Options for accessibility, including accommodations for people with disabilities, are continuing to expand as construction projects proceed on campus.

As evidenced in the recently completed UMBC Event Center, accessibility for students, staff and visitors has played a significant role in recent campus construction projects. During its two years of construction, the building added ramps, accessible parking and general connectivity to its infrastructure — all of which are clearly visible and fully compliant with federal and state regulations. On Friday, Facilities Management and the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services hosted a review and discussion of past, present and future projects to improve campus accessibility.

Additionally, while less noticeable at first glance, there have been a multitude of other improvements in inclusive accommodation as well. These include elevator improvements to the Administration building, upgraded or renovated restrooms within multiple buildings, three new accessible units in the West Hill apartments and new power-operated doors for two active learning classrooms in Janet and Walter Sondheim Hall. These have all been constructed in the past one or two years, and have often been centered around bringing older buildings up to par with newer codes.

Tawny McManus, the director of UMBC’s Student Disability Services, says that the continual improvements reflect the changing needs and demographics of the campus population. “We encourage people to speak up about their issues,” she mentioned, noting its necessity in promoting discussion and change.

Keeping pace with the recent upgrades, further undertakings have been announced to improve accessibility on campus. These include upgrades to the Retriever Activity Center’s facilities and improving access between Janet and Walter Sondheim Hall and the Math & Psychology building.

Some ambitious, non-“auxiliary” projects can also be funded through the Access Maryland Program. This program, set aside by the state of Maryland, was created to facilitate bringing facilities into compliance with government mandates. Ideas for future proposals include a lift for the Biological Sciences building’s north wing, improving the hardware on various doors throughout campus and various access-oriented improvements — most notably to ramps, parking and restrooms — for the Technology Research Center.

Stephanie Lazarus, the Accessibility Manager and ADA/Section 504 Coordinator at UMBC, cautions that the Access Maryland Program does not fund all of the university’s proposals, stating that, typically, “Out of every three [proposals], one is approved.” Nonetheless, she stresses its immense usefulness in funding new projects and points out that proposals can be resubmitted.

Lazarus also notes that these developments reflect UMBC’s commitment to inclusivity and non-discrimination. “Accessibility is everyone’s issue,” she says, adding, “We want to support all our students as effectively as we can and provide an opening for people to feel welcome.”

Students and others with concerns about accessibility, disability services or other accommodations are encouraged to voice their thoughts by contacting the Office of Student Disability Services or by visiting https://accessibility.umbc.edu/.

Many UMBC students struggle to use all of their meals before the end of the week or the semester. But some UMBC students face a different issue, and Retriever Essentials is pioneering a campus initiative to combat that problem.

Save a Swipe is a new program from Retriever Essentials and Chartwells that allows students who bought meal plans to donate up to one meal a week to a pool that is redistributed to students in need, as determined by Counseling Services, that can be used at True Grits. Weekly meal plans will have one meal subtracted from them each week, while students with blocks of 225 meals will see 16 subtracted one time. Students on the unlimited meal plan can donate their Friday meal. Meals can be donated through Feb. 9.

Retriever Essentials, which also runs a food pantry on campus, had been workshopping ways to provide food to insecure students without the means to get meals on campus.

“Within Chartwells […] I reached out and started looking to see what other universities were doing,” says Tom DeLuca, the director of Dining Services for Chartwells at UMBC and one of the members of the Retriever Essentials team. “I found a program at Bowling Green State University and got in touch with the director out there who said they had a program where students could donate meals to a central bank and then those can be distributed to students in need. We then modeled it into something that can be used here at UMBC.”

The program, though still in its pilot stage, will be implemented in future semesters.

“Everybody on campus is so supportive, and this would not have gotten off the ground as quickly as it did without everyone’s support,” adds Julie Rosenthal, the program manager for the Asian Studies department and Gerontology PhD program, and another member of the Retriever Essentials team.

In addition to the Save a Swipe program, Retriever Essentials also runs a food pantry on campus. “We collect food from four locations around campus, and then set up bags of non-perishables that we take to six locations on campus,” says Rosenthal. After being dropped off, students without access to food can go to the six pick-up locations to request a bag of food. The food pantry also works with students who have dietary restrictions to ensure that every individual’s needs are met.

The Save a Swipe and food pantry have done well on campus so far, and Retriever Essentials hopes that these initiatives will help reduce the stigma around student hunger and help people realize that the services are available on campus.

“Our goal is to make sure that those students we can identify as food insecure will have access to food one way or another, whether it’s through the food pantry or donated meals for True Grits or other resources in the community,” says DeLuca.

Rosenthal says the programs have brought out the best in the UMBC community: “I have seen the love, caring, kindness and generosity that is exuded from everybody. If you ask people to help, they come out. They’re delighted to help.”

Students interested in getting involved can go to https://retrieveressentials.umbc.edu/.

-the Bookstore

-Campus food vendors like Outtakes, True Grits, and Salsaritas

-Paying tuition and fees on myUMBC or at SBS

-Campus vending machines

-Print stations

-Local partner businesses

·  Make a Facebook post

·  Make a series of Snapchat stories

·  Post on Instagram

·  Make a myUMBC post