced by a group of autistic young adults at a counseling center in Ohio. With the support of clinical psychologist Dr. Emilio Amigo, the center arranges a spring formal dance and encourages them as they encounter love, fear, stress, excitement, and hope, along the path to human connection. Seven autistic actors will make their Broadway debuts in the neurodiverse musical.

playbill.com

We love staying connected with you!

Submissions/ideas/feedback are always welcome:

disability@uml.edu