The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is thrilled to announce that Colin Corcoran has been awarded the May 2026 DoIT Gritty Award! This recognition celebrates Colin’s exceptional dedication, technical resilience, and ten years of continuous support for a vital community initiative.

Every year, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides seamless, free tax preparation support for low-income individuals in the community. It is an immense contribution to the greater UMBC community—and for the past decade, Colin has been its technical backbone alongside the Client Services Student Team and with vital support from Courtney Burkett. 

From Makeshift to Seamless

The journey of the VITA program's infrastructure is a masterclass in resilience. For ten years, Colin and the DoIT Client Services student staff have operated entirely behind the scenes to make this program a reality.

In the early days, the setup was a physically demanding, makeshift system that required grueling effort to deploy and maintain. Through tireless work and adaptability, Colin successfully transformed that clunky foundation into the smooth, digital service it is today. Because of his grit, community members experience a seamless process during an otherwise stressful tax season.

The Backbone of the Initiative

What makes Colin exceptional is his ability to manage complex, fast-moving technical needs while maintaining a community-first mindset. Backed by the leadership of Courtney Burkett and the hard work of the student team, Colin delivers professional-grade IT support that directly changes lives.

"His work often goes unnoticed by the public," noted the Gritty Committee, "but he is the reason this vital initiative can happen year after year. Colin represents the very best of DoIT’s spirit of service."

Celebrating Excellence

By modernizing the VITA program's tech footprint, Colin has proven that dedicated technical leadership leaves a lasting legacy on campus. He delivers high-stakes technical execution with the kind of care, professionalism, and grit that elevates the entire university.

Congratulations to Colin for a well-deserved Gritty Award! Thank you for 10 years of going above and beyond!

About the DoIT Gritty Award

The Gritty Award recognizes outstanding work within the Division and beyond. Full-time employees, student employees, and teams are all eligible. Do you know someone going above and beyond? Complete the Gritty Nomination Form today!

The first draft of this article was generated by GenAI and edited by the Communications Team. 

Email is one of the most universal communication tools we have at UMBC, and one of the most commonly overlooked places where accessibility breaks down. Whether you’re sending a department update, a meeting invitation, or a campus-wide announcement, the way you format your email affects whether every recipient can actually read and understand it. For users who use screen readers, have low vision, or rely on assistive technology, a poorly formatted email isn’t just inconvenient -- it’s a barrier. The good news: accessible emails are also clearer, better organized, and easier for everyone to read.

These tips apply to Gmail, UMBC’s primary email platform, but the principles carry across any email client.

1. Write a Descriptive, Meaningful Subject Line

Your subject line is the first thing a screen reader announces. Vague subject lines like “FYI,” “Update,” or “Important” don’t tell the recipient what to expect or how urgently to act.

• Be specific: “Staff Meeting Agenda – Thursday, July 10” is more useful than “Agenda.”

• Skip the emoji in subject lines. Screen readers read the emoji name aloud (e.g., “check mark button” and this can bury your actual message.

• Avoid all caps. Screen readers may spell out letters individually, and all caps are harder to read visually. 

• Front-load the most important information: “Action Required: Submit Your Training Confirmation by Friday.”

2. Keep Your Structure Simple and Scannable

Long blocks of unbroken text are hard for everyone to read, and especially difficult for screen reader users who need to navigate content linearly. Use structure to make your emails easier to process.

• Use short paragraphs. One idea per paragraph is a good rule of thumb.

• Use real lists (Gmail’s bulleted or numbered list buttons in the formatting toolbar) rather than typing dashes or asterisks manually.

• If your email covers multiple topics, use Gmail’s bold text to create visual section breaks, but use it sparingly so emphasis stays meaningful.

• Avoid using tables for layout in email. Table rendering is inconsistent across email clients, and tables can be confusing for screen reader users.

3. Make Your Links Descriptive

Links in emails are frequently formatted as raw URLs or vague phrases. Both create problems for screen reader users, who often navigate emails by jumping between links.

• Instead of “Click Here” or “Please register using this link: [long link]” you should write: “Register for the July accessibility workshop.” Then embed the link to the descriptive phrase. 

  • In Gmail: Highlight the text you want to link, press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac), and paste the URL. The visible text, not the URL, becomes the link.

• Avoid linking entire sentences. Link only the meaningful phrase.

4. Use Color and Formatting Thoughtfully

Color can add visual emphasis, but it should never be the only way you communicate information. Recipients with color blindness or low vision may not perceive color differences the way you intend.

• Don’t rely on color alone to indicate importance. Pair color with bold, italics, or explicit language (“Note:” or “Reminder:”).

• Ensure text color has sufficient contrast against the background. Gmail’s default black text on white background is already contrast-compliant. Avoid overriding it with light gray or other low-contrast colors.

• Use bold and italics for emphasis sparingly. Excessive formatting is as hard to read as none.

5. Add Alt Text to Images in Gmail

If you include images in your email -- for example, logos, banners, charts, or photos -- they need alternative text so recipients using screen readers understand what the image conveys.

• In Gmail: Insert an image, then click it and select “Edit alt text.”

• Write a brief description of what the image communicates, not just what it looks like.

• If the image is purely decorative (a banner or divider), consider whether it’s necessary to use it at all. Decorative images in email can slow load times and add clutter.

• Never embed essential information, especially text like event information, only in an image. If the image doesn’t load or can’t be read, that information disappears.

6. Send Attachments That Are Actually Accessible

An email can be well-formatted, while the file attached to it is not. Before attaching a document, take a moment to confirm it will work for every recipient.

• Run the Accessibility Checker in Word or PowerPoint (Review > Check Accessibility) before attaching. It flags missing alt text, poor color contrast, and other common issues.

• For PDFs, export from the source file rather than scanning a paper document. Scanned PDFs are images of text, not readable text, and are inaccessible to screen readers by default.

• Check that your document has a logical structure: real headings, readable lists, and meaningful link text. The same principles that apply to your email apply to what you attach to it.

When in doubt, put the information in the email body instead. The most accessible attachment is one that doesn’t need to exist.

7. Test Before You Send

Before sending a high-stakes email to a large group, take 60 seconds to review it with accessibility in mind:

• Read your subject line out loud. Is it clear without any surrounding context?

• Read your link text out loud. Does each link tell you where it goes?

• Try removing all color from your email mentally. Does it still make sense?

• If you’ve included an image, check that it has alt text.

Accessible email takes only a little more time to write, and makes a significant difference for the colleagues and community members who receive it.

Links are everywhere -- in syllabi, announcements, email, assignments, websites, and Blackboard pages. They’re one of the most useful tools for connecting students to resources and one of the most commonly overlooked accessibility issues. For anyone using screen readers, a link is read aloud exactly as it appears: “click here” or “hxxps // web(dot)com/long-string-of-characters” -- this communicates nothing.

Accessible link text is a small fix with a big payoff for everyone. Let’s explore five tips to improve how providing accessible links can make a huge difference to everyone.

1. Make Every Link Self-Describing

Accessible link text should make sense out of context. Screen reader users often navigate a page by jumping from link to link, without reading the surrounding text. That means each link needs to stand on its own.

• Instead of: “To access the library database, click here.”
  Write: “Access the UMBC Library database.”

Why this matters: “click here” provides no context. Telling someone what happens when the link is clicked and where the link will take them helps them know where they're going.

• Instead of: “The reading for this week is available here.”
  Write: “Download this week’s reading: Smith (2022) on urban planning (PDF).”

Why this matters: Providing clear information about the reading, including the author, year, and file format, helps students know exactly what they are accessing when they click the link.

Here’s a useful test for you to try: Read only the text of your links with no surrounding context. Do you know where it leads? If not, then you need to make sure you provide clear descriptions.

2. Avoid These Common Accessibility Pitfalls

A few link habits are so common that they can feel natural, but each one creates a barrier for anyone using assistive technology.

• As we just explored, it’s critical to avoid using “Click here” -- not all users navigate with a mouse, and it tells users nothing about the destination.

• Create unique link text for different destinations -- it’s important not to use the same words for different links (e.g., two different readings both labeled “Weekly reading”).

• Avoid full web page addresses as link text. A full web page address read aloud character-by-character is inaccessible and confusing. Imagine what it sounds like to hear 150+ letters, numbers, and/or symbols read, one by one, because your link has that many characters.

3. Indicate When a Link Opens a File or New Window

Screen reader and keyboard users benefit from knowing what will happen when they click a link, especially if it downloads a file or opens a new tab. Include a brief note in the link text itself.

• “Download the rubric (Word doc)”

• “View the course policy (PDF)”

• “Watch the intro video on YouTube (opens in new tab)”

This helps everyone plan their workflow, not just those using screen readers.

4. Keep Link Text Concise But Complete

Longer isn’t always better. Link text should be long enough to be descriptive, but short enough to be efficient.

• Aim for 4-10 words for most links.

• Skip filler phrases like “please visit” or “feel free to.”

• Don’t link entire paragraphs. Link a meaningful phrase within the sentence instead.

It’s also important to avoid using “Read more” or “Learn more” -- more about what? If you must use these phrases, tell us what we’re reading or learning more about.

5. Check Your Links in Silktide or Ally

Silktide and Ally will evaluate link accessibility. In your Blackboard course or organization, Ally will check Ultra Documents and uploaded files. Silktide will flag very obvious issues (links that just say "click here," for instance), but it won't flag anything else, so you still need to manually evaluate all of your page links.

If your report flags link issues, here’s how to address them:

• In Sites or Blackboard Ultra, edit the content item and update the link text directly in the rich text editor.

• In uploaded Word or PDF files, fix the link text in the original file and re-upload.

• In your syllabus, use Word’s Accessibility Checker (Review → Check Accessibility) to flag link text issues before uploading.

Link accessibility is one of the fastest fixes in your email, website, document, or course -- and it makes a noticeable difference for everyone who depends on clear navigation to find what they need.

Update: 

June 3, 2026

3:48 PM

Issue: The majority of the Webex features have been restored. For more information on the status, please click here to visit the Webex status dashboard.

Questions: If you have any questions or experience further issues, please contact the TSC at UMBC’s Help Service. 

Original Message: 

June 3, 2026

10:00 AM

DoIT has received numerous reports regarding issues with Webex functionality. These service interruptions stem from a large-scale event affecting the Webex service across North America, primarily affecting users' ability to sign in or start and join meetings.

We are actively monitoring the situation and will provide further updates as soon as service is restored.

For more information on the status, please click here to visit the Webex status dashboard.

If you have any questions or experience further issues, please contact the TSC at UMBC’s Help Service. 

June 2026 Issue

Brought to you by the USM Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation and the

USM Digital Accessibility Work Group

Building Momentum: Faculty Leadership and Summer Accessibility Action

The Title II compliance timeline has changed, but the work remains urgent. This month, we’re focusing on how to use the additional time well: building faculty leadership, strengthening discipline-specific support, and taking small, practical steps toward more accessible digital materials.

More Time, Same Commitment

The U.S. Department of Justice has extended the Title II web and mobile app accessibility compliance deadline to April 26, 2027. This extension gives us additional time to thoughtfully integrate accessibility more intentionally into our courses, programs, services, and digital content. It does not change the importance of the work. Across USM, faculty and staff have already made meaningful progress, and this additional time gives us an opportunity to strengthen sustainable practices that benefit all learners. Let’s use this window strategically to build accessibility into the way we work.

We’re Looking for Faculty Leaders in STEM and Music & Arts

We’re excited to announce a Call for Faculty Co-Leads for our new USM Communities of Practice (CoP) focused on Digital Accessibility in STEM and Music & Arts disciplines.

Why these disciplines?

STEM and Music & Arts present unique accessibility challenges that require specialized knowledge and creative solutions:

• STEM: Mathematical equations, scientific notation, data visualizations, lab simulations, and interactive models all require thoughtful approaches to ensure students using assistive technology can fully engage with content.

• Music & Arts: Musical notation, audio recordings, performance-based assessments, visual art analysis, and studio/performance spaces demand innovative accessibility strategies that honor the integrity of artistic expression.

What Co-Leads will do:

• Facilitate monthly discussions with faculty facing similar challenges

• Share discipline-specific resources and solutions

• Collaborate with the Kirwan Center and the USM Digital Accessibility Work Group to develop practical guidance and meaningful solutions

• Help shape training and support that actually works for your field

Who we’re looking for:

Faculty leaders who are passionate about accessibility, curious about solutions, and willing to learn alongside colleagues. You don’t need to be an expert—just committed to making your discipline more inclusive.

Interested? Applications are due this Friday, June 5, 2026.

June Challenge: The 5-Minute Accessibility Check

This month, choose one item you created (a document, webpage, email, slide deck, or course module) and spend five minutes navigating it using only your keyboard. Can you reach every link, button, menu, and form field? Is the focus order logical? Can you tell where you are on the page?

It’s easier to improve our materials when we better understand what doesn’t work well.

Get Involved

Whether you’re ready to lead, want to share an accessibility success story, or are looking for practical guidance, we want to hear from you.

Apply to be a Faculty Co-Lead.

Share or Nominate an Accessibility Win.

Visit the USM Digital Accessibility Hub.

REX 2.0 Analytics Portal is now available.  

We apologize for the inconvenience.

The REX 2.0 Analytics Portal is currently unavailable. We are working to resolve the issues with accessing Tableau and will update you when it is available again.  We apologize for the inconvenience.

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) has identified an issue affecting Google Calendar add-ins (such as Webex, Microsoft Teams, and others). A recent update starting on or around May 26th, 2026 from Google has interfered with these integrations, causing some users to experience connectivity errors or authentication prompts when trying to use them.

How to Fix It: The remedy requires clearing the cached data for the affected add-in within your Google account to re-initialize the connection.

We have published a detailed FAQ document with step-by-step instructions on how to quickly resolve this issue: 👉 Page: How to Re-add Cisco Webex Add-In access for Google Calendar

Need Assistance? If you follow the steps in the FAQ and continue to experience issues, or if you need additional help walking through the process, please contact the Technology Support Center (TSC):

• Phone: 410-455-3838

• Online: Submit a support ticket at https://help.umbc.edu

Thank you for your patience as we work to ensure all campus collaboration tools are functioning smoothly.

Sincerely,

Division of Information Technology
University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Congratulations to the Division of Information Technology's student employees who will be graduating this week! Your contributions to our Networks, Communications, AV Services, Analytics, Cybersecurity, Systems, Project Management, Technology Support Center, New Media Studio, High Performance Computing, Desktop, and Business systems teams have improved UMBC's technology experience. We are proud of your accomplishments and look forward to hearing about your future successes!

Congratulations DoIT Graduates

Jermaine Agboka

Aisosa Aimufua

Alina Aler

Sydnee Angus

Beamlak Bekele

Soumya Bhate

Sean Chalungsooth

James Cheng

Jowan Cook

Willis Crobsy

Ouwen Dai

Holland Davis

Aliza Garrison

Carter Gerhardt

Ben Guest

Suhas Honnegowda

James Hyatt

Rithik Kavanakudy

Wardan Kazzallabach

Adrian Mohepath

Yazlin Moujalled

DT Nguyen

Vy Ngyuen

Coco Ni

Daeun Oh

Timi Olayinka

Kellee Palmer

William Portillo

Grace Robinson

Aakriti Roka

Kidus Solomon

Ryan Walton

Steven Zhang

Joyce Zheng

Beamlak Bekele, a UMBC Graduate student, shares her fulfilling job experience with the Division of Information Technology’s (DoIT) High Performance Computing Facility (HPCF), part of DoIT’s Unix and Infrastructure Team. This week, Beamlak will be joining the other members of the Class of 2026 as they graduate from UMBC! 

Beamlak’s Digital Story

In celebration of this milestone, Beamlak recaps her experiences in the DoIT Student Digital Stories series. This video highlights her time, from starting off in Google Service Administration to performing maintenance and answering tickets for the HPCF. Beamlak’s position in DoIT has had a great impact on her academic and professional career, from influencing her thesis research to gaining experience that has landed her internships and job opportunities. 

Congratulations, Beamlak, on your graduation! We appreciate your contribution to the HPCF and Unix & Infrastructure Team.