Disability Awareness Month Celebration
October 2022
Disability Awareness Month is nationally recognized during the month of October. We are proud of the accomplishments and contributions of members of this community and embrace the honor and acknowledgement of their achievements. The James Farmer Multicultural Center is working closely with the Office of Disability Resources, as well as Diversability, Talk to the Hands, and Best Buddies student clubs to coordinate and plan the events for this month-long celebration.
Disability Awareness Month Kick-off – Amplifying Our Voices Showcase
Saturday, October 1st | 7:00 pm | Digital Auditorium, Hurley Convergence Center
Join us for the kick-off event for Disability Awareness Month! You are invited to amplify your voice and showcase your creative talent, whether it is singing, spoken word, dancing, or digital art as we celebrate disability culture. There will be door prizes given away!
“Let’s Taco ‘Bout Your Career” – Focus Group Collaboration with the Center for Career and Professional Development and Goodwill
Tuesday, October 4th at 4 p.m.
Colonnade Room, Rucker University Center
UMW students with disabilities are invited to participate in a focus group (and eat tacos!) to learn more of your thoughts on what career supports would be meaningful for you. This event is hosted by Center for Career and Professional Development, Goodwill, and the Office of Disability Resources.
Digital Accessibility: Top Things to Know
Wednesday, October 12th at 3:00 pm
Capital Room, Rucker University Center
This training will focus on quick tips and tricks for anyone in the UMW community interested in learning more about digital accessibility. This is a great opportunity for students, faculty, and staff involved in sharing any information with a wide range of individuals. Come, learn, and ask questions in a judgment free environment with training provided by ODR’s Assistive Technology Coordinator, Danielle Smith.
Assistive Technology Demo Day
Thursday, October 13th | 1:00 – 3:00 pm | Office of Disability Resources Suite, Seacobeck Hall, Room 005
Assistive Technology (AT) changes lives, and many of us use it every day! See how high-tech and low-tech devices can support learning and every day activities. Come check out Assistive Tech Demo Day to play with and see AT in action at UMW.
2022 Disability Awareness Month Major Speaker: Rachel Loria
Thursday, October 13 | 7 pm | Chandler Ballroom A/B, University Center
Rachel Loria is a Disability Rights Advocate at the disAbility Law Center of Virginia, where she has been working for over 8 years. She works particularly on cases involving vocational services, Pre Employment Transition Services, and assistive technology. She was born and raised in Richmond where she also began her journey as a self advocate. She had the privilege of working with both Virginia Board for People with Disabilities and the Partnership for People with Disabilities in her 15 year career as a self advocate working to help individuals who have disabilities.
Disability Awareness Month Table Fair
Friday, October 14th | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm | Campus Walk in front of Lee Hall
(Rain location: Colonnade Room, Rucker University Center)
A table fair will be held to share information about both on- and off-campus disability organizations. There will also be a tye-dye table set up for students who would like to tye-dye a t-shirt with the month’s theme: “Amplifying Voices, Empowering Access.” There are a limited number of t-shirts available so come early to join the fun! In the event of inclement weather, the table fair will be moved inside and the tye-dye activity will be rescheduled for another date.
Silent Dinner
Wednesday, October 19 | 5:00 pm | The Underground, Lee Hall
Sponsored by Talk to the Hands Club
Join Talk to the Hands, UMW’s American Sign Language club, for their second annual Silent Dinner! The purpose of this event is to encourage attendees to try to communicate without using verbal language but by using American Sign Language, written language, or any other form of non-verbal communication while eating and having fun! So many people in our world do not use verbal language to communicate. By trying to find new ways to communicate, we are attempting to make our community more inclusive.
Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society Induction Ceremony
Tuesday, October 18th | 6:00 pm | Chandler Ballroom, Rucker University Center
Contact: Danielle Smith, DAPi Faculty Advisor (dsmith24@umw.edu)
UMW continues to monitor campus, local, and statewide COVID-19 data and has instituted protocols to protect our campus community. These protocols include requiring proper mask wearing while indoors, obtaining contact information from event attendees for contact tracing, and requesting that the University be notified of any positive COVID test within 14 days of attending an event at UMW. The University may also implement additional restrictions if cases increase on campus or in the region including, but not limited to, requiring proof of vaccination or a recent negative test, reducing occupancy limits at events, or restricting attendance to UMW community members only. We encourage you to check our website for updates prior to arriving to campus for a scheduled event.
For more information, contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at 540/654-1044 or umwjfmc@gmail.com. Visit students.umw.edu/multicultural.
Please email us at umwjfmc@gmail.com if you have any questions regarding disability-related accommodations.