Monthly Newsletter from Disability Services

OCT 2024

Can you believe we're already at midterms and spring registration?

Take a slow breath and look at the graph, see how much experience you've already gained? You got this! 

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

They’ve experienced challenging semesters and can offer guidance to all DS students. Together, you can create a success plan by discussing what’s working, building academic, organizational, and time management support, and recommending other UML resources.

I am a senior pursuing a degree in Digital Media, English concentration in Theater Arts. I have confidence in the transformative power of art as a therapeutic force for healing.

Meet with Fahad

Hi! I'm 25, from Franklin, MA. I studied International Business at Mass Bay CC, earned my associate's degree, and now I'm in my third year at UML, continuing online.

Meet with Kalib

Fahad Alden - As not only a coach but someone registered with this office, I believe that our weaknesses are what makes us. How we harness our weaknesses into creativity is where our power lies. I bring honesty, spirituality and a down-to-earth sense of humor. 

Kalib Laughran - I love the welcoming community in the DS office. I believe our success comes from the support of those around us, and I hope to provide students with a safe, judgment-free space to work through problems and get the support and advice they need.

Fahad Alden - You can find me writing or dancing with my friends at rock concerts when I am not working.

Kalib Laughran - I love playing games with friends and family, both board and video,  I also recently started reading again and have been enjoying The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson.

Fahad Alden - I think it's so much easier to tell others that they’re exactly where they were meant to be, whatever that looks like. This year, I learned that it is also important that we extend the grace and patience that we extend to others. It is a great reminder to me to keep pushing forward and embrace the journey if life.

Kalib Laughran - Taking this job and coming on the DS podcast! My struggles with anxiety disorder and social phobia have taught me that no matter how scary it may be to try new things and put yourself out there, it's important to try!

Get text message reminders for Disability Service appointments and Testing Center booking appointments. Please see your News Feed on Accommodate for instructions.

Episode 17 - The Disability Dish can be found your favorite podcast platforms, including: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts.

Club Highlight: Active Minds

Active Minds club meetings focus on mental health discussions, self-care tips, reducing stigma, and promoting mental health. Contact Ella Harris for more info.

Clubs are a great way to meet people, have fun, build leadership skills, and make a difference. Get involved through Engage!

Liberty Mutual Neurodiversity Internship Information Session and Panel

Oct 23 2024, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM EDT online - REGISTER

Join Liberty Mutual to learn about our Neurodiversity Internship and hear from mentors in our Able Employee Resource Group. This program offers a supportive environment to develop skills and gain experience with a Fortune 100 company. Opportunities are available in Analytics, Actuarial, and Technology. Applications for Summer 2025 are now open.

Participate in a Study to Improve Access in Gynecology

People with disabilities often face inadequate sexual and reproductive health care due to a lack of accommodations like mobile exam tables and communication devices. This can result in late diagnoses, cancer, and emotional trauma, deterring many from OBGYN appointments. Four women researchers have created the iGRACE survey to gather insights on accessibility in OBGYN clinics. Please take a few minutes to share your experiences.

CAP Disability in Employment Workshops

MOD's Client Assistance Program (CAP) hosts virtual workshops aimed at employees and jobseekers with disabilities and their advocates on Wed Nov 13 including: Deciding to Disclose, Reasonable Accommodations in Employment, and Disability Discrimination in Employment 

Custom-built cameras in the stadium use artificial intelligence (AI) to track key details from a match. Within roughly half a second, information is transmitted to a white, tablet-sized device embossed with the shape of a sports pitch. “The main feedback we’ve gotten (about the device) has been that it actually makes them feel like they’re part of the game and they’re experiencing it with everyone else,”

cnn.com

Lizzie Mazzola decided to enroll her son, Jason, in the zatolmilast study, despite having witnessed the failure of other promising drugs for Fragile X.

At first, Mazzola and her husband didn’t know if their son was getting zatolmilast or a placebo.

Within a few weeks, though, Jason did something remarkable. “My husband said, ‘He has to be on the drug. He’s never done that,’ ” Mazzola says.

npr.org

"The world of Oz really is accessible," she says. They hired a wheelchair choreographer, somebody in a wheelchair was the disability advisor, they provided an accessible trailer on set, and Bode performs her own stunts.

broadwayworld.com

“It’s kind of wild because I wear hearing aids and I’ve always had a problem with hearing,” Crews said. “A lot of people think I’m ignoring them but a lot of times, if I’m not looking at you, I can’t hear you. I read lips and I watch people and by doing that, though, it’s made me a better actor.”

cnn.com

We love staying connected with you! Submissions/ideas/feedback are always welcome: disability@uml.edu