Alyssa Taylor, senior lecturer in the Bioengineering Department at the University of Washington (UW), teaches the second part of a two-quarter long Capstone Design sequence.
The Promoting Equity in Engineering Relationships (PEERs) project at the University of Washington (UW) aimed to improve the experiences of underrepresented undergraduates in the College of Engineering. PEERs integrated NSF-funded efforts to engage a cadre of students, professors, and staff to create positive change toward a more inclusive environment in the College of Engineering, particularly for women, racial/ethnic minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
College students often attend career fairs to prepare for graduation and plan their future in the workforce. Some recruiters set up “virtual job fairs” that take place online rather than in person on a college campus. For students with disabilities, these may provide a way to engage with potential employers without needing to be at a crowded event. But how do they work? Are they beneficial?
Hear about contributions people with disabilities make to engineering fields and how learning about universal design and accessibility can help engineers design better products.
When writing a course syllabus, faculty members can take explicit steps that take into account the abilities of the students that will be in their class, encourage students to discuss their disability with their instructor, and make the syllabus more accessible to students with disabilities. Faculty should:
Companies benefit from having interns and employees with disabilities. These individuals enrich companies in ways that include the following.
There are a variety of strategies that companies can use to support employees with disabilities. Taking such actions may help to ensure that employees with disabilities have the same opportunities for advancement and professional development as all employees. Some of these strategies may be similar to strategies used to support other underrepresented groups, such as women and racial/ethnic minorities. To support employees with disabilities companies can:
Students with disabilities interested in studying abroad may need to consider how they will secure academic and housing accommodations, deal with health conditions, and ensure accessibility to facilities, technology, and activities. They may find the following resources useful.
Many programs, institutions and departments have strategies that they use to recruit individuals from underrepresented groups such as women and racial/ethnic minorities. Many of these strategies can be adapted for recruiting individuals with disabilities. For example: