Spring 2025 Annual Summit

Thursday, May 1st
9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Program starts promptly at 9:30am.
UMSSW Auditorium

The University of Maryland School of Social Work’s Office of Access, Strategic Initiatives, & Support (OASIS) and the Accessibility Advisory Group (AAG) presents the 2025 Annual Summit. This year’s summit will focus on Accessibility and Disability Justice with our theme “Disability Justice: Resist and Reclaim.” The full-day summit will bring together educators, practitioners, activists, and students to explore the impact of ableism in social work and higher education spaces, as well as examine policies, practices, and advocacy strategies that center disabled voices, challenge systemic barriers, and promote accessibility beyond compliance.

This summit is an opportunity for our School and University community to engage in dialogue across disciplines and differences to honor our goal of building more just and accessible learning and professional environments.

Summit Cost: $40 (includes light breakfast, lunch, and summit keepsake)

CE Cost: $45

Overall Event Objectives

By the end of this event, participants will be able to:

Identify and analyze at least three common misconceptions about disability and mental health, and explain their origins and impact on individuals, communities, and social systems.
Critically assess societal and institutional perceptions of "disability" and identify strategies to challenge these assumptions and promote accessibility for individuals with chronic illnesses and invisible disabilities.
Define the core principles of universal design and identify at least three actionable strategies to integrate universal design into policies, programs, and environments to enhance accessibility.
Describe key advocacy strategies to promote disability justice, challenge ableism, and advance systemic changes in social work and higher education practices to center disabled voices and expand accessibility beyond compliance.