Building Capacity to Increase the Participation of People with Disabilities in Computing (2016)

Panel of Computing Students with Disabilities

Panelists: Lourdes Morales, Cameron Cassidy, Vincent Martin, Jessie Zhang, and Anna Marie Golden

Moderator: Brianna Blaser, UW

What kind of accommodations have you used, and how have they changed over your education?

• Due to my visual impairment, in class I use a camera that can zoom in on things on the board and slides. I also ask for materials in advance and electronic books so I can use access the material on my computer.
• I use every device and computer you can imagine, and I often like to go above and beyond what is expected. So, as an individual who is blind, I often run into accessibility problems and troubleshoot as the problems come along.
• Because of my mobility impairment, I needed accessible furniture, like a very ergonomic chair, or a specific table. I also have a thumb and wrist injury, so writing can take longer, which means I need extra time on exams. 
• I am deaf, so I use an frequency modulation (FM) System, which is basically a microphone I give the professor that connects directly to a headphone in my ear. I also use Computer Aided Real-Time Transcription (CART), so I can read in real time what others are saying around me. I need captioned videos as well.

How do you communicate with faculty about your needs, and how do you want faculty to communicate with you?

• I email the faculty member at the beginning of the quarter to bring up my accommodations and discuss what works best for me.
• The disability services office often tells faculty about my accommodations, but I like to make sure I bring it up with each faculty member personally. I also like to bring up discretion about my disability—I’ve had professors call me out for being the reason we can’t do something or we don’t have more time on an exam.
• I set a personal meeting with my faculty members and discuss what my disability really means. Then I can ask to look at the syllabus ahead of time so we can look at what documents I might need made accessible or what we may need to do to make something accessible.
• I agree, it’s important to meet with the professor and talk about the accommodations needed. For me, I like when other students see my accommodations and learn about different ways of learning and different disabilities.

What challenges have you faced as a student with a disability?

• The student lounge for my program was up a long staircase that I couldn’t climb very easily. This space was also used as meeting space, and my student group had to scramble to find another place to meet. By talking with my professor, he found us another space in the building next door that was still conveniently located and worked for all of us.
• I was the first blind student at my school. This meant I have had a lot of barriers to overcome. I’ve met with a lot of people during my time, and even had to file Office of Civil Rights complaints to try and make the program more accessible for me. Many of these barriers they wouldn’t fully fix or change, and it can be a constant battle to get what I need to learn in these classes.
• In my design class, we had video tutorials that didn’t have captions. I had to scramble to get those captioned in time to allow me to keep up with the material.

What advice would you give faculty members for working with students with disabilities?

• If you see a student struggling or having an issue, ask that student if there is something wrong—recognize there may be other issues or someone may need an accommodation. You can refer students to a variety of resources on campus that might be useful, including tutoring or writing centers, in addition to the disability services office.
• Be a part of the solution. Try to see how you can do something, and try looking at a variety of solutions.
• Open up your mind to differences and how others can learn and communicate differently.
• Be approachable; however, understand that a student with a disability may not want your help or may not need an accommodation you think would work better for them.

I have a hard time understanding one of my blind students and how he sees programming. What advice would you give to faculty in ways to get rid of their built-in biases?

• Most of my professors are happy to try to work with me on my disability, and I also try to show professors how I’ve solved problems before or how others have taken on the barrier. The biggest problem is usually about accessible documents—I would suggest to professors to find resources on campus to make their PDFs and other documents accessible.
• Each person with a disability is different—be open to dialogue and working through an issue.

Do you prefer professors to approach you proactively about accessibility, or would you rather approach the professor?

• I always use my accommodation letter as a starting point to discussing disability with professors. I’d rather bring it up with a faculty member myself, because I know more about what I need. That being said, it can be nice if a professor approaches me, since that ensures me they are very willing to work together.
• I’ve never had a professor reach out to me, and it would mean a lot if a professor did; however, I do think it is ultimately on students to approach professor to advocate for themselves.
• Because I have a service animal, it can make it obvious that I have a disability. However, I did have one student halfway through a quarter ask me what my guide dog was for, and I had to tell them I was blind.

Incoming freshman often have a harder time with self-advocacy—how can faculty help students learn to speak up and advocate for their accommodations and disabilities?

• When I was in high school, I joined the DO-IT Scholars program, which taught me the advocacy skills to get accommodations for myself and learn to navigate the differences in college from high school.
• Ultimately, learning to advocate for myself was a part of growing up, gaining confidence, and learning what worked best for me.
• I think mentors are very important. I mentor other students with disabilities and teach them the skills needed to succeed in college.
• A cultural change around accessibility would really help students be more confident in advocating for themselves. If incoming freshmen were taught how to advocate for themselves and told that professors would be approachable. If professors show they are friendly and welcoming, this will make students feel more comfortable about reaching out when needed.
• As a faculty member, verbally tell your class that they are welcome to come and talk to you about accommodations or any other needs.
• At AccessComputing and DO-IT, we offer workshops where we bring in both students and faculty to role play these discussions in groups, which allows faculty to give feedback to students, allows students to learn from watching their peers frame the discussion, and allows students to talk with faculty about how to be welcoming to students with disabilities.

What are your experiences with libraries and informal learning environments, and how do your accommodations work in those settings?

• At my college, we have a place with a computer lab and space where students can come in and get help with their classwork. A lot of this requires self-advocacy in talking about what you need and what they can do for you.
• A makerspace can be really inaccessible, and I often had to have a partner help me in that environments.
• Now that libraries have lots of resources online, I have fewer issues with getting accessible versions of documents and books. I have someone who works in the disability services office who will make accessible PDFs for me. I have to start my research early and make sure I have time to get accessible PDFs.

Do you think faculty should be trained on more forms of technology, and what do you want your fellow students to know about your accessible technology?

• I think it can be less efficient for every faculty member to learn each specific piece of technology instead of one expert who is my go-between; however, it can be really nice for the professor to understand the difficulty and challenges with inaccessible materials.
• I personally like to show people my technology and teach others what options are out there, especially when faculty and other students in my classroom are the ones who are going to design future technology.
• It’s frustrating when educators don’t understand technology. I had one person on staff who told me to get Dragon Naturally Speaking and use it to record all of my professors. That staff member didn’t understand that Dragon Naturally Speaking worked and how it has to be trained to a specific person’s voice.
• I often have other classmates talk to me about my technology, and I’m happy to speak to them, especially about how CART works.

Tuesday, April 7

7 – 9 pm
Networking Reception    

Wednesday, April 8

8 – 9 am
Breakfast and Networking

9 – 9:45 am
Welcome and Introductions
Sheryl Burgstahler, University of Washington

9:30 – 9:45 am
Video – STEM and People with Disabilities

9:45 – 10 am
Accessible Equipment
Lyla Crawford, University of Washington

10 – 11 am
Accommodations and Universal Design
Sheryl Burgstahler, University of Washington

11:15 am – 12:15 pm
Panel of Engineering Students and Professionals
Panelists: Kevin Cree, Nils Hakansson, Vincent Martin, Cindy Bennett
Moderator: Brianna Blaser, University of Washington

12:15 – 1:15 pm
Working Lunch
What could be done at an institution to promote greater participation and success of students with disabilities in engineering? 

1:15 – 1:30 pm
Report Out

1:30 – 2:45 pm
Engineering Students with Disabilities

Invisible Challenges, Unmet Needs: Understanding Students with Psychiatric Disabilities
Mei-Fang Lan, University of Florida

Walking a Mile in Their Shoes: Experiencing What it is Like to Have a Learning Disability
Chang-Yu Wu, University of Florida

Strategies for Recruiting and Engaging REU Students with Disabilities
Chris Andersen and Michelle McCombs, Ohio State University

Ohio’s STEM Ability Alliance: Interventions and Outcomes for Students with Disabilities in STEM at Wright State University
Jason Gepperth, Wright State University

3 – 3:30 pm
Small Group Discussion
What are specific ways universal design and accessibility topics can be integrated into the engineering curriculum? 

3:30 – 3:45 pm
Report Out

4 – 4:45 pm
Outreach and Students with Disabilities

Auburn University’s Promising Practices for K-12 Students with Disabilities
Overtoun Jenda, Auburn University

K-12 Engineering Outreach for Students with Disabilities: Inspiring Engineers Inside and Outside of the Classroom
Anna Leyf Starling, North Carolina State University

4:45 – 5:00 pm
Preview of Dinner Tonight and Tomorrow’s Topics
Complete Daily Feedback Form 

6 – 8 pm
Dinner
What can be done to make engineering curricula more accessible to students with disabilities?

Thursday, April 9    

8 – 9 am
Breakfast and Networking

9 – 9:15 am
Daily Overview

9:15 – 10:15 am
Presentation and Discussion: What can be done to make engineering labs, machine shops, and other activities accessible to students with disabilities?
Katherine Steele and Maya Cakmak, University of Washington

10:30 – 11 am
Disability, Accessibility, and Universal Design in the Engineering Curriculum 

Gaming for the Greater Good:  A Classroom Experience at the Intersection of Technology and Disability
David Chesney, University of Michigan

User-Centered Design and Accessibility in MIT 6.811: Principles and Practice of Assistive Technology
William Li, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

11 am – 12 pm
Resource Production
Individually or in groups, draft potential promising practices, Q&A’s, or case studies for our knowledge base or replication packages or provide input on draft publications.

12 – 1 pm
Lunch
How do we encourage others in our departments, institutions, professional organizations, and elsewhere to include information about disability, accessibility, and universal design in engineering courses?     

1 – 1:30 pm
Report Out

1:30 – 2:30 pm
Film: Fixed: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement

2:30 – 3 pm
Discussion
How do the viewpoints of the individuals in the documentary Fixed affect how you would teach about topics related to disability and universal design in the engineering curriculum?

3 – 4:30 pm
Continue Development of Project Products
Complete Daily Feedback Form

Friday, April 10     

8 – 9 am
Breakfast and Networking

9 – 9:15 am
Daily Overview

9:15 – 10:15 am
Disability, Accessibility, and Universal Design in the Engineering Curriculum (continued)

Strategies for Introducing Accessibility Topics into Engineering Courses
Richard Ladner, University of Washington

Senior Design Projects to Aid Individuals with Disabilities: The University of Toledo Experience
Mohamed Hefzy, University of Toledo

Using Design Projects to Serve Veterans with Disabilities
Samee Khan, North Dakota State University

Universal Design in a Web Design and Development Course Curriculum
Terrill Thompson, University of Washington

10:30 – 11:15 am
Working with Professional Organizations 

Making Professional Organizations More Inclusive for People with Disabilities: A Case Study
Jonathan Lazar, Towson University

Advancing Access and Inclusion in the STEM Workforce through Professional Society Partnerships
Chris Atchison, University of Cincinnati  

11:15 am – 12 pm
Continue Development of Project Products

12 – 12:15 pm
Wrap Up: Where Do We Go From Here?
Evaluation

12:15 – 1 pm
Lunch, Networking, and Discussion
How can we continue to work together to promote the participation of people with disabilities in engineering and the inclusion of information related to disability, accessibility, and universal design in the engineering curriculum?

What is meant by Neurodiversity and what do Neurodiverse students want?

Ronda Jenson, Northern Arizona University and Scott Bellman, NNL Project Director

Video Link (Length: 1:03:05)

As shared by Scott Bellman, DO-IT’s Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners (NNL) project provides hands-on experiences in neuroscience disciplines, networking opportunities, and resources to high school and early post secondary students. The project also provides resources for educators and stakeholders such as a website and online knowledge base, workshops, video productions, and publications.

Neurodiverse learners we work with in the NNL project face academic challenges related to specific learning disabilities (e.g., dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia), attention deficit disorders (ADD, ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Tourette syndrome, and other conditions impacting cognitive processing.

Within the NNL project, high school and early postsecondary students learn about and engage in scientific communication, social skills and teamwork, college preparation, leadership building, self-advocacy, neuroscience and neural engineering, and ethics related to emerging technologies.

NNL uses principles of universal design (UD) by proactively designing materials and activities that are accessible and inclusive for individuals with a broad range of characteristics, including disabilities. Below are examples of how we implement these principles:

• Offerings are available both on-site and online.
• All activities provide dedicated spaces for reflection and quiet.
• Materials are provided in a variety of formats, and captions are provided for videos and video conferencing activities.
• Students are offered multiple ways to engage in learning.
• Project staff prepare “social narratives” to describe what students can expect before an activity occurs, or before coming to campus. For example, prior to NNL's annual summer camp, students are sent images of the campus, buildings, and classrooms where they will be conducting work. The images are supplemented with descriptions of each space.

The project offers hands-on learning and student-guided learning. For example, during summer camp activities, students are asked about topics they would like to explore, and then the topics are added to the camp curriculum. Such student-driven topics have included the effect of meditation on the brain, the impact of music on the brain, and neuroscience in movies. 

The project promotes near-peer leaders, defined as neurodiverse STEM students who are slightly older than our main project participants. Near-peer leaders are very effective at helping students navigate the learning content, participate in discussions, and engage in activities.

Another project that focuses on neurodiverse students is the Discover Your Unique Advantage in STEM (DYNA STEM) project. DYNA STEM has gathered information to elevate the voices of 21 neurodiverse undergraduate students in STEM across three states: Arizona, Missouri, and Ohio. The project encourages developing an understanding of universal design, adult learning principles, trauma-informed approaches, and embracing intersectionality. It offers the following suggestions for STEM educators:

• Acknowledge undergraduate students as adult learners who bring diverse learning histories to the classroom.
• Acknowledge that learning histories may be positive, negative, or indifferent.
• Acknowledge the intersectionality of cultural backgrounds, identities, and personal histories.
• Acknowledge differences in the ways undergraduate students perceive, approach, and interact with new information and skills.

The students who engaged with DYNA STEM shared what they want in education settings:

1. Specific, clear instructions 
2. Flexibility for self-guided learning
3. Balance of peer learning, hands-on, and direct instructions (aka-not just lecture or not just group project)
4. Choice: Options to choose and not choose activities or steps
5. Visuals and graphics, not just text-based
6. Opportunities to be creative
7. Clear, logical applications to real-world STEM work
8. Sensory stimuli focused on specific tasks
9. Physical space options for standing and sitting, with options for orientation in the space
10.  Clear social expectations

Through interactions with neurodiverse students, educators are encouraged to explore the following questions:

• What does intersectionality mean to undergraduate neurodiverse students?
• In what ways do we acknowledge neurodiverse undergraduate students as adult learners?
• What can we do to show respect for the trauma-histories neurodiverse undergraduate students may have?

How Can Universal Design Impact Neurodiverse Learners?

Sheryl Burgstahler, NNL PI 

Video Link (Length: 1:00:52)

An inclusive environment embraces all potential participants who meet requirements with or without accommodations and makes sure everyone feels respected and engaged. Ability exists on a continuum, where all individuals are more or less able to see, hear, walk, read printed material, communicate verbally, tune out distractions, learn, or manage their health. This is also true of abilities related to neurodivergence, such as learning differences and differences in cognitive processing–such differences exist on a continuum.

Most disabilities of neurodiverse learners have invisible disabilities—meaning they aren't obvious to most people—and many students don’t report their disabilities to postsecondary disability service offices. Regardless, we want to ensure that students have access to the classes and labs we teach, as well as the learning resources we share. 

Students’ identities are also multi-faceted, which means we must take an intersectional approach that acknowledges that some students are from more than one underrepresented group. Students who are neurodiverse may also identify as black or African American, a woman, or other minority identities. It is important to listen to students and to be sensitive to their identities and ways they have been discriminated against.

How society views disability has changed throughout the years. People with disabilities historically have been eliminated or excluded from society, segregated from the general population, aimed to be cured, rehabilitated, accommodated, and finally, accepted and included as they are. The modern approach has its roots in social justice and aims to allow all people to feel included, including those with disabilities.

There are two approaches for making college and university campuses accessible: accommodations and universal design (UD). Accommodations are reactive and address the inaccessible features of a product or environment to make it more accessible to a particular individual (e.g., captioning a video when a student with a hearing impairment requests it). Universal design is a proactive approach for creating a product or environment accessible to the most diverse group possible (e.g., captioning all videos by default). A building with stairs at the entrance and a separate ramp for people with wheelchairs is technically accessible, while a building with a single entrance that everyone can use is universally designed.

Universal design doesn’t just help people with disabilities—sloped entrances help people moving carts, and captions help those learning English or in noisy environments, as just a few examples. Universally designed technology should have built-in accessibility features and ensure compatibility with assistive technology.

UD is an attitude that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. It can be implemented incrementally, focuses on benefits to all students, promotes good teaching practice, does not lower academic standards, and minimizes the need for accommodations. UD can be applied to all aspects of learning, including class culture and climate, physical environments, delivery methods, products, and information resources, delivery of feedback, and assessments. 

To review an easy to use checklist, visit Equal Access: Universal Design of Instruction. For more tips, you can follow the 20 Tips for Teaching an Accessible Online Course.

Disability Representation in the Media

Kayla Brown, DO-IT Project Coordinator

Video Link (Length: 0:30:32)

Media representation is the way in which the media portrays particular groups, communities, and experiences. This includes the accuracy of portrayals, the diversity of perspectives, and whether those portrayals perpetuate negative stereotypes. It's not just about quantity—it's about quality. This session explored common tropes in the media about disability and examined examples of neurodivergent characters.

Examining the media is important because television and movies influence the way people think. If portrayals exhibit negative stereotypes, this will affect how we see groups of people as a whole. One unique aspect of many neurodiverse characters is that they are coded as having a disability. Coding characters means that they are written in a way to imply something about them, such as having a disability. A character may have the behavior of someone with autism, but it is not confirmed explicitly through dialogue or from the writers. 

If we can increase the number and quality of media representation of people with disabilities, we can begin to introduce the world to more accurate depictions of people with disabilities. We can start a real conversation about disabilities and establish points of reference for it. In this way, fictional characters in television and movies have the power to alter prevailing ideologies and attitudes in society.

Accessible Technology for Neurodiverse Learners

Gaby de Jongh, University of Washington

Video Link (Length: 0:52:09)

Accessible electronic and information technology can be used by people with a wide variety of abilities and disabilities and incorporate the principles of universal design. Assistive technology can maintain or improve functionality and provide numerous benefits to neurodiverse learners by addressing specific learning needs, supporting strengths, and promoting independence. Assistive technology helps remove barriers to learning by providing accessible alternatives to traditional methods. It can accommodate various learning styles, sensory sensitivities, and physical challenges, ensuring equal access to educational materials and opportunities.

Assistive technology should be selected based on individual needs and preferences, and it should be accompanied by appropriate guidance and support from professionals and educators to ensure effective training and implementation. There are many examples of assistive technology that may benefit neurodiverse learners:

• Social communication aids, such as social skill training apps, video modeling tools, or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices
• Social engagement opportunities and classes or discussions on communication skills
• Text-to-speech software that reads text aloud, making it easier to comprehend and process information--text-to-speech software can adapt to the specific needs, preferences, and pace of neurodiverse learners, which allows for individualized instruction, customization of learning experiences, and easier engagement
• Visual schedules, reminders, task managers, and digital planners that help learners stay organized, manage time effectively, and improve executive functioning abilities
• Noise-canceling headphones, ambient sound generators, or apps that block distractions, enhance concentration, and create a more conducive learning environment
• Sensory-friendly interfaces, adjustable lighting, and/or noise reduction options create a more comfortable and inclusive learning environment

Participants answered the following questions in small groups. Answers were recorded and are shared below. 

Building on information shared during morning sessions, what other strategies, opportunities, and activities could potentially support neurodiversity postsecondary students? What resources would you like to see shared more broadly with postsecondary faculty and staff? What new resources are needed?
 

• Focus on PDF elimination and switching to HTML-based resources.
• Make it a regulation for course instructors and program leaders to provide disability services contact information and example accommodations to all students within the first two weeks of study.
• Encourage and promote students speaking with disability services. Disability services professionals know what accommodations are available, what documentation is required, and how to work with students to provide guidance and pair those accommodations appropriately. Some students think that they need to know what accommodations they need before they can reach out for support—let’s encourage the idea that they don’t need to know anything about accommodations before contacting disability services.
• Provide social narratives for getting accommodations through disability services.
• Change formal language into case studies that focus on story and emotional investment instead of dry jargon.
• Separate knowledge checks and skill practice in classes.
• Have professionals provide communication seminars and training opportunities for faculty and staff who work with neurodiverse learners.
• Create a space with no judgment, where staff and faculty can ask questions.
• Promote educators or schools having all students fill out an anonymous first day survey, inviting students to share how the instructor might enhance their learning experience.
• Create a faculty community, possibly led by the department chair or director, that rallies other faculty to make changes. Create a TA community interested in taking on accessibility issues.
• UD can be overwhelming for faculty; encourage faculty to make incremental, small changes.
• Update facilities to meet students’ needs.

Building on information shared during the student panel and other CBI sessions, what do you plan to do differently at your campus to better serve students? What additional training or resources would be helpful for faculty and staff on your campus?
 

• Work more closely with our Disability Support Services Office to reduce barriers. In particular, templates for starting conversations about accommodations for both students and faculty.
• Host listening sessions focused on neurodivergent students.
• Add welcoming language to campus tours and orientations.
• Identify training on multiple disabilities, intersectionality, and assistive technology (for neurodiverse learners).
• Host a panel of neurodiverse students and post a recording on our instructional learning web page.
• Create resources on building social narratives.
• Develop a website that features resources highlighted at the institute and resources from our own campus. Promote the website at our faculty resources office.
• Host a “Just Do One Thing” for accessibility at faculty meetings.
• Pass along take-homes to our teaching support team.
• Change the way we create Canvas announcements and organize documents to be more easily read by screen readers. 
• Offer training on how to improve web page and document design to be more accessible across campus.
• Ask instructors to remind students to not approach service animals without permission.
• Be proactive when receiving letters of accommodation; reach out to the student to see if they would like to discuss their accommodation(s).

Sixty-seven people attended the event online and in-person. Attendees in-person on the University of Washington campus included the following:

Kathryn Abrams
Director, WSU ROAR, Washington State University

Scott Bellman
Project Manager, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners

Kayla Brown
Program Coordinator, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners

Sheryl Burgstahler
PI, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners

Gaby de Jongh
Assistive Technology Specialist, University of Washington

Jane Dolliver
Executive Assistant to the Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning, College of the Environment, University of Washington

Tam'ra-Kay Francis
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, University of Washington

Rachel Goodwin
Coordinator, Student Accessibility Services College of Alameda

Melissa Graham
Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, Eastern Washington University

Mike Graham
Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, Eastern Washington University

Overtoun M Jenda
Assistant Provost for Special Projects and Initiatives, Professor of Mathematics, Auburn University

Ronda Jenson
Associate Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences and Research Director, Arizona University Center on Disabilities, Northern Arizona University

Genna Kieper    
Employment Services Coordinator, WSU ROAR, Washington State University

Earl Lattimore
Instructor & MPH Program Coordinator, Meharry Medical College

Qingxia Li
Associate Professor of Mathematics, Fisk University

Helen Maiko Luckow
Instruction & Classroom Support Technician, Cascadia College

Andrea Mano
Technology Specialist, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners

Heidi Schnebly
Associate Dean of Students, Eastern Washington University

Kim Thompson
Senior Director, Disability Services, Seattle University

Eric Trekell,
Project Coordinator, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners

Sisavath Virasak
Instructor, Computer Science, Linn-Benton College

Norah Wang
Instructor, Computer Science, Linn-Benton College

Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners (NNL) compiles and creates resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators working with neurodiverse students.

Community of Practice

NNL project staff and faculty leaders engage in an online Community of Practice (CoP) that includes key stakeholder groups that impact efforts to make neuroscience activities accessible for everyone (e.g., faculty, students, disability service units, informal science learning programs, teaching and learning centers, diversity programs, professional organizations). CoP participants share ideas and assist in the creation and dissemination of resources to encourage others to help a broader range of students and patrons learn about universal design and accessibility in neuroscience educational settings.

CoP members take part in the following:

• Identify and share ways to better serve neurodiverse students in classroom settings.
• Offer strategies for recruiting a wide variety of stakeholders to participate in project activities.
• Share disability-related and universal design content to be incorporated into classes.
• Learn about NNL events, training videos, resources, and publications.
• Identify unmet needs and useful products for the project to develop.
• Provide input for a project video and related online resources.
• Suggest future project activities.

Individuals can join the STEM Educators Community of Practice by contacting doit@uw.edu.

Knowledge Base

The NNL Knowledge Base currently contains over 650 Case Studies, Promising Practices, and Q&As regarding the accessibility of technology, college, graduate school, and careers for individuals with disabilities. Many articles focus on serving neurodiverse students effectively. Example articles include the following.

Promising Practices

• Across Campus and Beyond: A Promising Practice to Increase Conversations about Neurodiversity in the Engineering Classroom
• The Neurodiversity Initiative: A Promising Practice for Promoting Disability Awareness in Higher Education

Q&As

• Are there employment resources specifically designed to serve neurodivergent job seekers?
• What do “neurodiverse” and “neurodivergent” mean?

Case Studies

• Collaboration Struggles in an Engineering Lab: A Case Study About a Student with Autism
• Inaccessibility in a Calculus Course: A Case Study on Educating Faculty and Staff about Learning Disabilities
• Kim and Biology: A Case Study on Accommodations for Learning Disabilities
• Jan and Large Lectures: A Case Study on Accommodations for Psychiatric Disorders

Other Web Resources

Find informational briefs and videos on the NNL website.

• STEM and Neurodiversity: A Capacity Building Institute for Faculty at Community and Technical Colleges (2022)
  Summaries and video presentations from the 2022 NNL CBI.
• Equal Access: Universal Design of Neuroscience Education and Research
  Learn how to create neuroscience facilities and resources accessible to people with disabilities.
• Promising Practices That Engage People with Disabilities in the CNT
  A series of strategies for including people with disabilities in other engineering research centers.
• Checklist for Making Engineering Labs Accessible to Students with Disabilities
  Designing engineering labs so that all students can fully participate.
• Equal Access: Universal Design of Engineering Departments
  Guidelines on creating an accessible engineering department using universal design.
• Equal Access: Universal Design of Your Engineering Research Center (ERC)
  A checklist for making ERCs welcoming, accessible, and usable.
• Equal Access: Universal Design of Your Project
  A checklist for making projects welcoming, accessible, and usable

Campus Resources

Many post-secondary campuses will house organizations and groups that are supportive of students with disabilities, including neurodiverse learners. Examples at the University of Washington campus include the following.

• Huskies for Neurodiversity: Huskies for Neurodiversity is a student-led initiative that promotes visibility and acceptance of neurodiversity at the UW campus and beyond through articles, lived experience interviews with neurodivergent people, interactive website, and panel events. Their goal is to destigmatize and educate about neurodiversity and disability accommodations on campus to students and faculty, as well as provide a platform for neurodivergent individuals to share their stories and experiences in their own voice.
• Associated Students of the University of Washington Student Disability Commission: The Commission was established to create communities for individuals with disabilities and their allies by providing programming, resources, and a safe accessible space.
• UW Disability and D/deaf Culture Center: The UW Disability and d/Deaf Culture Center fosters a climate of social justice and pride, centered on universal design, access, and diversity. It cultivates disability and d/Deaf pride by promoting social justice through an inclusive environment, sharing resources for self-advocacy, developing educational programming, engaging stakeholders with principles of universal design, and promoting a transforming socio-cultural understanding of disability.
• Mad Campus: Mad Campus is a peer group for students identifying with or experiencing madness, mental illness, and/or neurodiversity. Mad Campus meets throughout the school year on a semi-weekly basis.
• Disability Studies Program: Disability studies at the UW involves a multi-campus interdisciplinary group of faculty, staff, students, and community members, who share an interest in questions relating to society’s understanding of disability. The undergraduate disability studies minor and the individualized studies major in disability studies provide opportunities for students to develop a strong interdisciplinary foundation in the social, legal, and political framing of disability.
• Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT): The DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center is dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through technology and education. It promotes awareness and accessibility—in both the classroom and the workplace—to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities and make our communities more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive.

The April 2023 Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners Capacity Building Institute was funded by the National Science Foundation (grant #DRL-1948591). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the CBI presenters, attendees, and authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the University of Washington.

DO-IT’s Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners
University of Washington
uw.edu/doit/programs/nnl

© 2023 University of Washington. Permission is granted to copy this publication for educational, noncommercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged.