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Language: en

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How can we encourage students
with disabilities to pursue computing?

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<v Sheryl> I'm Sheryl Burgstahler.

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I work for the central IT unit at the
University of Washington in Seattle

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where we employ hundreds of people
into IT positions

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and we're always recruiting
for the brightest and the best.

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To meet our demand as well as
those from other organizations

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across the country, we need
to recruit more students

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into computing fields of study.

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Women and racial/ ethnic minorities are often
typically included in recruitment efforts,

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but what about people with
disabilities?

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Teachers can play
an important role

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in encouraging this underrepresented
group to study computing.

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But how can we encourage students with
disabilities to pursue computing?

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Here's one story.

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Meet Cindy.

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<v Cindy> My name is Cindy Bennett,
and I am a first year PhD student

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in the Human Centered Design and
Engineering Department

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at the University of Washington.

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I became interested in a career in
Human Centered Design and Engineering

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because I worked
as a research assistant

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in the computer science department

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at the University of Washington
for two years.

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I was hired because I have
a psychology background

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and experience managing
research projects.

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So I brought a
social science view

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to the computer science
research we were doing.

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And I realized that
I could combine

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my love for technology with
my social science training.

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And essentially, that's what
Human Centered Design is all about.

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I have learned that
I can have an impact

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and improve the access blind
people have to technology.

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As I have become more connected
in the blind community,

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I have met more blind people
who are pursuing science,

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and I have learned that
we can and we should

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pursue science careers
when we want them.

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<v Sheryl> To learn more about how
you can encourage students

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with disabilities to
pursue computing fields,

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engage with the
AccessCS10K project.

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Find resources at
uw.edu/accesscomputing/accesscs10k