USM Accessibility in Action - November 2026 Issue

November 2026 Issue

Brought to you by the USM Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation and the USM Digital Accessibility Work Group

Supporting neurodivergent students requires more than good intentions. It requires understanding neurodiversity itself and designing with both predictability and flexibility in mind. This month, we're bringing you an expert workshop with Dr. Sarah Silverman, practical strategies for your courses and communications, and a look at how faculty across Maryland are solving accessibility's toughest challenges together.

 

Beyond Accommodations: Understanding and Supporting Neurodivergent Students

Understanding neurodivergent learners starts with understanding neurodiversity itself, not just as a buzzword, but as a concept with deep roots in disability advocacy, a complex relationship to traditional accommodations systems, and profound implications for how we teach. This month, we’re honored to welcome Dr. Sarah Silverman, author of the newly released Classroom Mindscapes: An Introduction to Neurodiversity for Educators, for a two-part workshop series that will transform how you think about and support the growing number of neurodivergent students on our campuses.

Dr. Silverman is a neurodivergent scholar, independent faculty developer, and Disability Studies instructor who brings a firsthand perspective to her work. She focuses on accessible and feminist pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, and the intersection between disability and ed tech. In addition to her recent book, she also writes Beyond the Scope, a Substack newsletter, and shares her materials and presentations on her blog.

The two-part workshop responds to a critical reality: campuses are experiencing greater numbers of neurodivergent students and these students are not always supported by the traditional disability accommodations system. Dr. Silverman introduces an approach called “teaching in the neurodiversity paradigm,” which views teaching as the navigation and negotiation of multiple and often contrasting needs. She targets specific “pressure points,” including group assignments, class participation, labs, and practical activities. Part one of the workshop details the history, theory, and first-person perspectives from neurodivergent students, staff, and faculty. Part two offers space to apply your knowledge using complex case studies and scenarios to continue to refine our inclusive practices.

While live registration has reached capacity, you can sign up to receive the recording and workshop materials later this month.

 

November Challenge: Design for Predictability & Flexibility

Neurodivergent learners, including students with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences, often need what seems like a paradox: predictability and flexibility. Predictable course structures reduce anxiety and support executive function, while flexibility accommodates different processing speeds and learning approaches. The good news? Many accessibility practices you're already implementing serve both needs at once. And these principles extend beyond the classroom; they make emails, meeting materials, and professional communications more effective for everyone.

Predictability Helps With:

• Executive function challenges (planning, organizing, prioritizing)
• Anxiety reduction through clear expectations
• Cognitive load management

Flexibility Supports:

• Different processing speeds and styles
• Varied ways of engaging with content
• Individual accommodation needs

This Month's Challenge: Implement Strategies That Deliver Both

Captions & Transcripts

• In courses: Students know they can access spoken content in text form and review at their own pace
• Beyond the classroom: Meeting recordings, training videos, and announcements become accessible to all staff
• Quick win: Turn on auto-captions in Zoom recordings, then edit for accuracy (especially discipline-specific terminology)

Clear, Descriptive Headings

• In courses: Consistent heading structure helps students navigate syllabi, modules, and readings
• Beyond the classroom: Long emails, reports, and meeting agendas become scannable and easier to process
• Quick win: Use Word or Google Docs' heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2) rather than just making text bold or large. In emails, use clear subject lines and bold key section headers.

Alt Text for Images

• In courses: Every meaningful image has a text description for students using screen readers or with visual processing differences
• Beyond the classroom: Infographics, charts, and screenshots in emails and presentations become accessible to all colleagues
• Quick win: Start with images that convey essential information (diagrams, charts, screenshots with text)

Chunk Long Content

Many neurodivergent people struggle with lengthy, unstructured texts—whether it's a 40-page reading or a dense email. Breaking content into manageable pieces supports both sustained attention and comprehension.

In courses:

• Break PDFs into sections with descriptive titles ("Introduction: Key Concepts" rather than "Pages 1-5")
• Use headings to create logical stopping points and help students track progress
• Provide reading guides with questions or summaries for each section
• Offer multiple formats when possible (article + podcast summary, textbook chapter + video overview)
• Be explicit about reading purpose: "This section introduces three theories you'll apply in Thursday's discussion"

Beyond the classroom:

• Structure long emails with headings like "Background," "Action Needed," and "Deadline"
• Create clear meeting agendas with time allocations and expected outcomes for each item
• Provide meeting summaries with decisions made, action items, and next steps
• Break complex processes into numbered steps with clear headers
• Use bullet points to make information scannable

Did You Know?

Many neurodivergent students don't disclose their needs or seek formal accommodations. The same is true for neurodivergent staff and colleagues. Proactive design means you're already supporting people you may not even know need it. When you build predictability and flexibility into your materials from the start, whether it's a syllabus, an email, or a meeting agenda, you create an environment where everyone can succeed.

Take the Challenge:

This month, choose one strategy from this list and implement it in your work. Already doing all of these? Share your approach with a colleague or try extending these principles to a new area—like assignment instructions, discussion board structure, committee communications, or professional development materials.

 

Spotlight: Faculty Collaboration Tackles Discipline-Specific Accessibility Challenges

Led by Sarah Bass (University of Maryland Baltimore County, STEM), Luis Engelke (Towson University, Music & Arts), Jessica Grimmer (University of Maryland, College Park, Music & Arts), and Cyndi Wiley (University of Maryland Global Campus, STEM), with 60+ faculty and staff from across Maryland institutions, the Digital Accessibility Communities of Practice are tackling the discipline-specific challenges that general accessibility guidance doesn't address.

In STEM, project teams are developing workflows to convert handwritten math and tablet notes into accessible formats using tools like MathPix and LaTeX, creating pathways that provide predictability (standardized processes faculty can follow) while maintaining flexibility (multiple tool options for different contexts and comfort levels).

In Music & Arts, faculty are wrestling with how to write alt text for abstract art that's interpretive rather than purely descriptive, honoring artistic intent while making visual content accessible. This work requires flexibility in approach (recognizing that context matters) while establishing predictable frameworks that faculty can adapt across disciplines from sculpture to stage design.

Both communities are building resources designed to be shared across Maryland campuses in early spring 2027, transforming individual faculty struggles into collective solutions. Project teams are developing "How Do I..." guides, tool recommendation briefs, student-facing resources, and advocacy materials that will benefit faculty and students statewide.

Want to follow their progress? Updates will be shared in future newsletters, and all resources will be published on the USM Digital Accessibility Hub as they're completed.

 

Save the Date: Spring Cleaning for Accessible Courses

Is your spring course ready for a fresh start? Join us in January for our Spring Cleaning workshop series—hands-on sessions to help you review syllabi, update course documents, check multimedia accessibility, and apply lessons from our Communities of Practice and Digital Accessibility Fellows.

We’re planning afternoon and evening sessions on Tuesday, January 12, and Wednesday, January 13.

We want to hear from you: What topics would you like us to cover? What challenges are you facing? Submit your session ideas and requests.

More details coming soon!

 

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.

Share or Nominate an Accessibility Win

Visit the USM Digital Accessibility Hub