UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Disability Affinity Group

Help us build a Universal Design info hub @UP!

Curious about implementing Universal Design or Universal Design for Learning in your work? Join the new Universal Design & UDL info hub Team, hosted by the UP Employee Disability Affinity Group. This open team is a central space to share ideas, resources, initiatives, and promote cross-campus collaboration in making UP more accessible! 

How you can contribute: 

  • Share resources you’ve found helpful.  
  • Add an idea to the “There are no bad ideas” whiteboard.  
  • Describe what your unit is doing now to promote UD(L) and accessibility.  
  • Add a professional development opportunity to the Upcoming Opps calendar.  
  • Post a link to a great example of UD(L) at another university or company.  
  • Post a question for colleagues.  
  • Invite colleagues to join this Team! 

Questions? Email Sarah Nuxoll, coordinator of the UP Disability Affinity Group, at nuxolls@up.edu. 

Universal Design at UP – Come Brainstorm! (Aug 17)

Curious about implementing Universal Design or Universal Design for Learning in your work? All are invited to a brainstorming/imagination session about what this could look like at UP, what sorts of training options exist, ideas for promising campus collaborations, and more.  

This will be a hybrid meeting from 11 a.m.-noon on Thursday, August 17. Join us in-person in the Library Conference Room (LB222) or on Zoom.  

Hosted by the UP employee Disability Affinity Group. Coming to this session does not obligate you to anything—please feel free to just join in the conversation! Questions? Can’t make it but have ideas? Email Sarah Nuxoll at nuxolls@up.edu. 

Looking for a disability community at UP?

Hello, everyone! I am Sarah Nuxoll, and I work in the Clark Library. For the past two years I have been gathering together with other fantastic UP employees as part of the UP employee Disability Affinity Group. If you identify as having any type of disability (mobility, sensory, learning, psychological, emotional, trauma-related, chronic illness, or others) and are looking for a community to connect, advocate, support each other, and collaboratively brainstorm together, please reach out! Names of group members are kept confidential within the group. 

We understand that the word “disability” means many things to many people and can be seen negatively. In the Disability Affinity Group, we are reclaiming disability in a positive way, to build disability culture and pride. I feel and honor our unique creative processes, our wisdom born of lived experience, and our profound ways of making meaning in a chaotic world.  

Please email me at nuxolls@up.edu for more information. 

Universal Design, DEI, and Disability Webinar (July 12)

Please join the library’s Accessibility Committee and guests in viewing a recording of a webinar from the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD). 

When: Wednesday, July 12, 10 a.m. to noon  

Where: Library Conference Room (LB222) or Zoom 

Webinar details:  

“Using A Universal Design Framework to Underpin DEI Initiatives That Address Issues Related to Students with Disabilities”  

Sheryl Burgstahler, DO-IT Center, University of Washington

Is disability a diversity category addressed in your campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives? Attend this webinar to consider how to promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities as a marginalized group within DEI initiatives and to design DEI activities for other marginalized groups to be accessible and inclusive of its members who also have disabilities. A Universal Design Framework, DEI implementation model, and resources for guiding a DEI initiative on any campus will be shared.

Questions? Please contact Sarah Nuxoll (nuxolls@up.edu, 503-943-7775). 

Building Disability Inclusion & Community at UP (Jan. 30) 

Curious about the UP employee Disability Affinity Group? Have ideas for making UP more inclusive? The Disability Affinity Group is excited to be part of this year’s Diversity Dialogues! Join group members and disability allies for a conversation about what we can do to boost inclusion and community for people experiencing disabilities at UP. This hybrid event will take place Monday, January 30, from 12:30–1:30 p.m., both in-person in the Buckley Diversity Center and online. Can’t make it for the whole hour? Feel free to drop by if you’re able. Also joining us: special guest Scott Hatley, 2001 UP alum! He is now Executive Director of Incight, a Portland nonprofit helping people with disabilities reach their unlimited potential. 

We acknowledge that the word “disability” means many things to many people and can even be triggering. Here,we are reclaiming disability in a positive way, to build disability culture and disability pride. For us, disability can mean any kind of physical, mental or emotional challenge that we cope with—such as a mobility impairment, anxiety or depression, ADD or learning challenges, trauma or more. Questions about the event? Visit our affinity group website or contact Sarah Nuxoll at nuxolls@up.edu. 

Open Meeting of the Disability Affinity Group (Oct. 28) 

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month. Allies and folks who are curious about the Disability Affinity Group for UP employees are warmly invited to an open meeting on Friday, October 28, at 2 p.m. with members of the group. Staff, faculty, and students are all invited. This will be a hybrid meeting with an in-person gathering in the Library Conference Room (222), and a simultaneous Zoom option. We will unveil our affinity group website, talk about upcoming events and ideas, and open the floor for conversation around needs, support, ways to collaborate, and more. No need to tell us how you are connected to disability unless you want to! RSVPs appreciated but not required. 

If you have any accessibility needs, questions, or for the Zoom link for the event, please email Sarah Nuxoll (nuxolls@up.edu), group coordinator. If you’re interested, take a look at these disability awareness quotes and find one that speaks to you—or create your own to share at the meeting.  

We acknowledge that the word “disability” means many things to many people and can even be triggering. In the Disability Affinity Group, we are reclaiming this term in a positive way. We hope to build disability culture and disability pride at UP, and to help create a positive identity for ourselves and others who experience disabilities. Thank you for helping build community and awareness around disability at UP!