DO-IT Connects Career Centers and Disability Services Offices

By: Scott Bellman, DO-IT Staff

DO-IT launched a new webpage called “Replication of AccessSTEM CAREERS” to share information about an innovative project and encourage others to make postsecondary career centers more welcoming and accessible to students with disabilities.

AccessSTEM CAREERS, funded by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF), promotes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields to students with disabilities. A primary focus of the project is connecting postsecondary career centers with campus disability services offices to improve accessibility, train staff, and identify ways to help students with disabilities feel welcome at career centers. A replication package describing project activities is freely available online.

During the project, the University of Washington’s Career and Internship Center worked to create a resume book for students with disabilities. The book is shared with employers specifically seeking candidates with disabilities. The team also created two new web pages:

• The UW Career and Internship Center website for students with disabilities
• The UW Career Center website for employers seeking candidates with disabilities

AccessSTEM CAREERS is also sharing information through the DO-IT Knowledge Base, which can be accessed at www.washington.edu/doit/knowledge-base. Here are examples of articles developed during the project:

• How can postsecondary career centers increase their engagement of students with disabilities?
• The Elevator Pitch Contest: A Promising Practice in Preparing Students with Disabilities for Employment
• What is MEAF and how do they support individuals with disabilities?
• The Career Center Resume Book: A Promising Practice in Promoting Employment for STEM Students with Disabilities

If you would like to get involved, pass this information on to the career center at your local college. For assistance or further information, contact doit@uw.edu. DO-IT thanks MEAF for supporting this fun and engaging project.