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[MUSIC PLAYING]

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How welcoming is your department[br]to faculty members who have disabilities?

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Hello, I'm Sheryl Burgstahler

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the Director of the DO-IT Center[br]and the AccessADVANCE Project.

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Today I'll share some tips[br]for making STEM departments

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more inclusive of[br]faculty with disabilities.

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Application pools for faculty positions[br]have become increasingly diverse.

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Yet, some applicants [br]and employees with disabilities

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encounter challenges that occur[br]during the employment application process

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and after they're hired.

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Barriers include those related[br]to facilities, meetings, courses,

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digital documents, services,[br]and online resources.

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Imagine a person who's blind[br]discovering that they cannot access

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digital job application forms[br]with a screen reader.

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Imagine a professor who cannot hear[br]when microphones are not used

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during a large meeting.

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Imagine an instructor[br]with health-related disabilities

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who fears that requesting accommodation

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may affect their chances[br]for earning tenure.

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Campus leaders should adjust institutional[br]and departmental policies and procedures

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to ensure that they[br]reflect an inclusive culture.

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Answering the following questions[br]can help you get started.

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Is the physical environment[br]accessible, comfortable, and safe

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for individuals with a range of abilities?

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Are support staff prepared to work [br]with faculty who have disabilities?

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Do flexible policies allow individuals

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to attend meetings and work remotely?

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Is it clear to faculty how to request[br]disability-related accommodations?

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And is there guidance in[br]choosing assistive technology?

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Are accommodations[br]provided and funded

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through a central institutional unit?

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Thus, avoiding the appearance

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that individual faculty members[br]with disabilities

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are a financial burden to the department?

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Are disability-related issues[br]addressed in all campus

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and departmental diversity,[br]equity, and inclusion initiatives?

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Taking steps in response[br]to questions like these

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can also benefit faculty who[br]do not disclose disabilities.

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Find additional considerations[br]in our publication

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Equal Access: Making STEM Departments[br]More Accessible to and Inclusive of

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Faculty with Disabilities.

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It's at[br]uw.edu/doit/programs/advance.

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Remember that disability is[br]simply one aspect of diversity.

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Increasing the participation of people[br]with disabilities among STEM faculty

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strengthens these fields with[br]their unique perspectives and expertise.