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Disability Awareness Month | March 5

Proposal callout

We invite campus partners to get involved with our 2026 Disability Awareness Month celebration

This year’s theme, “Beyond Awareness: Facing Transitions with our Community,” recognizes that students, faculty, and staff all experience transitions—academic, personal, social, and political. DAM 2026, hosted by Accessible Educational Services (AES), brings campus and community partners together for a day of events that connect our Jaguars to support and resources for access needs.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 5. This event will be held in IU Indianapolis’s Campus Center, beginning at 9 a.m.

People attending the NINA Scholars event.
IU Indy Staff attending a luncheon event

Proposal submission guidelines

Proposal submissions for the student symposium and faculty and professional-led workshops must be submitted via our submissions form . Each proposal submission should include:

  • A 150-250 word abstract that details the topic being presented.
  • How your proposal connects to this year’s DAM theme.
  • What audience members can expect to learn from the presentation.

The student symposium will be organized into panels, with four presentations being given in each panel session. Presenters should plan for a 10–15-minute presentation.

The workshop sessions will each be 45-60 minutes long. Presenters should be able to provide a detailed overview of their workshop.

Submission deadline: Friday, January 23
You’re welcome to contact Dr. Elena Silverman with specific questions.

Email Elena
Staff in a meeting.

How Disability Awareness Month came to be

In 2024, AES began the vital initiative of creating an Accessible Educational Service Community of Practice (AESCoP) that strategically brings existing relationships among faculty, staff, students, community members, and services into collaboration in the work of advocating for disabled students and students with disabilities.

One step in this process has been our inaugural Disability Awareness Month (DAM) event, which centered on the voices and experiences of students utilizing AES services, fostering dialogue and engagement with both internal and external partners committed to this vital mission.

In today's constantly evolving educational landscape, AES remains dedicated to creating a supportive environment for students with disabilities. We are excited to host our DAM event for the third consecutive year with the support and involvement from our campus partners!

AES services at IU Indy