Meet Our Team

Welcome to the Disability Access & Resources Department!

Our staff undergo extensive professional training throughout the year to ensure they provide you with the most up-to-date services and information related to disability access and postsecondary higher education accommodations. Our professional staff have been serving the disability community for many years and have both a professional and personal commitment, connection, and passion for our work to support equal access and disability inclusion and awareness.

The first step to success is access! Access is inclusive excellence.

For general inquiries, contact us at disAbility@umbc.edu or (410) 455-2459.

 

Organizational chart titled **“Office of Disability Access & Resources”** with a hierarchical structure.At the top is **Tanyka Barber**, labeled **Vice President, Institutional Equity & Chief Diversity Officer**. Directly below are two roles: * **Tawny McManus**, Assistant Vice President, Accessibility & Disability Services * **Erin Minnigh**, Administrative Assistant II / Office Manager Below them, four team leads are aligned horizontally: * **Michael Canale**, Assistant Director, Student & Faculty Accommodation Support * **Stephanie Lazarus**, Accessibility Manager / ADA Coordinator * **Cassie Kilroy Thompson**, Assistant Director, Operations, Testing, & Data Management * **Lynda Espana**, Disability Specialist, Intake & Accommodations Under **Michael Canale**: * **Tori Jakpa**, Assistive Technology & Accessibility Specialist * **Jason Cummings**, Graduate Assistant, Assistive Technology * **ASL Interpreters** (group) Under **Cassie Kilroy Thompson**: * **Sunny Varden**, Program Management Specialist, Testing & Reception Desk * **Emily Won**, Disability Specialist, Intake & Accommodations * **Student Workers** (group, shown beneath Sunny Varden) On the bottom right, include two text descriptions: **Student Accommodations:** Provides accommodations such as testing administration, assistive technology, and alternative course materials. **Accessibility Services:** Handles employee accommodations, HR liaison work, campus accessibility resources, inquiries, ADA/504 concerns, appeals, compliance, and consultation.
Office of Disability Access & Resources Organizational Chart

 

Student Resources Team

Picture of Michael Canale
Michael Canale
Assistant Director and Deaf & Hard of Hearing Coordinator
canale@umbc.edu | 410-455-6358 (Desk) | 410-688-5088 (Text, FaceTime for DHOH students using ASL)

  • Faculty liaison for course accessibility and accommodation consultations and oversight for assistive technology.
  • Coordinates Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHOH) access supports and supervises ASL interpreter contractors.
  • Serves as accessibility specialist for sensory disabilities and accommodation needs (e.g., vision, hearing, and autism).
  • Assists the AVP in resolving student accessibility concerns and engages in academic success planning for students with disabilities.
  • Trainer/Supervisor of Graduate Assistants for digital course material accessibility and special projects.
  • Digital Accessibility Committee representative and trainer; member of the Disability Studies Faculty Working Group. FYS Instructor: Intro to Disability Studies.

Image of Tori Jakpa
Toritsegbogwa (Tori) Jakpa
Assistive Technology & Digital Accessibility Specialist
tjakpa@umbc.edu

  • Provides accessible course material remediation and manages disability office websites.
  • Manages requests for alternate-format text and note-taking assistance software.
  • Assists faculty and staff working with students using assistive technology accommodations.
  • Conducts in-service training and consultations with faculty, staff, and students.
  • Evaluates technology and software needs for students with disabilities.
  • Coordinates social media, events, and surveys for the department. Hosts monthly “Tea with Tori”.

 

Image of Erin M.
Erin Minnigh
Administrative Assistant II/Office Manager
eminnigh@umbc.edu | 410-455-8455

  • Administrative support to disability office staff.
  • Responsible for all office business services, financial, payroll, procurement, billing/payment, maintenance, staff onboarding, and inventory operations.

 

Picture of Cassie KT.
Cassie Kilroy Thompson
Assistant Director of Operations
mthomps2@umbc.edu | 410-455-3248
Cassie KT’s Virtual Office

  • Administrator responsible for accommodated test administration and department data management and reporting.
  • Liaison/partner for Admissions, Orientation, Advising, the Academic Success Center (ASC), ECR, and the Retriever Care Team.
  • Responsible for Accommodate software operations and workflow.
  • Accessibility specialist representative for UMBC-USG campus students (Universities at Shady Grove).
  • DAPi Honor Society Co-Advisor.

 

Picture of Sunny W,
Sunny Urizar (Warden)
Program Management Specialist and Testing Manager
swarden1@umbc.edu | 410-455-2459

  • Administrative support for the Office of Disability Access and Resources (DAAR) front desk reception office and testing center.
  • Manages accommodated student testing procedures and operations.
  • Responsible for hiring, training, and supervising student worker test proctor and office support staff.
  • Coordinates walk-in, phone, and email communications, inquiries, and disability documentation.

 

Picture of Emily Won

Emily Won
Disability & Accessibility Specialist
emilywon@umbc.edu

  • Conducts initial disability accommodation meetings and follow-up case management support.
  • Responsible for faculty, Residential Life, RIH Counseling/Health, & Dining Services consultations on student accommodations and accommodation implementation.
  • Serves as a support and advocate for students experiencing disability challenges in the educational environment.
  • Point of contact for disability services verification/eligibility accommodation forms (e.g., ETS, Graduate Admissions exams, and military requests).
  • Provides training for faculty and staff in best practices for working with students with disabilities in higher education through an access and inclusion lens.

 

Campus Accessibility Resource Team

Picture of Stephanie Lazarus
Stephanie Lazarus
Accessibility Manager & Campus ADA Coordinator
(UMBC main campus employees and visitors)
slazar@umbc.edu  |  adasupport@umbc.edu | 410-455-5745
accessibility.umbc.edu

  • Manager of faculty and staff (employee) accommodations. Disability access consultant for campus visitors and new students navigating campus.
  • Engages in campus-wide accessibility and inclusion initiatives, partnerships, training needs, access concerns/suggestions, and resource referrals.
  • Liaison to campus departments, including Facilities Management, Environmental Safety & Health, Human Resources, Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA), General Counsel, Event Planning, Campus Police, Transit, University committees, and academic departments.
  • Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD), Access Maryland, and State ADA Coordinators liaison for UMBC.
  • DAPi Honor Society Co-Advisor, Member of Disability Studies Faculty Working Group.

 

Headshot picture of AVP Tawny McManus

Tawny L. McManus
Assistant Vice President for Disability Access & Resources
Main & USG campuses
tmcmanus@umbc.edu | 410-455-2459

  • Department leader overseeing disability services operations, including the student and employee accommodation process, accessibility resources for students/staff/visitors, and ADA/Section 504 compliance, initiatives, training, and partnerships.
  • Manages policies, procedures, the grievance and appeals process, staffing, training, marketing, and all fiscal operations (financial and budget management) for the unit.
  • Primary liaison and consultant to University Committees, Provost’s Office/Academic Affairs, VPs & Deans, Human Resources, Student Affairs leaders, Faculty Senate, General Counsel, Library, DO-IT, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, the Graduate School, Facilities Management, Division of Institutional Equity partners, and the University of Maryland System (USM).
  • Specialized training in psychoeducational and neuropsychological assessment, digital accessibility, ADA(AA), Section 504 & Title IX laws, and higher education administration.

 

Part-Time/Contract Staff

Image of Chris Bills

Christopher (Chris) Bills-Gomez 
MSW Advanced Year Intern
disAbility@umbc.edu
  • Collaborating on multiple office programming and initiatives focusing on neurodivergent students
  • Building connections and institutional capacity around disability culture and inclusion
  • Programming and outreach support for DOIE and DAAR
Picture of Jason C.
Jason Cummings
Graduate Assistant, Testing and Accessibility support
disAbility@umbc.edu
  • Assists in the creation of accessible course materials and engages in specialized departmental projects.
  • Supports office data management, new student orientations and tours, and accommodated testing operations.
  • Serves as a disability office representative in campus partner collaborations and initiatives.

 

Lynda Espana
Disability & Accessibility Specialist
lyndaee1@umbc.edu | (410) 455-2459
  • Conducts initial disability accommodation meetings and provides case management follow-up.
  • Serves as a consultant to faculty, Residential Life, RIH Counseling/Health, & Dining Services on student accommodations and accommodation implementation.
  • Point of contact for disability services verification/eligibility accommodation forms (e.g., ETS, Graduate Admissions exams, and military requests)

 

Emily Helft
Disability & Accessibility Specialist
emilyh7@umbc.edu | (410) 455-2459
  • Conducts initial disability accommodation meetings and provides case management follow-up.
  • Serves as a consultant to faculty, Residential Life, RIH Counseling/Health, & Dining Services on student accommodations and accommodation implementation.
  • Point of contact for disability services verification/eligibility accommodation forms (e.g., ETS, Graduate Admissions exams, and military requests)

 

Picture of Julie R.
Julie Rosenthal
Project Management Specialist (Part-time accommodated testing support: Midterm & Finals)
disAbility@umbc.edu

 

Student Staff 2026-2027:

Picture of 15 students who serve as 2026/2027 DAAR Student Staff

Student Staff 2026-2027:

Amir Momoh, Arsema Lidetu, Aryan Damajaru, Deva Aluri, Evans Asure, Julianne Scott, Layla Bugarini, Layna Do, Logan Phaison, Marcus Ross, Namrata Oruganti, Rahul Kota, Ryan Williams, Sarah Esubalew, Showrya Mandadi, Susanna Kondetti, Theo Lazarus, Tsinat (Tina) Wossenyeleh, VJ Krish Danthuluri