2023 Report

HopePunk: Persevering, Building Community, Chasing Hope

Table of contents

Introduction

introduction will be inserted here once details for summit are given

What makes the UMD Disability Summit Unique?

 

The UMD Disability Summit prioritizes accessibility, and therefore we have maintained a free and  open space for scholars, researchers, activists, and allies. Founded by Dr. Paul Jaeger and Dr.  Stephanie Cork in 2016, leadership has always been shared by disabled and nondisabled  community advocates. In creating a free cross-disability, cross-disciplinary space the UMD  Disability Summit is unique and would not be possible without the support of our wonderful  sponsors. Donations from our sponsors support accommodations for attendees and presenters  including American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Real-time  Translation (CART) closed captioning services, as well as honoraria to recognize the time and  expertise of our keynote speakers, who help to draw in a diverse group of attendees. We will  strive to ensure that the Summit continues to provide a forum for engaging conversations and  networking across and within the disability community in the District of Columbia, Maryland,  Virginia and beyond. (will obviously change this up before the summit)

The Summit Program

 

In total the Summit featured 20 presentations or panels plus five pre-recorded sessions, opening  and closing keynotes, a spoken word workshop, and the President’s Commission on Disability  Issues (PCDI) Awards ceremony. 44 presenters, 10 moderators, and over 25 volunteers, in  addition to the 8 members of the Summit Organizing Committee, pitched in to make this event  possible. (will be adjusted once 2023 summit is over)

Who registered and attended?

will be edited once attendance details and demographics are acquired from 2023 summit

Summit Accessibility

will be adjusted once accessibility data is given for 2023 summit

Positive Experiences and Takeaways

will be adjusted once feedback is received for 2023 summit

Opportunities for Improvement

will be adjusted after data from 2023 summit is received.

President's Commission on Disability Issues (PCDI) Awards

Since 1988, PCDI has recognized the contributions of individuals and campus groups,  departments, or other organizations that have had an impact on the lives of the disabled  community at the University of Maryland. Since 2017, these awards have been given biennially,  in conjunction with the UMD Disability Summit. This year’s award winners are: (will be updated once this year’s awards winners are announced)

Summit Organizing Committee

We are very grateful for our organizing committee, this summit would not be where it is today without them and their hard work. The Summit organizing committee began planning for this year’s summit in [insert date].  Members include faculty, staff, and graduate students from the University of Maryland and UMD  alums from other institutions in Maryland and Ontario, Canada.

 

Thank you to our sponsors!

Fearless Sponsors

No Barrier Sponsors

Accessible Sponsors

Thought Partners

Press Coverage