AccessUR2PhD was delighted to participate in the 2025 CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference in Dallas, Texas this September. At the conference, we hosted a workshop on Accessibility in Computer Science featuring faculty, researchers, and PhD mentors sharing their work and experiences, and organized networking opportunities for participants to build connections in the accessibility community. We also helped fund a group of students to attend; some presented research, others engaged in networking, and all attended sessions designed to support their computing trajectories.
In addition, we hosted a Birds of a Feather session titled Diversity Includes Disability, led by Brianna Blaser (University of Washington), Rob Parke (USC), and Cathy Law (Oregon State University). The session convened people with disabilities and allies to share experiences, strategies, and resources for achieving success in computing fields. Through introductions, discussion of internships, mentoring, career development, and best practices for educators and employers, the session fostered community, resilience, and actionable ideas at a moment when inclusive practices are under pressure.