RDE Projects Sheryl Burgstahler Director, DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, & Technology) Director, UW Accessible Technology University of Washington, Seattle

Funding,  National Science Foundation  U.S. Department of Education  U.S. Department of Labor  State of Washington  Foundations, corporations, private donors

Ultimate Impact Benefit society by: increasing participation in STEM fields enhancing these fields with the talents & perspectives of people with disabilities

Goal Increase the associate, baccalaureate, & graduate STEM degree attainment of individuals with disabilities

Objectives Make STEM programs more welcoming & accessible to students with disabilities Create & expand engagement of stakeholders Implement evidence-based practices to increase numbers of individuals with disabilities moving through critical junctures to STEM associate, baccalaureate, & graduate degrees & careers Support & expand an online resource center, the AccessSTEM Knowledge Base

Activities  Prepare students through transition workshops, summer programs, e- mentoring, peer support, internships, …  Improve accessibility & acceptance in courses, employment, technology, student services…

Surveys, interviews, focus groups regarding specific activities Participant longitudinal transition data Institutional data Evaluation

Participants report: Interventions received Value of access to technology, internships, college/ career planning, mentoring Movement through junctures Longitudinal Transition Data

Pipeline: STEM/other majors for students with & without reported disabilities Degrees: STEM/other majors for students with & without reported disabilities Institutional changes documented Institutional Data

For students, Increase the overall pool of college graduates with disabilities to increase STEM degrees Provide motivational activities to recruit students without initial interests in STEM For students with STEM interests, comprehensive interventions have more impact than isolated efforts Institutional change is needed, too Conclusions

Pay close attention to solicitation Engage stakeholders Link each activity with goal & objective Employ universal design, even if target audience has a specific type of disability Measure outputs, outcomes & impacts Address data collection challenges Lessons Learned