A note from our comms director

Note: The below message from Belonging's comms director appeared in the Belonging newsletter on May 6, 2026.

Some readers may have noticed a language change to our event listings. Instead of “For disability accommodations, please contact…”, we now use “For access needs, accommodations and questions, please contact…” This change has also been reflected on the campus calendar and the Belonging website’s event calendar, and I wanted to share the reasoning behind it.

The language of "accommodations" usually refers to official, documented and approved accessibility measures. While these measures have improved access for many, they have also created barriers for historically marginalized communities that often face discrimination when seeking disability documentation. But everyone has access needs! Including "access needs" in our event language signals an openness to building a welcoming culture that celebrates the rich diversity of experiences on our campus.

This updated language is thanks to Dr. Sara M. Acevedo, the Inaugural Lead of the Disability Culture Initiative on campus, who was kind enough to have an open and honest conversation with me about this. Dr. Acevedo has been working tirelessly to shift the narrative around disability at UMD and thoughtfully raised concerns about the language. I am grateful for her generosity and patient guidance; these are the kinds of conversations and learning opportunities I treasure. And I appreciated learning a new way our language can help create a more inclusive campus and break down stigmas – so I wanted to share with you all. Feel free to use or adapt this language if it’s useful for you. Let’s keep these conversations going!

For more information about making your events accessible, check out the Planning an Accessible Event webpage on our site.  For any additional questions, reach out to our ADA Coordinator, Emily Singer Lucio, at adacoordinator@umd.edu.

Cheers,
Allison