This presentation will share lessons learned in the AccessADVANCE project which can help departments and institutions make faculty positions more inclusive of individuals with disabilities.

1. How to Make Academic
Departments More
Inclusive of Faculty with
Disabilities
NSF Award HRD-2017017, HRD-2017054
Sheryl Burgstahler, UW
Brianna Blaser, UW
Canan Bilen-Green, NDSU

2. AccessADVANCE partners
University of Washington
DO-IT Center, AccessADVANCE
§ Sheryl Burgstahler, PI & Director
§ Brianna Blaser, Associate Director
§ Lyla Crawford, Internal Evaluator
Human Centered Design & Engineering
§ Cecilia Aragon, Co-PI
North Dakota State University ADVANCE Forward Project
§ Canan Bilen-Green, PI
§ Cali Anicha
§ Mark Coppin

3. AccessADVANCE objectives
§ For Institutions & Organizations
Implement systemic changes within STEM depart-
ments & broadening participation (BP) activities so
that women with disabilities in academic positions
are welcome & fully included & can achieve success.
§ For the Entire Community
Developing resources regarding institutional
practices to increase the successful participation of
women with disabilities in academic STEM careers.

4. Today’s topics
§ Experiences of STEM faculty with
disabilities
§ Access approaches: Accommodations
& universal design
§ Recommendations in an
AccessADVANCE publication
§ A case study: NDSU ADVANCE
§ A case study: UD of Meetings & Events
§ Resources

5. Success of
Women with
Disabilities in
Academic
STEM Careers
Person with
disability
Family members
Peers, near
peers, mentors,
allies
Professional
organizations
and broadening
participation
efforts
Service providers
Postsecondary
administrators,
faculty, staff
Technology
vendors
Legislators,
policy makers
Funding agencies
Individual-Centered Community Building Model
Key stakeholders who may erect barriers or contribute
to the success of women with disabilities

6. Post in Chat,
examples of challenges STEM
faculty with disabilities might face?

7. Examples of access issues
§ Disability-related issues that
impact productivity
§ Challenges in attending
conferences
§ Inaccessible online tools
related to HR & benefits
§ Inaccessible tools used for
meetings & collaboration
§ Uncaptioned videos
§ Inaccessible meetings
§ Inaccessible grant portals,
journal articles & review
processes
§ Concerns in requesting
accommodations
§ Disability-related issues
related to scheduling
courses

8. Faculty with Disabilities Report
§ A lack of community among faculty with
disabilities
§ Difficulty getting accommodations
§ Time & effort involved in requesting them
§ Pushback from institutions
§ Concerns about how having a disability could
affect tenure & promotion

9. In an inclusive environment everyone
§ is encouraged to participate (with or
without accommodations)
§ feels welcome
§ is fully engaged in accessible
& inclusive environments
& activities

10. Legal basis for access
§ Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973
§ The Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990 & its 2008 Amendments
§ State & local laws

11. Consider ability on a continuum
understand English, social norms
see
hear
walk
read print
write with pen or pencil
communicate verbally
tune out distraction
learn
manage physical/mental health

12. Keep in mind…
§ Most disabilities are not obvious to others
§ Most people with disabilities do not report them
§ Campus disability services primarily offer
accommodations to individuals after a problem is
discovered

13. Accommodation-focused approach to
access
Adjust an existing product or environment
for a specific person, such as:
§ remediate inaccessible into to
accessible documents
§ arrange for sign language
interpreters
§ caption videos

14. AccessADVANCE practices embrace
§ the social model of disability
§ disability as a form of diversity
§ intersectionality
§ equity & inclusion
§ universal design (UD)

15. Universal design
“the design of products &
environments to be
usable by all people, to
the greatest extent
possible, without the
need for adaptation or
specialized design.”
The Center for Universal Design
www.design.ncsu.edu/cud

16. Scope: Applications of UD
Information
Technology
Procurement/
development
policies
Manipulations
Safety
Compatibility
with assistive
technology
Input/control
Output
Physical
environments/
products
Information
Services
Staff
Planning,
policies, and
evaluation
Physical
environments/
products
Events
Information
resources/
technology
Physical
Spaces
Entrances/
routes of travel
Fixtures/
furniture
Information
resources/
technology
Information
resources/
technology
Instruction
Class climate
Interaction
Physical
environments/
products
Delivery
methods
Assessment
Accommodation
Feedback
Safety
Accommodation
Applications of Universal Design in Education
Planning,
policies, and
evaluation
Appearance

17. We need a paradigm shift
§ from reactive to proactive design of
products & environments
§ from design for the “average” to
design for everyone
§ Once upon a time we already did it…

18. A paradigm shift
in sidewalk
design
-The Daily, UW, 1970

19. Beneficiaries of captions on videos
People who:
§ are unable to hear the audio
§ are English learners
§ are in a noisy or noiseless
location
§ have slow Internet connections
§ want to know the spelling
of words
§ need to find content quickly

20. UD of technology
§ builds in
accessibility
features
§ ensures
compatibility
with assistive
technology

21. 3 sets of principles that underpin UD for
all aspects of education
- 7 Universal Design
- 3 Universal Design
for Learning
- 4 Web Content
Accessibility
Guidelines

22. In a nutshell,
1. Provide multiple ways for people to
learn, demonstrate what they have
learned, & engage.
2. Ensure all technologies, facilities,
services, resources, & strategies are
accessible to individuals with a wide
variety of disabilities.

23. As an attitude, a framework, a goal, & a
process, UD:
§ Values diversity, equity, & inclusion
§ Promotes best practices & does not lower
standards
§ Is proactive & can be implemented
incrementally
§ Benefits everyone
§ Minimizes the need for accommodations

24. In Chat, describe
an accommodation faculty with
disabilities might need, but, if
provided as a universal design
strategy for everyone, would
eliminate or reduce the need for this
accommodation?

25. A Checklist of Guidance
bit.ly/EA_STEM_depts

26. Examples: Encourage departments to
§ Make academic recruitment & tenure
processes more welcoming & accessible.
§ Make process for arranging
accommodations clear.
§ Ensure activities are welcoming, accessible,
& inclusive.
§ Design websites & facilities to be accessible.

27. § Do you ensure that faculty recruitment
materials & application forms are accessible?
§ Do you omit irrelevant physical requirements
(e.g., “must be able to lift 10 pounds”) from
faculty position announcements?
§ Do you share how to request disability-related
accommodations?
§ Are you open to including accommodations in
faculty contracts?
Recruitment

28. § Are new hires & other faculty made aware of
the workplace accommodation process?
§ Is the process clearly explained on faculty &
public websites with examples of
accommodations provided?
§ Do policies & procedures require that
accessibility be considered in design,
development, & procurement?
§ Are disability-related access issues addressed
in evaluations?
Policies & evaluation

29. § Do campus or departmental DEI initiatives
address issues relevant to faculty members
with disabilities?
§ Do you include disability issues on campus
climate surveys?
§ Do policies & procedures move beyond
compliance & accommodations for individuals
to a focus more broadly on universal or
inclusive design?
Department/campus culture

30. § Are there:
– Easy to find accessible routes of travel?
– Doors with sensors or opening buttons?
– High-contrast, large-print directional signs?
– Braille signage?
– Accessible elevators controls?
– Well-marked wheelchair-accessible restrooms?
– Accessible emergency evacuation equipment?
– Adjustable-height tables & ergonomic chairs?
– Adequate/adjustable light available?
§ Are there policies & procedures to ensure that
accessibility issues are addressed when facilities are
constructed or remodeled & when
furniture & equipment are procured?
Physical environments

31. § Do staff members know how to respond to requests
for disability-related accommodations such as sign
language interpreters?
§ Are staff members familiar with the availability of
alternate document formats?
§ Are staff members aware of issues related to
communicating with individuals of different races,
ethnicities, ages, & abilities?
§ Are staff responsible for designing & developing
websites knowledgeable about accessible web
design?
Support services

32. § Are important meetings captioned, recorded,
& posted online?
§ Do web pages adhere to accessibility
guidelines?
§ Do publications include a statement about
requesting disability-related
accommodations?
§ Is it clear how faculty can request guidance in
choosing assistive technology? Are central
funds available?
Information resources and IT

33. § Does a simple, transparent procedure to
ensure a timely response to requests for
disability-related accommodations exist?
§ Are faculty made aware of these services?
§ Are all disabilities considered in disability
accommodations & initiatives? Consider
emphasizing the inclusion of non-apparent
disabilities.
§ Are accommodations approved and funded
centrally?
Accommodations

34. Discussion
What are examples of strategies
institutions can use to be more
accessible to & inclusive of faculty with
disabilities?

35. A case study:
NDSU ADVANCE

36. A case study: NDSU ADVANCE
North Dakota State University
§ Land grant, research, located in upper Great
Plains
§ Around 12,500 students
§ Around 700 ranked faculty
§ NSF ADVANCE IT grant
§ Women Faculty with Disabilities Task Force
§ AccessADVANCE with UW
§ ADA Accommodations
Request Policy Committee

37. Our initial working assumptions
The NDSU ADVANCE project would work to
recruit, retain, advance women, including women
with disabilities by:
§ Increasing our understanding of disability in general
§ Learning about disability in academic workplaces
§ Identifying barriers experienced by women faculty with
disability
§ Addressing those barriers
§ Working through various committees, including Women
Faculty with Disabilities Task Force

38. Actions taken
§ Reviewed practices at other universities
§ Established Women Faculty with Disabilities Task
Force
§ Commissioned Faculty Survey on disability awareness
& practices on campus
§ Faculty Forums to discuss results & gather
additional input
§ Hosted visiting scholars, disability awareness,
universal design programming
§ Implemented policy changes in tenure &
accommodations

39. Professional development
§ Multiple one-off presentations/panel
discussions
§ one-hour “Including U” events titled Hidden
Disabilities in January 2022 & Abilities &
Access in May 2022
§ Faculty Luncheon Talk: “Making our Campus
Welcoming & Accessible to Faculty with
Disabilities” B. Blaser & S. Burgstahler, 2021

40. Learning communities
§ Disability Equity & Advocacy Series. A four-
part learning series with structured conversations held
over a one-month period (April 2022)
§ Intersections of Disability & Academic
Faculty. Monthly seminars held over the 2021-22
academic year
§ Ableism in Academia: Theorizing experiences of
disabilities & chronic illnesses in higher education,
Edited by Nicole Brown and Jennifer Leigh, Open
Access PDF

41. Lessons learned
§ A broadened understanding of disability
§ Academic taboo regarding
cognitive/emotional disability
§ Essential functions of faculty positions are
multi-layered
§ Policy & practices need to change

42. Next @ NDSU
§ Review/revise process for
accommodations
§ Change office name
§ Address accessibility in all DEI initiatives
§ Participate in AccessADVANCE
§ Capacity Building Institutes
§ Community of Practice
§ Minigrant program

43. Discussion
What can administrators that work on
faculty retention & success do to support
women faculty members with disabilities?

44. Case Study: Strategies for UD
of Meetings & Events

45. When it comes to accessibility….
What do presenters & event organizers
need to know?

46. Who might have barriers to
participating in a meeting or event?
§ Blind or visually impaired
§ Deaf or hard of hearing
§ Attention or learning related disabilities
§ Mobility related disabilities
§ Non-native speakers of
English
§ Virtual or phone
attendees

47. Event space in person
§ Wheelchair accessible space
with wide, clear aisles
§ Low tables for receptions,
buffets
§ Accessible lecterns
§ Adequately well lit
§ Microphones for presenters
& for questions
§ Accommodate food restrictions

48. Event space online
§ Not all meeting software is
accessible
§ Become familiar with
accessibility features of your
software
§ Share relevant accessibility
information with participants

49. Preparation
§ Share accessibility guidelines with presenters
§ Make it clear how to request accommodations
§ Know how to respond to requests
§ Accessible presentations
§ Sign language, captioning
§ Automatic captioning tools
§ Online meetings
§ Consider recording
§ Ensure presenters are well lit
§ Encourage non-moving backgrounds

50. Presentation materials
§ Use a high contrast color scheme & large fonts
§ Keep text brief & graphics simple
§ Use more than color coding to communicate information
§ Use captioned videos
§ Share accessible versions of your agenda and
presentations
§ Especially with
interpreters &
captioners!

51. Delivery
§ Use a headset online or mics
§ Incorporate a variety of instructional
methods
§ Tell participants how they can
engage
§ Speak all content on slides
§ Verbally describe images &
graphics
§ Pause after changing the slide
§ Use understandable terms

52. Follow up
§ Follow up with URLs, resources, &
action items
§ Gather feedback about accessibility
§ Make adjustments to future
meetings

53. Evaluation
1. Do you identify as having a disability or other chronic condition?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Prefer not to disclose
2. If yes, how would you describe your disability or chronic condition?
Blaser, B., & Ladner, R. E. (2020). Why is data on disability so hard to
collect & understand? RESPECT 2020.
a. Attention deficit
b. Autism
c. Blind or low vision
d. Deaf or hard of hearing
e. Health-related disability
f. Learning disability
g. Mental health condition
h. Mobility-related disability
i. Speech-related disability
j. Other (please specify)

54. Discussion
What do you wish DEI experts that work on
faculty issues knew about disability inclusion?

55. How to engage in AccessADVANCE
§ Attend Capacity Building Institutes
§ Attend/present in webinars
§ Apply for a minigrant
§ Review project products
§ Send email to doit@uw.edu & ask to join
the AccessADVANCE Community of
Practice (CoP)

56. Resources
§ AccessADVANCE – uw.edu/doit/programs/advance
§ Center for Universal Design – uw.edu/doit/cude
§ Accessible Technology – uw.edu/accessibility
§ Brianna Blaser – blaser@uw.edu
§ Canan Bilen-Green – canan.bilen.green@ndsu.edu
§ Sheryl Burgstahler – sherylb@uw.edu