The following email was sent to faculty and staff on September 21, 2026. It is published here for your convenience.

Dear Colleagues,

As we settle into a new academic year, I want to highlight several key initiatives and resources aimed at making our campus community more accessible to faculty and staff with disabilities, as well as practical recommendations for those planning events and meetings.

Recent efforts bolstering support for disability access and inclusion include:

• The Office of the Provost’s Disability Scholarship Initiative, which funds original research (and its dissemination) on the experiences of disabled faculty and staff.
• Expansion of the Disability Navigators Program within the Disability Equity Office to provide referrals, resources, guidance, and training on a wide range of disability and accessibility topics at the school, college, and unit level.
• Increased support, awareness, and resources to create more accessible digital content across courses, websites, and other university activities.
• Creation of the Provost’s Advisory Council on Disability Affairs (PACDA) to provide feedback and develop recommendations.

As you plan for the academic year, PACDA members recommended the following practices to support a more accessible Michigan:

• Support Accessible Events: Use microphones for all speakers, proactively inquire about participant accommodation needs during registration, prioritize the selection of accessible venues, and offer remote participation options where practical. Additional guidance, including instructions for securing ASL interpretation and CART transcription services, is available on the Accessible Events Resource Page.
• Evaluate Spaces: Select meeting rooms and workspaces that accommodate a broad range of physical access needs and mobility preferences.
• Foster Dialogue: Unit leaders are encouraged to engage colleagues regularly in identifying and addressing accessibility barriers for departmental activities.
• Develop your expertise: The Disability Equity Office has developed a wide range of services and training to advance accessibility and disability inclusion.
• Incorporate Syllabus Guidance: Course instructors are reminded to include the recommended accessibility statement provided by Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services in syllabi.

Further, I encourage you to participate in the university’s celebration of disability awareness and inclusion during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) hosted by the Disability Equity Office this October. I invite you to view the full calendar of events and join me for the keynote address featuring Tiffany Yu, author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto, on October 6, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Michigan Union, followed by the NDEAM Resource Fair.

Thank you for your continued engagement and partnership in making our campus an inclusive and accessible environment.

Sincerely,

Laurie K. McCauley, DDS, MS, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor