Most groups in educational institutions, workplaces, and other settings are diverse with respect to background, cultural and gender identity, first language, socioeconomic status, age, abilities, learning preferences, and myriad other characteristics. All people have an intersecting identity made up of a variety of these unique facets.
The resources below can help to create a classroom environment that maximizes the learning of all students. AccessSTEM staff also deliver presentations on the University of Washington campus, at partner institutions, and to other stakeholder groups. For more information, see AccessSTEM Presentations.
The DO-IT Knowledge Base currently contains over 800 Case Studies, Promising Practices, and Q&As regarding accessibility of technology, college, graduate school, and careers for individuals with disabilities. To learn how you can contribute an article, email doit@uw.edu.
The best accommodations are unique to the individual and develop from a cooperative relationship between an instructor and the student, sometimes with the assistance of special education teachers or postsecondary campus disabled student services offices. In this area of the AccessSTEM website you will learn strategies for fully including students with disabilities in STEM courses and activities. You will also read case studies and answers to questions instructors frequently ask about accommodating students with disabilities in their classes.
This unit is a continuation of the MESA module In the Air; like that module, it emphasizes a visual presentation of information. The students use laminated maps and colored pens to chart navigational course lines. It will be important to provide appropriate accommodations for students with visual impairments and to have students work with partners or in small groups. For information on suggested accommodations, select an activity below.
In this unit, the measurement activities will pose challenges to students with upper body mobility impairments, the mathematics may present challenges to some students with learning disabilities, and the graphing activities may require accommodations for students with visual impairments. Have students work in small groups so that each student can contribute according to his or her strengths. For information on suggested accommodations, select an activity below.
In these activities, students design and build scale models of a cabin. Floor plans and site surveys can be represented with raised-line drawings or manipulatives for students with visual impairments. The creation of a cardboard model cabin will present challenges to students with upper body mobility or fine motor impairments. Have students work with partners or in small groups so that each student can contribute according to his or her strengths. For information on suggested accommodations, select an activity below.
This unit introduces methods for identifying and classifying fingerprints. Providing raised-line drawings or enlarged reproductions of fingerprints will help make this unit more accessible to students with visual impairments. The binary math used in the classification and storage of fingerprints may present challenges to some students with learning disabilities. Have students work with partners or in small groups so that each student can contribute according to his or her strengths. For information on suggested accommodations, select an activity below.