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Making STEM courses more inclusive with lab and lecture hall upgrades

This summer, UMBC is teaming up with the Maryland Department of Disabilities to upgrade nine teaching labs in the Meyerhoff Chemistry Building—marking a major step in fostering inclusive STEM education. The goal: ensure all students, including wheelchair users and those with various disabilities, can fully participate in core chemistry and biochemistry courses.

What's Changing in the Labs?

  • Wheelchair-accessible sinks, fume hoods, lab benches, and cabinets

  • Lowered equipment stations for independent use

  • A research lab redesigned for accessible hands-on experience

Lecture Hall Upgrades Include:

  • Wheelchair-accessible seating in multiple locations with fold-down tablets

  • TV monitors for better visibility for low-vision students

  • Standing desks and seating variations for diverse body types, pregnant students, and orthopedic needs

  • Assisted listening tech and designated interpreter areas for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing

Additional accessibility projects include:

  • Restroom renovations in the Biological Sciences Building

  • Elevator upgrades across multiple academic buildings

“The Office of Accessibility & Disability Services greatly values our longstanding partnership with Facilities Management to assist us in the mission of inclusive access and elimination of barriers for all UMBC community members,” says Tawny McManus, Assistant Vice President for Accessibility.

Learn how these changes are reshaping inclusion in STEM at UMBC: Read more here.

See original post here:  https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/151158

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Posted: August 6, 2025, 3:24 PM

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A pair of gloved hands, wearing light blue nitrile gloves, are working in a laboratory setting. The person on the left is holding a large, clear, plastic vessel with a conical bottom, which is attached to a long, red-and-white striped pipette. The pipette is connected to a white hand-held device. The person's other hand, on the right, is holding a smaller clear bottle with a blue liquid inside, which is also attached to a pipette-like device. The bottle appears to be glowing blue. The background shows a stainless steel fume hood or biosafety cabinet. There are other lab items on the counter, including clear plastic tubes in a rack, a white notebook, and an orange-capped bottle. The overall impression is one of scientific research or experimentation.