A hackathon is a one-day event where teams of people collaborate to solve a problem. ATHack is a multidisciplinary hackathon with a focus on helping people with disabilities as it increases awareness regarding the need to develop assistive technologies. It was conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
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.
Captions make the content in video presentations accessible to individuals who are deaf. They also benefit many other video viewers. Beneficiaries include
There are several things that professional organizations can do to increase the participation of people with disabilities in their field. Suggestions include:
6.811: Principles and Practice of Assistive Technology (PPAT) is a semester-long, project-based course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) focused on the design and engineering of customized assistive devices for people with disabilities. In PPAT, small teams of students work closely with a person with a disability in the Cambridge, MA area to develop a product or solution that helps them live more independently.
There are limitless ways that senior design projects can help people with disabilities. Many faculty members do this by locating an individual with a disability who is looking to solve an accessibility problem. Students can then work to resolve the issue.
The International Association for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD) promotes access, accommodation, and inclusion for students and geoscientists with disabilities. Composed of higher education faculty, staff, and students, geoscience industry representatives, disabilities education researchers and other stakeholders, the IAGD vision is to:
My name is Daniel. As an undergraduate mechanical engineering student, I am required to take a design and manufacturing laboratory course. In this course, students work in teams to build devices using mills, lathes, and other manufacturing equipment. I have high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. At the beginning of the term, I spoke with the instructor about my disability and accommodations.
My name is Jack. I had surgery on my hand when there was about a month remaining in the semester. I was enrolled in courses that are required as part of my major in electrical and computer engineering.
There are many strategies that can be used to make programming more accessible to students with various types of disabilities. For example: