Monthly Newsletter from Disability Services (DS) |
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Welcome back everyone and welcome to all of our new students! We hope you enjoyed this beautiful summer and are ready for all the excitement of the new year. Please reach out to disability@uml.edu with any concerns or feedback!
The DS Team (Jodi, Brandon, Lauren, Evelyn and Aida)
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- 9/1 (Tuesday)
- Fall classes begin. Drop-add period begins.
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9/7 (Monday)
- Labor Day (university closed)
- 9/8 (Tuesday)
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Last day for undergraduate students to add a course without a permission number. (Except 8-Week Online Fall Start II Courses)
- 9/15 (Tuesday)
- Last day to (Except 8-Week Online Fall Start II Courses):
- Add a course with a permission number
- Drop a course without record
- Note: No refund after this date.
- 9/22 (Tuesday)
- Faculty verify student academic participation
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Updates from the DS Office |
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Fall 2026 Accommodation Letters |
- Request your Fall 2026 accommodation letters on Accommodate
- Remember:
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Your instructors don’t know you have accommodations until you request these letters, and accommodations are NOT afforded retroactively
- If you made any schedule changes/additions after you've requested letters, you will need to request again for those changes
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HOW TO REQUEST SEMESTER LETTERS
- As always, sign up to meet on Accommodate if you have any needs
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Our Specialist, Evelyn Steele, will be out for the Fall 2026 semester and will be back this Spring. We have part-time help for new student intake meetings. If you need help and primarily work with Evelyn, please email disability@uml.edu so we can get you connected to the right support.
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If you would like a Peer Coach to reach out to you or you have any questions, please fill out the Peer Coach form, and one will get in touch with you via email.
A Peer Coach has been through it, including bumpy semesters, and can offer guidance and tips. You can work together to determine a plan for the fall semester that encourages success by talking about what has and hasn't been working; building academics; organizational and time management support; and offering recommendations for other connections at UML.
Fahad Alden, our Graduate Assistant, is taking charge of all peer coaching this year! You will be in really good hands as he has been with us for several years.
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Thanks to Fahad we now have an Instagram account: disability_services_uml.
Follow to get updates throughout the year!
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| Brandon Drake
Associate Director & Manager of Assistive Technology
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| Lauren Tornatore
Senior Assistant Director of Disability Education & Enhancement
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| Aida Phillips
Administrative Assistant
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Evelyn O'Connor
Specialist
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| Fahad Alden
DS Graduate Assistant & Peer Coach, Higher Ed Administration '27, Digital Media '25
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Braeden Murray
DS Peer Coach, Mechanical Engineering '27
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| Vui Tran
DS Peer Coach, Applied Biomedical Science '28
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On and Off Campus Resources |
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Centers for Learning, Advising and Student Success (CLASS) Events |
Friday, September 4, 2026 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: Fox Hall Patio Table 1
Students will have the opportunity to learn about CLASS services (including tutoring and advising) and to get some swag.
Friday, September 18, 2026 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: South Campus OLeary McGauvran Patio
Tie-Dye with CLASS. Students will have opportunities to learn about CLASS services and meet CLASS staff. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dye on, just in case!
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UML Center for Neurodiversity Education, Support and Training (NEST) Horizons Plus College Success Program |
“Horizons Plus” is a college success program for neurodivergent college students and is designed to support students as they navigate through their degree. The group works together on a range of topics tailored to their needs and questions. Students may be freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors. Students can be attending any college or university in the U.S.
Groups meet on Zoom Tuesdays, 4-5 p.m. (Eastern) from September to December with trained, experienced UMass Lowell student mentors. Meetings are fun and relaxed with plenty of time for one-on-one conversations with mentors as well as group discussions. There is a $150 fee for both Horizons and Horizons Plus (scholarships are available). More information: https://www.uml.edu/research/autism/services/
We are also recruiting for “The Network”, a social networking group for neurodivergent young adults (18-30 year olds). We meet twice a month in-person and once a month online. The main goal of The Network is to provide an opportunity to meet others and have fun.
Please contact Ashleigh Hillier, Ph.D. for more information about any of these programs: Ashleigh_hillier@uml.edu
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Kick off your semester with Weeks of Welcome! From Game On at Meehan Student Center (MSC) and Late-Night Breakfast to Convocation, the Engagement Fair and campus traditions, Weeks of Welcome is your chance to meet people, discover organizations and make UMass Lowell your home.
Browse events to see everything happening throughout the first weeks of the semester. Follow @UMLStudentLife for reminders, updates, and new events all month long.
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OMA Day
Wednesday, September 2
3 to 5 p.m.
Meehan Student Center 370 (Social Justice Center)
Join OMA as we kick off the school year. Meet knew people. Say hi to our Rising 360 Peer Leaders and much more.
Wellness Wednesday Kick-Off
Wednesday, September 2
4 to 6:00 p.m.
Meehan Student Center Lobby
Kick off the first Wellness Wednesday of the semester by stopping by our information table! Learn about the exciting Wellness Wednesday events and activities planned throughout the semester, discover opportunities to support your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and find out how you can get involved. Whether you're looking to de-stress, build healthy habits, or connect with campus resources, this is the perfect place to start. We look forward to seeing you there!
Wellness Wednesdays x Rowdy's Esports Arena
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
4 to 6 p.m.
Meehan Student Center Esports Arena
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Minecraft Server Season Launch
Saturday, September 5, 2026
12 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Meehan Student Center Esports Arena
Start the season in UMass Lowell's official Minecraft server with a kick-off event! If you join from Rowdy's Esports Arena, you can take home a free key clicker fidget.
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| Create and Craft in the Common
Sunday, September 6, 2026
8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Fox Hall Commons
Join the Office of Student Life & Involvement to decorate your Residence Hall! We'll have stuff a bear, custom name signs, make your own succulents to add some vibrancy to your res hall.
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South Campus Fall Fest
Thursday, September 24, 2026
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
South Campus Quad
South Campus Fall Festival is a welcome back fair for South Campus students. It includes student organizations, community partners and fun activities.
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| Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration and New Student Welcome Event
Friday, September 25, 2026
5 to 8 p.m.
Alumni Hall Lounge
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals in Chinese culture. It symbolizes reunion, unity and gratitude, as families and friends come together to celebrate and enjoy the full moon. The event will introduce students to the cultural traditions and significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival through traditional food, cultural activities and social interactions.
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2026 UML Flu Vaccine Clinic
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
11 a.m. to 1 p.m
Meehan Student Center Lobby
Flu vaccines clinics are open to all UML community members. You must be over the age of 18 to receive a vaccination. Appointments are recommended and walk-ins are welcome.
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2026 DifferenceMaker Fall Kick Off
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
5 to 7 p.m.
Meehan Student Center - Jacqueline and Edward Moloney Hall 260A
Welcome back to campus as we kick off the 2026 -2027 Rist DifferenceMaker Institute programming! Come and learn about our speaking events, workshops, seminars, mentoring and competitions! Do you have an idea for a business? Are you an entrepreneur in the making? Come join us!
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Free on 3
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
5 to 7 p.m.
Meehan Student Center 370 Social Justice Center
Free on 3 is a weekly opportunity for students to take a break, connect with others and engage in activities that support overall well-being. Through interactive tabling, hands-on activities, and campus partnerships, Free on 3 highlights different dimensions of wellness including social, emotional, physical, academic and community well-being in a fun and welcoming environment.
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Alexandra Adams says the biggest hurdle in becoming the U.K.’s first DeafBlind doctor has been discrimination, not disability as she relies on "naturally heightened" sense of touch and adaptive technology, like a Bluetooth stethoscope.
Adams provides more information to skeptical followers on her mythbusting series on her Instagram page.
people.com
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Many Dateability users said they were drawn to the app after negative experiences on mainstream platforms.
Dateability is a dating app for people with disabilities and chronic medical conditions. While the app’s reach is modest compared with many conventional dating platforms, its user base has almost doubled since 2025, reaching 65,000 users as of this month, according to the company. Other apps, including SpecialBridge and Dating4Disabled, similarly cater to those with disabilities.
nytimes.com
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Focusgroup from Microsoft allows developers to handle complex navigation elements without writing excessive code. Microsoft’s focusgroup tool is now available for early testing in Edge browsers
By reducing the coding burden, focusgroup could improve website performance and allow users to access content faster, while also easing compliance with accessibility standards.
techradar.com
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Disability Represents in the Arts |
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V, a member of pop sensation BTS, says he has been receiving treatment for hearing loss in one ear, an announcement that comes midway through the band's highly-anticipated world tour.
In a livestream on Wednesday, the 30-year-old said that he has dealt with the problem for about two and a half years. This was the first time he was revealing it to the band's fans, he said.
"If the hearing in my left ear is at 100, it's only about 30 in my right," said V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung.
bbc.com
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Josh Staub, renowned Disney animator and visual effects artist, including Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled and Frozen, began developing an idea for an animated series that would tackle big themes of family, empathy and the ways we communicate with one another. There was just one complication: the animated family at the core of the series would include characters who are deaf.
The Small Talk ASL app was born.
In the app, Oscar isn’t your teacher—he’s your friend. Because Oscar is fully animated as he signs and fingerspells, users can rotate him to view his signs from different angles, making it easier to see how his hands and fingers move. They can also adjust the playback speed—slowing it down as they learn or speeding it up to test their fluency and handshape recognition. Crucially, they can experience Oscar’s larger-than-life facial expressions (unsurprisingly reminiscent of Disney and Pixar characters), which are an essential part of communication in ASL.
upworthy.com
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We love staying connected with you!
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| University of Massachusetts Lowell © 2026
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