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:
- Offer funding to create internships for students with disabilities.
- Make recruitment materials welcoming by including pictures of individuals with disabilities and language that they are encouraged to apply.
- Ensure websites and application materials are accessible.
- Educate faculty and staff on the needs of students with disabilities, how they can be included in the program, the benefits to working with these students, and disability culture.
- Include someone with a disability on your recruiting and leadership team.
- Use peer recruitment practices.
- Share recruitment materials with disability services and veterans services offices.
- Host field trips for high school students with disabilities to visit your department or lab.
For additional information and ideas for recruiting students with disabilities, consult Student Learning Communities: A Promising Practice to Recruit STEM Students with Disabilities and The Center for Emergent Materials: A Promising Practice in Training Faculty to Mentor Undergraduates with Disabilities in Research.