AccessADVANCE: Making STEM Departments More Inclusive of Faculty with Disabilities

[MUSIC PLAYING]

SHERYL BURGSTAHLER:
How welcoming

is your department to faculty
members who have disabilities?

Hello, I'm Sheryl
Burgstahler, the Director

of the DO-IT Center and
the AccessADVANCE project.

Today I'll share
some tips for making

STEM departments more inclusive
of faculty with disabilities.

Application pools
for faculty positions

have become
increasingly diverse,

yet some applicants
and employees

with disabilities
encounter challenges

that occur during the
employment application process

and after they're hired.

Barriers include those related
to facilities, meetings,

courses, digital documents,
services, and online resources.

Imagine a person who's blind
discovering that they cannot

access digital job application
forms with a screen reader.

Imagine a professor who cannot
hear when microphones are not

used during a large meeting.

Imagine an instructor with
health-related disabilities

who fears that
requesting accommodation

may affect their chances
for earning tenure.

Campus leaders should adjust
institutional and departmental

policies and procedures
to ensure that they

reflect an inclusive culture.

Answering the
following questions

can help you get started--

is the physical environment
accessible, comfortable,

and safe for individuals
with a range of abilities?

Are support staff prepared
to work with faculty

who have disabilities?

Do flexible policies allow
individuals to attend

meetings and work remotely?

Is it clear to
faculty how to request

disability-related
accommodations?

And is there guidance in
choosing assistive technology?

Are accommodations
provided and funded

through a central
institutional unit,

thus avoiding the appearance
that individual faculty

members with disabilities
are a financial burden

to the department?

Are disability-related
issues addressed

in all campus and departmental
diversity, equity,

and inclusion initiatives?

Taking steps in response
to questions like these

can also benefit faculty who
do not disclose disabilities.

Find additional considerations
in our publication

Equal Access: Making STEM
Departments More Accessible to

and Inclusive of Faculty
with Disabilities.

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

Remember that disability is
simply one aspect of diversity.

Increasing the
participation of people

with disabilities
among STEM faculty

strengthens these fields with
their unique perspectives

and expertise.