Hi, my name is Sean, and I grew up in Renton, Washington. It's a city about a half hour southeast of Seattle, and is a nice blend of city and country. I am currently a freshman considering the informatics major at the University of Washington (UW). How I got here, though, is the real story.
Work-based learning experiences can help students make career decisions, select courses of study, develop job skills, and network with potential employers. For students with disabilities, work-based learning experiences provide a unique opportunity to explore different, job-related accommodations, and to practice disclosing their disabilities and requesting accommodations from employers.
For many students with disabilities, written assignments and exams present significant difficulties. Mobility impairments may make writing physically difficult, while visual impairments may impact a student's access to standard word processing programs and computers. Research (e.g., accessing library resources) and the writing process (e.g., spelling and grammar) may also be difficult due to mobility, hearing, language, or learning disabilities.
For many students with disabilities, accessing and using standard computers and electronic resources can be challenging. For example, a student with a spinal cord injury may be unable to use a standard mouse and keyboard.
I believe that early work- and career-related experiences play crucial roles in people's abilities to have successful full-time careers, especially when they have a disability. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to do a number of different internships and attend conferences and professional workshops, which have given me the experience necessary to be successful in my career.
I've been interested in computers and computer programming since I was in high school. When I was a junior, I joined a program called Emerging Leaders through the College of Engineering at the University of Washington (UW). When I started the program, there were about fifty high school students in the program with me.
Hi, my name is Shaun, and I am a Ph.D. student at the Information School at the University of Washington in Seattle. The Information School is an interdisciplinary program that studies the relationships between people, information, and technology. My own research focuses on how everyday computing technologies such as laptops, keyboards, mice, and mobile phones can be made more accessible and help people be more independent in their daily lives.
Communication has always been a priority for me. So it isn't surprising that I have made it a major part of my adulthood to serve others with communication disabilities. When I was a young child, I was sitting at home with my parents, and I noticed that the first snowfall of the season starting. Just like any other kid, I was excited and wanted to tell my parents, but I had no means of saying, "Look, look, it's snowing outside!" I decided if I could point to the refrigerator and then to the outside window, I might get that point across.
My name is Shaun. I'm an assistant professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County where I teach classes, mentor students, and conduct research.
My name is Kavita. I am a PhD student in computer science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and I plan on graduating in three years.
