Our 2025/2026 Accessibility Trailblazers are here!
We invited the UMBC community to nominate a faculty member and/or an academic department for the annual UMBC Accessibility Trailblazer Awards. Our goal is to recognize and celebrate the individuals and departments who are true allies in advancing accessibility and inclusion across campus.
Trailblazers are pioneers in ensuring that course materials and content are accessible to all students. They embody inclusive teaching practices and demonstrate a strong commitment to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), creating learning environments where every student feels welcomed and supported.
As nominations officially closed this week, the Department of Accessibility & Disability Services (ADS), home to the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS), carefully reviewed submissions and selected this year’s awardees. We are proud to announce our 2025/2026 Accessibility Trailblazer Award recipients:
Award Recipients:
- Dr. Tiffany Banks, School of Social Work
- Paul Coakley (adjunct), Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health Department
- Kristen Anchor, Department of Media & Communication Studies
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Course Reserves Department at Albin O. Kuhn Library
Honorable Mentions:
- Dr. Kate Drabinski, Department of Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies
- Dr. Lara Martin, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
- Dr. Tania Lizarazo, Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics & Intercultural Communication
ADS and the entire UMBC community are incredibly proud of your dedication to making accessibility a priority in all that you do. Your efforts continue to create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students.
Award recipients will be formally recognized with certificates, shared with their Deans and senior leadership, and featured in our office bulletin boards, and quarterly newsletter.
Nominations will reopen in January 2027, so be sure to keep an eye out and take the opportunity to recognize others who are making a difference in accessibility and inclusion. Please join us in celebrating these outstanding individuals and departments!