A Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance - AccessEngineering

Victor Tumbiolo

wendy479 — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 22:21:16 +0000

The Computing Research Association's Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates (DREU) is a program that supports summer research experiences for undergraduate students from groups that are underrepresented in the computing field, which includes students with disabilities. AccessComputing has been partnering with this program for years to pair up team members with a variety of computing labs and faculty mentors.

During my time at DREU, I was involved in three projects: Building a mobile math application, a machine learning suicide prevention project, and ADHD research in the workplace. From the math-app project, I learned value skills in mobile development, and I feel comfortable developing my own mobile app. Additionally, the machine learning team just published a paper on the research we did, and I was listed as an author on that paper. This is a first for me so I am very excited to have something to show people.

The best part of my experience was the remote aspect. Since I was a remote worker, I was able to do my work while studying abroad in Oxford. I wrote code and completed research in England, Italy, and France. I would like to have a remote job out of college and travel Europe, so this was a taste of that lifestyle. I cannot thank DREU enough for the amazing experience, and I recommend this program to anyone interested!

Sarah Jane Griffiths

wendy479 — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 22:03:04 +0000

Institution:

University of Puget Sound

This year, I had the opportunity to participate in the Computing Research Association’s Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates (DREU) through AccessComputing. I have been involved in AccessComputing since my sophomore year, attending the CS@UW+AccessComputing research workshop in the spring of 2019. Prior to my participation in this workshop, I never thought of research as a viable path for me.

At CS@UW+AccessComputing, I had the opportunity to participate in research-based projects under Professor Anat Caspi, head of the �󷢿��’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology (TCAT). During the weekend, I was able to participate in research seeking to make Virtual/Augmented Reality accessible to individuals with motor impairments. The way that I learned my brain could ask questions, seek solutions, and learn along the way opened my eyes to the possibility of research in my future.

After conducting independent research at the University of Puget Sound, my home institution, in the summer before my junior year, I knew that participating in the DREU was something that I wanted to pursue. Just before applying to the DREU, AccessComputing provided me the opportunity to go to the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC), which enabled me to find a community that sustained me throughout my undergraduate coursework.

When applying for the DREU, I knew that I wanted to conduct research in the areas of human computer interaction and/or accessible technology. Because of my exposure to these fields at the research workshop, I began to notice not only a growing passion within myself for this work but also the gaps at my home institution. For this reason, I knew that the DREU was my next step.

After the application process, I was paired with a faculty mentor. I was delighted to learn that I would get to work with Professor Caspi again. Once we started meeting to develop a plan for my DREU, I was amazed at the amount of agency I had over what I would be working on.

Ultimately, I started working on the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology’s OpenSidewalks Project, which focuses on pedestrian-based transportation networks and access to pedestrian-centric infrastructure. My project fell under the OpenSidewalks Project’s efforts to ensure equitable data collection regarding pedestrian networks.

I was tasked with developing a prototype for an app to collect information on the accessibility for pedestrians at various intersections. The goal of the project was to develop an Android application that could be used by any user to document the presence of various accessibility features at the intersection (such as Accessible Pedestrian Signals, curb ramps and curb ramp placement, and traffic speed). A key interest was in how to collect consistent data when trying to gain insight on somewhat subjective topics (such as whether traffic is going above or below the speed limit).

In addition to thinking about this question, I spent a large chunk of my summer learning how to create an Android application that would be intuitive for users. I ultimately developed a functional app and gained experience in user testing, design, and research.

Through my participation in the DREU, I gained research experience in areas that I did not have access to at my home institution, gained a faculty mentor, and got to meet and be a part of a lab. I was fortunate to attend the Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing and present my research at Grace Hopper. This was such an amazing experience, and I cannot express enough how grateful I am to AccessComputing, the Computing Research Association, and Professor Caspi for fostering my growth as a researcher this summer. If you are interested in learning more about my DREU experience, or reading the final report, you can visit my DREU site.

Ocean Hurd

wendy479 — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 20:53:53 +0000

Field of Study:

Research in Accessibility

I had already had ideas for a project around amblyopia—sometimes known as lazy eye—when I was working on a few other projects under Ph.D. students of Professor Mircea Teodurescu, who is married to Sri Kurniawan, the leader of the Assistive Sociotechnical Solutions for Individuals with Special needs using Technology (ASSIST) Lab. Professor Teodurescu gave me a lab tour and invited me to attend his next lab meeting. After a few months on the PhD students’ projects, I told Mircea I was interested in using the lab’s virtual reality for this amblyopia project I had thought of and wanted to test. He introduced me to Professor Kurniawan, and she expressed interest in the project idea and agreed to fund me to research for them. At this time I was also already the leader for ALI (Accessibility Leadership and Internship), a group funded by the disability resource center on campus to destigmatize disability, so I loved the research I was doing and how I could make a difference for students with visual impairments in STEM. I have been happily working for Sri’s lab, ASSIST Lab ever since.

The project I started working on came from my own experiences as a person with amblyopia. Amblyopia, though very serious, impacting everything from vision to reading comprehension, is treatable via occlusion therapy. Its effectiveness has been known for decades. However, compliance with occlusion therapy is infamously bad. Due to this, there has been a slew of new research looking into using 3D or virtual reality video games as therapy, with probably the most famous project being Vivid Vision. These research projects have been largely successful and offer a wonderful alternative to traditional treatment.

However, some of these projects, surprisingly, did not report great compliance with therapy. I was shocked when I first learned this. I was one of those people with amblyopia who was prescribed to do occlusion therapy and did not follow through with it—therapy was often very uncomfortable. As someone who also loves virtual reality, I started wondering why these projects did not have better compliance than traditional therapy; personally, I would love to play virtual reality games as my therapy. I started taking a look at some of the game designs that were being used and thought some of them might be problematic, considering the symptoms of amblyopia. I wanted to see if other people with amblyopia agreed with my analysis. I used Unity to create a VR video game like those being used in the most cutting-edge research and I invited participants to play it with an HTC Vive.

I then interviewed participants. I asked them questions about the game design and projected compliance and found some recurring themes. I found that keeping visual crowding to a minimum is more comfortable. Visual crowding is when there are too many objects in one’s field of view, and it bottlenecks object recognition. The visual crowding phenomenon is something people with amblyopia have a hard time with, so it makes sense that this was a re-occurring theme. Additionally, participants reported that having the key objects be large, “about the size of a small dinner plate,” and visually distinct was more comfortable. Furthermore, having haptic and audio feedback for confirmation of touch is beneficial. People with amblyopia have a loss of depth perception, making it critical to acknowledge in the game design process. An even better solution would be to use accessibility researcher Yuhang Zhao’s Unity asset for game designers to add to their games to make them more accessible to people with visual impairments. This asset has a setting that allows game developers to add a beam that comes out of the controller and onto an object to better understand the depth. Additionally, we found having a game that requires movement left to right, but not as much forwards and backward, is more comfortable. Left and right movement relies less on depth perception. Lastly, people with amblyopia have a difficult time reading. Thus, it makes sense our participants were in favor of play through instructions instead of text-based instructions. Additionally, participants did not like timed reading expectations in video games. For example, text that quickly pops up to tell you “slash as many as possible” and promptly disappears. Hopefully, if 3D and VR games take these insights into account while designing their game, they are likely to have an increase in compliance and, therefore, overall efficacy.

Throughout my research and education, my disabilities have made my working process slower than that of other people in my major. It can be extremely frustrating, but I’ve learned that it is okay, and that I should be proud of what I can do. Additionally, as a symptom of one of my disabilities, I can have very rigid ideas of concepts and get stuck when it does not fit my rigid understanding. Since my disabilities are all invisible, many people do not understand when I get so stuck on certain concepts or ideas in computer engineering. There were many times in the past where I considered changing majors and felt I did not belong in this major. However, working closely with disability activists at ALI has opened my eyes to the value of communication, humility, and finding ways to make things work for me.

I have done a lot of work in accessibility. I used to work for Professor Azenkot at Cornell Tech, where I was doing accessibility research and writing academic papers on the subject. I was encouraged to submit a paper to the Student Research Competition, which was accepted. I got to showcase my poster to judges, and even made it to the semi-finals. I was extremely nervous, but it was a great opportunity, and I expected from there, that it was generally over. However, at the reception that night, I was shocked to receive first place—I had been extremely impressed with both projects that came in second and third. I was so full of adrenaline that I do not even remember physically walking up to the stage at the front of the theater. The entire experience was absolutely amazing and is my most fond memory from my career in research. ASSETs is not just a conference but a community of the most compassionate, motivated, and accepting people.

I was also fortunate enough to attend the Grace Hopper conference this year, where I was able to secure a job at Bank of America in accessibility. I was told that I will be working on making ATMs more accessible for people with disabilities as well as create software to make Bank of America a more comfortable place for employees with disabilities to work.

Gina Girgis

wendy479 — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 20:36:39 +0000

Field of Study:

Human-computer Interaction

Institution:

Troy University

I am a senior Millennium scholarship recipient and an honors scholar majoring in computer science and mathematics at Troy University, although I am originally from Alexandria, Egypt. I joined AccessComputing in 2018 and attended their OurCS@UW two-day research workshop in 2019. This community has helped me integrate my learning and mental disabilities as part of my identity and empowered me to advocate for inclusivity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as explore what I, as a researcher, can do to contribute to that. AccessComputing is also an instrumental player in my selection for The Teresa Haven Scholarship for Students with Disabilities.

This summer, I was given the opportunity to be a research assistant at the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Notre Dame (HCI@ND). The lab is run by Dr. Ronald Metoyer, who has been my mentor and research advisor throughout the REU. Dr. Metoyer is also the assistant dean of diversity and special initiative at Notre Dame’s College Of Engineering. Our study was part of a broader project that is focusing on the process of holistic admissions and evaluation in undergraduate universities in the US. Admissions officers have to analyze the information in a growing volume of applications each year while maintaining objectivity and trying to contextualize many factors, which tends to be a tedious mental process. By analyzing the areas of improvement in the design of current evaluation tools, our goal was to help them increase their efficiency and facilitate objectivity. As a research assistant, I worked with graduate students and met with my advisor daily. My tasks ranged from taking part in the planning process of participatory design activities to interviewing participants and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data.

I was introduced to the field of human-computer interaction as an accessibility and ubiquitous computing research intern for EvoXLabs back in 2017. EvoXLabs in an initiative that focuses on serving people with disabilities through technology and improving the web accessibility for people with disabilities such as vision impairment. They also provide free accessible web solutions to non-profit organizations. I enjoyed applying my classroom knowledge of computer science to gain skills in algorithm design. I also discovered my knack for research as I studied people with color-blindness and how to create a Chrome-extension that would enhance their web-surfing experience. I have since avidly explored the field of HCI both by reading publications and having conversations with researchers in academia and industry. I like HCI because I can use my passion for technology to make a real-world impact towards a more equitable society and a better future.

I am thankful for this opportunity. Aside from the beautiful campus and the efforts of the research experiences for undergraduates (REU) administrative team to give us the best experience possible. They provided Brown Bag seminars to familiarize us with different areas of STEM, workshops on good practices in research and graduate school degree-types and application processes, and social and professional networking activities. I know I walked away this summer with a repertoire of valuable skills, including how to effectively interview participants and how to complete data analysis. I learned about not only holistic admissions but also the field of information visualization. I have explored valuable technical skills like visualizing data through d3.js. Finally, I honed my presentation and communication skills as I presented our project in the annual undergraduate research symposium.

If I had to give advice to other students with disabilities in STEM out there, it would be to be involved in their communities, to participate in diversity initiatives actively, and to explore and advocate for their beliefs. I know I would not have such a positive college experience as an international student in the US if it was not for my involvement and volunteering in multiple diversity in STEM initiatives, such as AccessComputing, the Grace Hopper Celebration, the AnitaB.org Systers online community, URGE, NSBE, CRA-WP, ACM-W, Lesbians Who Tech, ELPHA, Hexagon UX, NextBillion, Cornell SoNIC, and GeorigaTech’s FOCUS. I also took the initiative to manage the first hackathon in the southern part of Alabama as the president of Troy University’s Computer Science Club in the past year. My team was driven by their dream to bring educational and professional opportunities to the untapped talent in the area as well as to promote the participation of underrepresented minorities in computing.

I was part of a dynamic and energetic team of researchers, and I know that I am not only more prepared for graduate school but also a career in research beyond. I am currently finishing up a semester abroad at the University of Skövde in Sweden, getting ready for graduation this spring, and looking forward to starting my Ph.D. afterward.

Elizabeth Spingola

wendy479 — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 20:07:58 +0000

In March of 2018, I attended the Computing Research Association (CRA) Graduate Cohort Workshop for Underrepresented Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in San Diego, California. AccessComputing was one of the workshop’s sponsors.

The workshop aimed to increase the ranks of underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities in computing research by allowing graduate students to meet mentors and build nationwide communities that can persist through their graduate studies and beyond.

Having the opportunity to go to San Diego for the CRA Graduate Cohort was a truly amazing experience. The inclusive environment and the commitment to accessibility were phenomenal and far beyond most of the conferences, workshops, and academic events I have participated in previously.

Throughout the event I made meaningful connections with numerous peers and leaders in my specific research area. The advice and guidance that I received was incredibly helpful. They provided me with new information that affects my graduate school, research, and conference focuses.

Additionally, the information provided within the workshop sessions was geared to my graduate timeline. Participants were allowed to pick one of three tracks based on where they were in their grad program, as well as fluctuate between sessions of all three. These tracks allowed me to understand the populations the particular workshops were targeting. All information provided within the sessions were presented in accessible formats.

I highly recommend that graduate students who are a minority or underrepresented within the computing field attend the CRA Graduate Cohort. The experience allows for graduate students at any stage of their graduate studies to participate in useful information sessions, build community, and grow their professional network.

Ebrima Jarjue

wendy479 — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 19:39:20 +0000

Field of Study:

Human-computer Interaction

I am blind, a father of three daughters, a non-traditional student, and a senior at University of Maryland (UMD), College Park majoring in information science at the UMD iSchool hoping to specialize in human-computer interaction in graduate studies. I value education not only in the practical sense but also for how it shapes me as a person and allows me to contribute to our society.

This summer, I participated in the Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU) program, a summer internship program supporting female and underrepresented students. I found out about this opportunity from Dr. Hernisa Kacorri, an Assistant Professor at UMD. I was interested in her research on accessibility and wanted to work with her over the summer. After expressing my interest, she invited me to join her research lab, the Intelligent Assistive Machines (IAM) Lab, and she directed me to AccessComputing.

This project is very close to my heart as it allows me to contribute to novel assistive technologies that can improve the lives of people with visual impairments. It was also a fun project that gave me the opportunity to interact with graduate students and learn how to conduct research.

My task involved helping with the design and implementation of the data collection process that will serve as a benchmark for our machine learning algorithms. This involved engineering the stimuli and all possible variables for photo taking of everyday objects by blind users. I contributed to the first dataset that is currently being replicated. This dataset plays an important role in the project as it will be used to train and test computer vision models to be incorporated in a wearable or mobile device as a teachable objection application for blind users. Specifically, blind participants will be training the mobile application with snapshots of object of interest and can provide custom labels as well as object descriptions through audio.

Prior studies show that there are many benefits for people who are blind and visually impaired living in their own homes rather than assisted living facilities. We are hoping that the assistive technologies from this project will help in this direction.

I had an awesome experience working as a team member of such a diverse group. Working with graduate students and hearing their stories post-undergrad was very rewarding and eye-opening. It was also a great networking experience as I attended research talks and got to discuss with research visitors about their work. Specifically, I would like to thank Dr. Kacorri for setting up a meeting with Ali Abdolrahmani. Ali was the first blind Ph.D. student that I have met. Not only were our discussion fruitful, but also through him I got introduced to an entire network of blind researchers.

I had an excellent time working at the IAM Lab. I owe this to many people, including AccessComputing. This alliance has helped me in so many ways, and I would recommend any fellow student who is blind or visually impaired to join them.

Also, finding a reader or scribe right before the summer is hard. Students often leave for summer vacations or internships. I would recommend reaching out early on.

Being able to do what I love for an entire summer has been a priceless experience. Through this program, I learned technical skills such as programming in HTML and LaTeX as well as analytical thinking, reading scholarly articles, and experimental design processes.

The DREU internship program has helped me accomplish my goals in gaining research experience and pursuing research opportunities for future graduate studies. And why stop at a master’s degree? Initiatives like AccessComputing empower students like me to dream further and leverage their life experiences to make a better world. Hopefully, next time you hear from me, I will be a Ph.D. student.

Disability:

Blindness

Carl

lymeg000 — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 18:36:19 +0000

Field of Study:

Information

I’m a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan School of Information, and I identify as being neurodivergent. The key to my success has been an unyielding focus on scholarship, service, and self-care.

This past semester, I published my first CHI paper entitled “Problem-Solving Efficiency and Cognitive Load for Adaptive Parsons Problems vs. Writing the Equivalent Code.” This research found that, on average, novice programmers put in less mental effort into solving drag-and-drop problems than equivalent write code problems. But after reading a paper by Drs. Lauren R. Milne and Richard E. Ladner about disabled students’ experiences with block-based/drag-and-drop programming environments, I was left wondering how my results would generalize to students with cognitive and/or learning disabilities like myself. Consequently, I applied for and was awarded a $3,000 grant to investigate how students with learning disabilities learn to program using interactive eBooks with adaptive Parsons problems. My background in English, library, and information science, as well as human-computer interaction, have primed me for working with Dr. Barbara J. Ericson, who is passionate about creating free computing education eBooks.

I also mentored two undergraduates (one of whom was accepted to Google's Computer Science research mentorship program), participated in the hiring of our university’s new student accessibility and accommodation services director, was nominated to attend this year’s Human-Computer Interaction Consortium, and hiked the Garden of the Gods.

My greatest accomplishment, however, is right around the corner. I’m currently working on my dissertation proposal and plan to graduate next year. And I’m even more committed to my goal of working at a tier one research university after participating in the Preparing Future Faculty Seminar facilitated by the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at my university. Seminars like this expose details about the job search to first-generation college students and give disabled students a chance to ask questions.

The pertinent takeaway from the seminar was that students and faculty with and without disabilities can excel in academia with the right support. "I’ve been fortunate to have a partner (Nathan) whom I can talk to about the complexities of being at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, a mother who has 10+ years’ experience providing specialized services for individuals with brain injuries, autism, and intellectual disabilities, in-laws (Patti and Jim) whose higher education- and disability-related guidance have been invaluable, and friends to laugh with.

Inspiration has also helped guide my path and push me forward. I’m inspired by people like Amy J. Ko, Marcelo Worsley, Michail Giannakos, Maya Israel, Katta Spiel, Richard Ladner, Fred Paas, and Hariharan Subramonyam.

I’m most looking forward to engaging with the communities at the Conference on International Computing Education Research and the International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility. If you’ve never attended them, consider it. I attended them both for the first time last year and found both to be welcoming—special thanks to Lauren Margulieux, Colleen Lewis, and Robin Brewer.

I’ll leave you with three things: If you haven’t seen Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, go check it out. If you plan on working in academia, join the Association on Higher Education and Disability. And a life lesson in the quote from my friend and former professor Sarah Schulman: “What’s normal is what’s human.”

Caitlyn

lymeg000 — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:48:06 +0000

Field of Study:

Human-Centered Computing

I am currently a Ph.D. student in human-centered computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. I chose to pursue this degree when I discovered that I could combine my passion for scientific discovery with my love of engineering. My undergraduate degree is in electrical engineering, which allowed me to work with my hands and build new technologies. Now, I apply those skills to create and study new computing devices for learning and rehabilitation.

I have savored the process of pursuing a doctorate. The process has taught me how to take my skills (such as writing code) and knowledge (such as different types of signal filters) and apply them to answer very narrow scientific questions and engineering problems.

My research focuses on wearable computing and haptics. In my work, I create systems such as a stimulation device for stroke recovery or a tactile system to teach braille. The work aims to address real-world problems while developing new techniques and answering scientific questions. For example, I challenged the Braille Literacy Crisis by creating a pair of computerized gloves that teach braille using tactile taps and a new stimulation technique. There are many considerations in this area, ranging from physical comfort and accessibility to algorithms for context-awareness. In turn there are many advantages—small, wearable devices can interact directly with the body, be always on or available, allow multitasking, and gather unique data.

As part of my doctoral work, I also advise and mentor students in research. As a member of AccessComputing, it is important to me to help other students succeed. I make it clear that my lab is an inclusive environment, and that people with all different stories are welcome and appreciated here. The way students shine is through their curiosity, dedication, and energy.

OSA Mentoring Opportunities: A Promising Practice in Increasing a Feeling of "Belonging" in STEM

FeedsImporter — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 03:05:01 +0000

Ohio’s STEM Ability Alliance (OSAA) at Wright State University (WSU) was funded by the National Science Foundation program to address the underrepresentation of individuals with disabilities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. Beginning in 2009, this program undertook interventions to recruit, retain, and graduate students with disabilities in STEM. These interventions include academic and professional development as well as interventions inspired by research showing the importance of social dynamics and feelings of inclusion.

Underrepresented groups pursuing STEM, including students with disabilities, may ask, “Do I see people like myself succeeding in my desired field?” or “Is there somebody who can relate to me and that I can relate to?” Some students with disabilities feel isolated in STEM fields because they don’t know other individuals with disabilities in those fields.

OSAA created a program to provide information, resources, and success strategies/planning through one-on-one consultation and organized professional development workshops for students with disabilities. Peer-to-peer communication, support, and guidance promotes the development of student success, confidence, and self-determination. As students progress through their education and careers, they can mentors those following in their footsteps.

Mentoring in OSAA occurs in a variety of formats, including:

1) Office of Disabilities/OSAA Peer Mentoring Program

This effort matches peer mentors and mentees by STEM major and provides training to mentors on OSAA goals, action plans, and guidelines for sharing their “STEM story and path to success.”

2) Tutoring Opportunities

At WSU, the Student Academic Success Center trains undergraduates to serve as tutors. Most tutors do not have knowledge or experience working with students with disabilities. OSAA members have found that it is often beneficial for students to get tutoring from a student who has the same disability or someone otherwise familiar with it, especially when it comes to learning strategies, time management, study techniques, and assistive technology.

3) Leadership Opportunities

At OSAA on-site meetings, older students share their accomplishments and experiences with younger students. These presentations focus on topics such as successful internship or research experiences, navigating the graduate school application process, or transitioning to employment or graduate school.

Through these opportunities for OSAA engagement, younger students gain mentors, role models, and friends. Mentors, meanwhile, build their resumes and expertise as they develop skills related to supporting students with disabilities in STEM, one-to-one communication, public speaking, and explaining technical knowledge. Industry representatives often participate in participant meetings. Students have responded enthusiastically when these representatives have disabilities themselves. These personal stories resonate with students who have not yet met successful professionals with disabilities in their field of interest.

OSAA is a promising practice in increasing the feeling of belonging in STEM fields. Taking advantage of interventions that are positively correlated with higher levels of the confidence and self-determination. OSAA offers multiple interventions that allow STEM students to meet and engage with mentors and role models with disabilities. Others should consider employing similar practices to increase the participation of students with disabilities in STEM.

Equal Access: Universal Design of Your Syllabus

FeedsImporter — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 21:05:01 +0000

A course syllabus provides an opportunity for an instructor to share key information about the topics that will be covered, course objectives, assignments and due dates, assessments, behavioral expectations, and resources. It is important that it is welcoming and accessible to everyone. As research has shown, diversity in abilities, backgrounds, and interests of students is the norm. In order to make their syllabus appropriate for every student, an instructor can employ techniques underpinned by the Universal Design (UD) Framework.

Universal Design

UD is defined by the Center for Universal Design as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design” (Source). People who benefit from UD include those with a broad range of abilities, disabilities, ages, reading levels, learning styles, native languages, cultures, and other characteristics. Keep in mind that most students with disabilities do not disclose them to their instructors or the disability services office. Applying UD minimizes the need for special accommodations for both students who disclose and those who do not disclose their disabilities.

Principles of UD

Universal designs are accessible, usable, and inclusive. Following three sets of principles can ensure that all aspects of your syllabus and your course are accessible and inclusive of everyone.

The seven principles of UD ensure that products and environments

are equitable,
are flexible,
are simple and intuitive,
offer perceptible information,
have a high tolerance for error,
require a low level of physical effort, and
offer size and space for approach and use.

Four principles for IT design underpin the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) guidelines. They require IT components to be

perceivable,
operable,
understandable, and
robust.

The three principles for the Universal Design for Learning require that inclusive pedagogy and curriculum offer multiple means of

engagement,
representation, and
action and expression.

Details about a UD Framework underpinned by these three sets of principles can be found in A Framework for Inclusive Practices in Higher Education.

Applying the UD Framework to the Syllabus

Examples of how UD can be applied to the design of a syllabus follow.

UD 1. Equitable use. Include information on the syllabus that is useful to students with diverse abilities, backgrounds, interests, technology skills, and other characteristics.
UD 3. Simple and intuitive use. Make the syllabus easy to understand, regardless of a student’s previous knowledge and language skills, arrange information in a logical order, and use a consistent format.
UD 4. Perceptible information. Provide adequate contrast between text and background in the document.
UDL 1. Multiple means of engagement. Include content to stimulate interest in the course for students with a variety of interests and backgrounds, explain the relevance of the content, and integrate opportunities for choice within the course.
UDL 2. Multiple means of representation. Present content in different ways to support understanding (e.g., provide a printed syllabus along with an accessible online version, and a complementary video presentation of you describing the course). Tell students how they can access content (e.g., textbook, web resources, videos) and where they can find background information such as how to operate the learning management system (LMS).
UDL 3. Multiple means of action and expression. Tell students about multiple options they will have to demonstrate what they have learned and engage with their classmates and instructor.
WCAG. Accessible technology design. Present the syllabus in a text-based format, structure headings and lists, provide alternate text for images, and otherwise design the document to be accessible to students with a wide variety of disabilities, including individuals using assistive technologies.

This list was provided from Sheryl Burgstahler’s 2020 Creating Inclusive Learning Opportunities in Higher Education, published by Harvard Press.

Statement about Accessibility

It is important to include in the syllabus a statement about how a student with a disability can request an accommodation. There is usually a standard statement at the institution that offers the course. It should point to the disability services office. Instructors may also wish to include a statement that makes their commitment to offering an accessible course clear. An example is shared below.

“This course is designed to be a model of the application of universal design (UD)—I strive to make it welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by all potential students, including those with disabilities. The textbook is available in an accessible format from the publisher. All videos are captioned and most are audio described (in which case, key visual elements are described orally so that individuals who cannot see the screen can better understand the video content). The vast majority of online readings are available in accessible formats. Course materials and activities present a model of the application of UD. If you find any aspect of the course inaccessible to you or if you would like to discuss other learning issues, please contact me.” (Burgstahler, 2020)

Tips for an Accessibly Designed Syllabus

Below are tips that can make a syllabus more accessible, usable, and inclusive.

Use first person, friendly language.
Use plain language, spell out acronyms, define terms, and explain jargon.
Make course expectations clear. Present clear grading criteria and rubrics. Offer step-by-step guidelines for responses to discussion questions and other assignments. Give students enough information about assignments so that they can organize their schedule to complete the work.
Use headings, bulleted lists, paragraph breaks, and appropriate white space to facilitate reading of large amounts of text.
Be approachable; encourage students to meet with you to answer questions about the course and discuss their individual interests and needs; let them suggest the mode of communication (e.g., using email, conferencing software, office hours).
Use large sans serif fonts and high contrast between the text and background.
Include alternative text to describe content embedded in images.
Use concise descriptions for hyperlink text.
Use a clear, consistent layout throughout the document.
Use images to showcase more complicated information presented in text (e.g. a pie chart to indicate the relative weight of participation in discussions, course projects, exams).
Include campus resources such as tutoring centers, writing centers, counseling services, and disability services.
Include any specific behavioral expectations you have for your course.
Include information about the textbook.
Include a timeline for how the course unfolds, due dates for assignments, and exam dates.
Avoid making your syllabus into a PDF unless you spend the time needed to learn to make it accessible, particularly for students with visual impairments and learning disabilities. Ideally, insert the syllabus within the learning management system the class is using via an accessible template, and use formatting tools provided to structure headings, lists, and tables. If you wish students to be able to download and edit the syllabus by adding details for their own use, a Microsoft Word document is fairly easy to make accessible by following accessibility guidelines. For more information about accessible document formats, consult Creating Accessible Documents.

Resources

Other information about designing a syllabus that is accessible, usable, and inclusive can be found at the following institutions.

About DO-IT

DO‑IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) serves to increase the success of individuals with disabilities in college and careers, such as those in science, engineering, mathematics, and technology. Primary funding for DO‑IT is provided by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and the State of �󷢿��.

For further information, to be placed on the DO‑IT mailing list, request materials in an alternate format, or to make comments or suggestions about DO-IT publications or web pages, contact:

DO‑IT
Box 354842
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Seattle, WA 98195-4842
doit@uw.edu
www.uw.edu/doit/
206-685-DOIT (3648) (voice/TTY)
888-972-DOIT (3648) (toll free voice/TTY)
509-328-9331 (voice/TTY) Spokane
206-221-4171 (FAX)
Founder and Director: Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D.
Program Manager: Scott Bellman

Acknowledgment

Aspects of this publication were developed from Sheryl Burgstahler’s 2020 Creating Inclusive Learning Opportunities in Higher Education, published by Harvard Press.

For more information about applications of universal design, consult The Center for Universal Design in Education or the book Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice, Second Edition.