ABSTRACT

People with disabilities are underrepresented in computing fields, yet their perspectives and expertise can benefit these fields greatly. The goals of the AccessComputing Fourth Extension are to (1) increase the participation of people with disabilities in computing careers and (2) serve as a catalyst and national resource to help make computing educational and career opportunities more welcoming and accessible to people with disabilities. AccessComputing is one of a family of Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Alliances that are working with other BPC projects to benefit computing fields in terms of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. These benefits to computing fields translate to benefits to the nation by helping to improve the ability of its technology workforce to respond to national needs that depend, more and more, on computing technology. AccessComputing, although centered at the University of Washington, partners with over 75 academic institutions, computing organizations, and tech companies to achieve its common goals. The AccessComputing leadership team represents the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, Information School, and DO-IT Center at the University of Washington; University of California, Irvine; Gallaudet University; and Tufts University.

In order to meet the project goals, AccessComputing has four objectives: (1) Individual engagement in computing: implement evidence-based practices to increase the number of individuals with disabilities moving through critical junctures through their pathways to education to computing careers; (2) Organizational capacity development and collaboration: increase the capacity of postsecondary institutions, BPC alliances and projects, organizations, and industry to fully include individuals with disabilities in computing fields and promote accessible, inclusive, universal design practices; (3) Curriculum development: develop the capacity of faculty to integrate accessibility and disability content into computing courses to increase knowledge and skills of future computing professionals; and (4) Alliance impact and sustainability: foster relationships among stakeholders to promote systemic changes, expand online resources, develop the next generation of leaders in BPC and accessibility, and develop sustainable products and initiatives. Several initiatives are new to AccessComputing Fourth Extension. They include: (1) Expanding the AccessComputing leadership beyond the University of Washington to include emerging leaders from three new institutions; (2) Expanding the academic partners to include more community and technical colleges; (3) Expanding the AccessComputing students and the services available to them; (4) Joining the new BPC-A Accelerator that will help coordinate and synergize BPC efforts related to gender, race, ethnicity, and disability; (5) Expanding the industry partners and interactions with them; (6) Expanding the organizational partners to include more subdisciplines in computing fields; and (7) Developing a comprehensive and adaptable e-book for teaching accessibility and disability topics in computing courses.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

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