AccessSTEM

Undergraduate research fellowships (URFs) can have a transformative effect on students with disabilities entering science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) fields. At the Eastern Alliance for Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics2 (EAST-2) URFs were funded opportunities for students to propose research and collaborate with faculty mentors at the University of Southern Maine (USM).

Accessibility Demonstration Experiences (ADEs) are a set of on-line tutorials that include activities specifically designed to help software and user interface designers understand the needs and expectations of users with disabilities.

Promoting Equity in Engineering Relationships (PEERs) is a student-driven program designed to facilitate the inclusion of under-represented groups in the University of Washington (UW) College of Engineering.

Rehabilitation Counseling is a discipline that provides counseling services to people with disabilities to help them achieve their personal, academic, and career goals. Rehabilitation counselors often work in collaboration with health care professionals providing coordination of services as part of a rehabilitation team. They support family members, employers, and other stakeholders. A primary focus is to help individuals develop self-advocacy skills and increase independence.

Google Apps is a free suite of hosted communication and collaboration applications that includes Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk, Google Docs, and Google Sites. Google Apps Education Edition is a bundle of apps specifically marketed to education institutions. Whether Google Apps is accessible is a question of considerable debate.

Despite legislation established to allow students with disabilities to fully participate in classrooms, there is still a prominent gap in the science performance of students with and without disabilities (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2005). While expectations for students with disabilities have increased considerably, the instructional materials used in the science classroom generally remain limited to printed text and paper-and-pencil activities. Often, these static media pose barriers in learning for students with disabilities, who are often struggling readers.

Tactile graphics, sometimes referred to as the haptic sensory modality, deliver information through touch. They often accompany Braille textbooks to convey content in maps, charts, building layouts, schematic diagrams, and images of geometric figures. Tactile graphics are often handmade by Braille transcribers as part of Braille textbook production. In some cases, the creation of tactile graphics is facilitated by automated processes using various software applications. Some methods used to create tactile graphics are described below.

Yes. Established in April, 2007, the Wounded Warrior Regiment (WWR) provides assistance to injured marines and their families. WWR services help marines and their families

Background

Karen Braitmayer was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a collagen disorder. Her symptoms of fragile bones resulted in orthopedic anomalies and short stature. She uses a manual wheelchair for mobility. Karen earned a Masters degree in Architecture. When she entered the workforce as an intern architect, she encountered barriers to completing her work assignments.

The National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam is for high school students with visual impairments who want to engage in challenging activities designed to build confidence and increase science literacy. At the 2007 and 2009 Youth Slam events, teams from the University of Washington offered instant messaging (IM) chatbots as a topic for student in the computer science track.