March 25 - March 29

The Disability Advocacy Week (DAW) 2024 theme, ”Minds of All Kinds", focuses on recognizing neurodiverse individuals as it relates to employment and the design of spaces. We are honored to welcome Dr. Temple Grandin to campus as our Keynote Speaker. Join us at any of our events to build community and learn about disability, accessibility, and inclusion in higher education!

Event registration is not required unless otherwise indicated. Contact disability-svcs@jmu.edu or 540-568-6705 with questions and accommodation requests.

For information about campus accessibility & parking, visit the Campus Accessibility Map or the Accessible Parking Map. Please note that all usual parking regulations are in effect during the events listed below unless otherwise specified. For questions about parking for an event, please contact JMU Parking Services. 

Event List 

All of March

Library Resource Display

Libraries Express and Virtual

Friday, March 22

Disability Awareness/Acceptance Rally

Hosted by Pleasant View, Inc.

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. @ Rockingham County Courthouse on Court Square

Join us as we recognize individuals with developmental disabilities in our community. Come listen, learn what means most to our speakers, and commit to work together to make our community more inclusive and appreciative of all abilities. 

Temple Grandin Movie 

Hosted by the University Program Board (UPB)

7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. @ Grafton-Stoval

Monday, March 25 

Film Screening - Queer Futures (shorts)

Hosted by Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

3:00 p.m. to 4:15p.m. @ HBS 1090

"How to Carry Water," "Mnm," and "The Script." The series centers joy and connection to radically imagine future visions of queer life. Three short films explore gender-affirming healthcare, fat beauty and liberation, nonbinary ballroom culture, and the anonymous connections of a decades-old LGBTQ hotline. Transcending the rigidity and oppressions of the current moment, these films locate, build, and inhabit speculative worlds that offer new ways of being- in the present and future. Just as queer lives subvert normative expectations of behavior, identity, and expression, these directors expand on the boundaries of nonfiction forms to present new ways of seeing the queer experience lived out loud. 

"How to Carry Water" puts a spotlight on queer, fat, and disabled bodies to share the message that marginalized bodies are sacred.  

Empowering Your Career: Strategies for Job Searching

Hosted by the University Career Center

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. @ SSC 1075

Join ODS and UCC to learn about strategies for approaching and advocating for yourself in the job search process.

Tuesday, March 26

Creating Accessible Learning Materials in Microsoft Office (C.A.M.M.O) Training

Hosted by JMU Information Technology (IT)

11 a.m. to 12 p.m. @ SSC 1075

JMU students, faculty, and staff are invited to learn to use the resources built into Microsoft Office 2021 to create materials that are accessible to people with disabilities. To enroll, please log in to MyMadison. Click on the Employee tab, then Request Training Enrollment. Click Search by Course Number and type in IT160. 

Wednesday, March 27

Paint & Pour

9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. @ SSC 1075

Paint & Pour is back and better than ever! Join us as we celebrate the beauty of neurodiversity. Before we delve into this year's keynote speaker, Dr. Temple Grandin, let's come together and enjoy art. All are welcome. We'll provide Artisan Avocado Toast to fuel your imagination and bring your vision to life on a canvas. Let's Paint & Pour! 

ODS 101

3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. @ SSC 1075

Join us to learn about ODS! We will be covering information about our programs, processes, Disability representation at JMU, and addressing common questions! Please submit your questions for ODS through the Registration Survey.

We will have refreshments and opportunity for conversation followed by a short information session and panel of ODS staff to address common questions from the Registration Survey. We will wrap up with more Q&A, if time permits.

Thursday, March 28

The Faculty Role in Employment Justice for Students, with Dr. Temple Grandin

Sponsored by The Center for Faculty Innovation (CFI)

12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. @ SSC 1075

For Faculty and Staff Only.

Faculty can play a major role in working toward equitable access to career opportunities and employment justice for students. Join with faculty colleagues to learn from Dr. Temple Grandin, a professor, prominent author, and speaker on autism. Possible topics include finding career opportunities, industry partners, and disability employment justice. 

This workshop is presented in collaboration between the Center for Faculty Innovation, the College of Integrated Science and Engineering, the College of Arts and Letters, and the Office of Disability Services as part of Disability Advocacy Week. 

Seats are limited and registration is required by Monday, March 25. 

Keynote Event - "Great Minds are Not All the Same" - by Dr. Temple Grandin

4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. @ Festival Conference Center Ballroom

This event is open to the public. Please pre-register for a free ticket. ASL interpreters and live captioning will be provided at the event.

As of 3/11/2024, all in-person tickets have been reserved. Please sign up for the waitlist to be notified of canceled tickets. 

There are three basic ways that people think differently when solving problems. They are photo realistic, visual thinking, pattern mathematical, which is the way most engineers think and word verbal thinking. When projects are being designed, people with different ways of thinking have complementary skills.

Dr. Temple Grandin draws from her own experience with autism spectrum disorders and her professional career. She speaks on how to nurture and turn talents and special interests into paid work, jobs that are particularly suited to individuals on the autism spectrum, and those with other disabilities, and much more. She provides first-hand accounts of job experiences and advice from individuals representing a broad range of careers. 

There will be free parking in the Ballard Parking Deck, Lot C12, Lot D3, and Lot R4. Please see the online parking map for more information.

Book Signing by Dr. Temple Grandin

6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. @ Festival Conference Center Ballroom Foyer

"Different Not Less" and "Developing Talents" by Dr. Temple Grandin will be available for purchase and signing. 

Friday, March 29

JMU Sensory Friendly Music Event

Hosted by the JMU School of Music

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. @ Festival Conference Center

This event provides free, sensory-friendly music experiences to neurodiverse people by removing barriers including cost, space, and timing. We hope to create musical experiences that can pave the way for future involvement with music and attendance at performances! Event-goers will receive a music and fidget bag to use during the performance and snacks will be provided.