UHart Disability Acceptance Month: Week Two

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The University of Hartford Disabilities Affinity Network continues to celebrate NDEAM this week focusing on the topic of Universal Design. 

Universal Design makes all environments accessible, understood, and a pleasure to use for all people. By considering diverse needs and abilities throughout the design process, Universal Design creates products, services, and environments that meet everyone’s needs.

Take a moment to think about the operations within your program, department, or unit. If you are a student, think about your campus clubs, organizations, and gatherings. Ask yourself:

1. Are all products and procedures accessible, services useful, and materials marketable to people with diverse abilities?

2. Are designs flexible and accessible to a range of individual preferences and abilities?

3. Are policies and procedures easy to understand and materials simple to use?

4. Are different models of presentation used to communicate information clearly?

5. Are potential accidents minimized due to error?

6. What is the level of physical effort needed to participate and can fatigue be reduced?

7. Are events held within appropriate spaces for everyone to be welcome?

The theme for NDEAM 2021, “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This UNote is sponsored by the UHart Disabilities Affinity Network.

For questions about the Disabilities Affinity Network contact Ben Ide bide@hartford.edu or Dave Stender stender@hartford.edu.