DREAM's Projects

DREAM Disability Justice aims to create an inclusive and supportive community to promote disability justice at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and in the community at large. In doing so we strive to engage individuals with disabilities and their allies in respectful and compassionate discourse to promote greater awareness and inclusion of disability on campus. We aim to advance disability justice by raising awareness on the diversity of disability, along with the various cultural and systemic barriers faced by persons with disabilities. Through education and advocacy, we aim to break down these structural barriers to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities within the School of Social Work, the social work profession, and the community as a whole.

The DREAM Student Leaders in charge of this work are:

Dana Kobrin

Mary McKelvie

Libby Nuss

Ableism 101: Affirming Practice with Disabled People/Individuals with Disabilities

Ableism 101: This reflective workshop created by students and alumni of the School of Social Work will focus on the ways in which bias and stigma impact us as social workers, offering strategies and exercises to increase awareness of internalized ableism and better engage in anti-oppressive practice in the disability space.

This workshop was presented on Friday, December 2nd , 2023 from 9 am-10:30 am

Professional Experience

Professional Experience

Disability Justice and Accessibility: Sub-Specialization Proposal

Disability justice and accessibility are underfunded, understudied fields in the Social Work community. This gap is demonstrated by inaccessible educational models, physically inaccessible spaces, and a lack of relevant coursework specific to disability and accessibility issues. Covid-19 has further complicated existing challenges for people with disabilities and created new barriers to seeking healthcare and social service benefits. This proposal introduces a new sub-specialization to the School of Social Work that would address the aforementioned needs and gaps. The proposed Disability Justice and Accessibility sub-specialization would allow students to concentrate their studies on critical disability theory, disability, and clinical intervention options for individuals with disabilities.

Independent Study: Disability and Accessibility: A Critical Perspective

Disability justice and accessibility are underfunded, understudied fields in the Social Work community. This gap is demonstrated by inaccessible educational models, physically inaccessible spaces, and a lack of relevant coursework specific to disability and accessibility issues. Covid-19 has further complicated existing challenges for people with disabilities and created new barriers to seeking healthcare and SSDI benefits. This independent study will build on my personal experience as a student leader and advocate for disability justice and accessibility by allowing me to take a deeper dive into the history, legislation, and enactment of accessibility in our society in different realms: education, healthcare, career, and employment.

Ableism and Disability Justice: Virtual Panel Discussion

On December 3rd, 2021, DREAM co-sponsored the Ableism and Disability Justice Virtual Panel Discussion. DREAM created the event flyer, assisted with panel recruitment, discussion questions for the panelists, and sent an MSW student representative to serve on the panel. The panel discussed accessibility issues within education, supporting clients, and what programs and policies could be enacted to better support individuals with disabilities.