In a study funded by the National Science Foundation's Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program, a group of three postsecondary institutions used asynchronous online access as a universally designed method of content delivery. In addition to classroom lecture, web-based access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) course content was also offered.
The Institute for Human Centered Design has an e-mentoring program for students or entry-level professionals with disabilities interested in design fields such as architecture, computer aided design, industrial design, graphic and information design, interior design, and landscape architecture and design.
Andrea is an architecture major. Her mobility impairment affects her fine motor skills and manual dexterity.
DO-IT Scholars is a college preparation program for teens with disabilities. Originally funded by the National Science Foundation in 1992, DO-IT Scholars was institutionalized with Washington state funds in 1998. The program also receives funds from Microsoft and Boeing.
The United States Department of Labor includes the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), which was created in 2001 as a sub-cabinet policy agency.
The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) invited a group of thirty high school seniors with disabilities, along with their teachers and parents, to a transition event. The UAA Transition to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) event exposes students, teachers, and parents to STEM programs on campus and facilitates the transition from high school to college.
Mary Driscoll teaches in the special education and learning assistance program (LAP) at Evergreen Elementary School in Spokane, WA. Following a presentation on assistive technology by DO-IT staff, Ms. Driscoll applied for and received an AccessSTEM minigrant to purchase technology for her school.
Professional organizations such as the Oregon Science Teachers Association (OSTA) serve an important function in helping their members stay current on relevant issues in their fields. OSTA made a statement about the importance of including students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by partnering with AccessSTEM to provide their members with training and resources for fully including these students in their courses.
All students, including those with disabilities, should be expected to comply with established campus behavioral standards. Consider discussing the problem with the student in private and informing them of behavioral expectations in the classroom.
Contact the campus student services unit that handles behavioral issues and/or the disability services coordinator for guidance.
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs has established more than 300 community-based Vet Centers in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Vet Centers provide readjustment counseling and outreach services to veterans who have served in any combat zone.