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How welcoming is your department
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
and the AccessADVANCE Project.

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Today I'll share some tips
for making STEM departments

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more inclusive of
faculty with disabilities.

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Application pools for faculty positions
have become increasingly diverse.

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Yet, some applicants 
and employees with disabilities

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encounter challenges that occur
during the employment application process

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and after they're hired.

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Barriers include those related
to facilities, meetings, courses,

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digital documents, services,
and online resources.

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

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digital job application forms
with a screen reader.

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Imagine a professor who cannot hear
when microphones are not used

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during a large meeting.

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Imagine an instructor
with health-related disabilities

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who fears that requesting accommodation

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may affect their chances
for earning tenure.

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Campus leaders should adjust institutional
and departmental policies and procedures

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to ensure that they
reflect an inclusive culture.

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Answering the following questions
can help you get started.

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Is the physical environment
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 
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
disability-related accommodations?

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And is there guidance in
choosing assistive technology?

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Are accommodations
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
with disabilities

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are a financial burden to the department?

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Are disability-related issues
addressed in all campus

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and departmental diversity,
equity, and inclusion initiatives?

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Taking steps in response
to questions like these

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can also benefit faculty who
do not disclose disabilities.

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Find additional considerations
in our publication

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

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Faculty with Disabilities.

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It's at
uw.edu/doit/programs/advance.

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Remember that disability is
simply one aspect of diversity.

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Increasing the participation of people
with disabilities among STEM faculty

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strengthens these fields with
their unique perspectives and expertise.