NSF AccessComputing staff have worked over the last six months to provide multiple webinars to the NSF AccessComputing community. We鈥檝e got several recent resources focusing on student academics, leadership, and career development, and on faculty development. We also have quite a few resources designed to support computing faculty in advancing their teaching/learning knowledge to support students with disabilities in the classroom and the workplace. In addition, hearing from students and faculty alike that mental health concerns are on the rise, we provided a two-part series on mental health by academics for students, faculty, and staff.
Webinars for Students
Mike Hess, the founder and executive director of BIT, describes the opportunities and services that BIT offers to individuals with any type of disability.
These services feature staffing services that encompass both recruitment and training for professionals and the BIT Academy, which provides free courses and training in professions such as database administration, computer networking, cloud computing, project management, business applications, and more. All courses have an independent study component, as well as class lessons with BIT instructors.
Workshop: How to Request Letters of Recommendation
During this workshop, Kayla Brown, NSF AccessComputing staff, provided tips and strategies on how to approach letters of recommendation. She talked about how, during your education and career, you'll encounter supportive mentors and that selecting the right person to ask for a recommendation can be challenging. Kayla noted that it's crucial to think carefully and consider individuals who are aware of your strengths and understand how they contribute to your qualifications as an applicant.
NextGen Leaders Initiative
Alyse Erickson, Coordinator for NextGen Initiatives with Disability:IN, explains how NextGen Leaders are college students and recent graduates with disabilities, including veterans, who represent sought-after talent by Disability:IN鈥檚 550+ Corporate Partner companies. NextGen Leaders have the opportunity to connect with leading brands across all industries, and are matched one-on-one with mentors from Disability:IN Corporate Partners for a six-month virtual mentoring relationship. This mentoring experience includes opportunities to connect and network with recruiters from leading companies like Wells Fargo, T-Mobile, Microsoft, Walmart and more! (This video has been edited, removing personal identifying information from the participants).
Engaging in Research and Summer Internships
Although it was not recorded, a third student webinar, with NSF AccessComputing Principal Investigator Dr. Maya 脟akmak, focused on helping NSF AccessComputing undergraduate team members understand the value of engaging in research and on how to apply for summer internships, including through either the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates or the NSF AccessComputing/Computing Research Association Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates. We do have a DREU Information Session webinar with Dr. Richard Ladner (NSF AccessComputing founder) and Dr. Raja Kushalnagar (current co-PI) from a couple of years ago that provides much of the same information.
Resources for Faculty
NSF AccessComputing鈥檚 newest resources for faculty development include a powerful video featuring NSF AccessComputing student team members talking about what they wished their faculty knew or understood about students with disabilities, as well as several companion videos for the new Teaching Accessible Computing online book.
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Through their experiences in the classroom, NSF AccessComputing team members share their thoughts and suggestions about key things they would like their computing professors to know and understand about students with disabilities. These thoughts and suggestions include teaching tips, information about how a student鈥檚 disability impacts their access to learning, and thoughts on implicit bias and ableism students often experience.
Teaching Accessible Computing (, , and Author Panel)听
Without explicitly learning to develop accessible technology, technologists are entering the workforce without the ability to produce technology that is accessible to people with disabilities. This, in turn, limits the ability of c