What to Teach about Accessibility: ACM SIGCSE Pre-Symposium (2019)

Day 1: Thursday, April 6th (Pacific Time Zone)

UW Campus, Husky Union Building, Room 332

8:00am – 9am
Networking Breakfast

9am – 9:30am
Welcome, Introductions, and Day 1 Agenda
Scott Bellman, NNL Project Director
This session included introductions, an overview of the Institute agenda, and a welcome message from CBI organizers. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and share resources.

9:30am – 10:30am
What is Meant by Neurodiversity and What do Neurodiverse Students Want?
Ronda Jenson, Northern Arizona University, and Scott Bellman, NNL Project Director
Neurodiverse learners are a varied group with a wide range of talents. This session included an overview of characteristics of neurodiverse learners and information provided by neurodiverse students that share what they view as helpful in learning environments.

10:30am – 10:45am
Break

10:45am – 11:45am
How Can Universal Design Impact Neurodiverse Learners?
Sheryl Burgstahler, NNL PI 
Universal design (UD) is the process of creating products and environments that are accessible to people with a wide range of abilities, disabilities, and other characteristics. UD wasdiscussed in terms of supporting postsecondary neurodiverse learners.

11:45am – 1:15pm
Networking Lunch and Discussion
Over lunch, on-site participants enjoyed networking opportunities as they further discuss how neurodiverse students can be supported in postsecondary learning environments. 

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

1:15pm – 2pm
Disability Representation in the Media
Kayla Brown, DO-IT Project Coordinator
Disability representation in the media, especially representation of neurodiverse individuals, can impact the way we perceive members of our campus community. By examining examples of media representation, we can better understand how such examples impact our expectations and interactions with others.

2pm – 2:15pm
Resources that Help Support Neurodiverse Students
Scott Bellman, NNL Project Director
Learn about free resources to help postsecondary educators better serve neurodiverse students. Examples include the STEM Educators Community of Practice, the NNL website, an online Knowledge Base, common campus-based groups/services, and more. 

2:15pm – 2:30pm
Break

2:30pm – 3:30pm
Interactive Panel with Postsecondary Support Services Professionals
Eric W. Trekell, NNL Project Coordinator, and Service Provider Panel
Support services professionals on campus help students implement reasonable accommodations and other supports to help ensure equal access to campus for all learners. This panel presentation explored accommodations for neurodiverse students and allowed participants an opportunity to ask questions.

3:30pm – 4:30pm
Networking and Optional Filming with UWTV
Participants continued networking, sharing information, exploring resources, and asking questions. Participants volunteered to be filmed for a DO-IT video production about supporting neurodiverse students in postsecondary environments.

4:30pm
Adjourn

Day 2: Friday, April 7th (Pacific Time Zone)

UW Campus, Husky Union Building, Room 332

8:00am – 9am
Networking Breakfast

9am – 9:30am
Welcome, Introductions, and Day 2 Agenda
Scott Bellman, NNL Project Director
This session included introductions, an overview of the Institute agenda, and a welcome message from CBI organizers. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions and share resources.

9:30am – 10:45am
Conversation with Postsecondary Neurodiverse Students
Eric W. Trekell, NNL Project Coordinator, and Student Panel
This conversation featured a number of postsecondary students who identify as neurodiverse. They shared stories, described access barriers and solutions, and answered questions from the audience.

10:45am – 11am
Break

11am – 11:45am
Assistive Technology and Neurodiverse Learners
Gaby de Jongh, University of Washington
Assistive technology has great potential to help neurodiverse students capitalize on their strengths. We reviewed this technology and presented ways to help students explore and use it.  

11:45am – 12:45pm
Networking Lunch and Discussion
Over lunch, on-site participants enjoyed networking opportunities as they further discuss how neurodiverse students can be supported in postsecondary learning environments.

Lunch Discussion Question
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?

12:45pm – 2pm
Networking and Optional Filming with UWTV
Participants continued networking, sharing information, exploring resources, and asking questions. Participants volunteered to be filmed for a DO-IT video production about supporting neurodiverse students in postsecondary environments.

2pm
Adjourn

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

After the talks, we had ample time for attendees to gather into groups focused on specific courses (intro, web development, capstone, and software engineering) to brainstorm about the various challenges in integrating accessibility into these subjects. Here are some of the many interesting insights from their notes:

• Many faculty members were interested in bringing discussions of disability and the law into introductory settings as a way to engage students.
• There was a strong belief that accessibility topics should be integrated throughout the curriculum.
• There was concern about accessible design as a constraint to building more flashy things like visualizations, animations, and other visual elements, because those flashy things are often not accessible.
• There was a lot of fear of not having enough expertise with accessibility and disability; faculty didn’t want to not have the answers to questions students might have.
• Many participants noted that teaching of accessibility early in a course increased student motivation throughout their course.
• Some faculty noted that in software engineering and HCI courses, it can be very difficult to find people with disabilities to help students experience the importance of testing.

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.