AccessComputing

My name's Matt Starn and I'm a new full-time employee at Microsoft as an SDE (Software Design Engineer). I graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) with a Bachelor's in Computer Science and I've been a member of the AccessComputing Team for several years. In the summer of 2007, I participated in the Summer Academy program at the University of Washington. At the time, I was a student at University of California, Los Angeles but I wasn't sure what direction I wanted to go in life after college until I joined the program.

Hi, my name's Katie and in Fall 2011 I started working full-time at Microsoft as a Program Manager on the Office User Experience team. I graduated from the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in May 2011 with a BS in Engineering: Computing.

Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the first Saturday Computing Experience (SCE) for deaf and hard-of-hearing students took place in Spring 2011. Kyle Rector, a graduate student in Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Washington, led the class. Six young women and three young men from ACE High School in Highline, Edmonds-Woodway High School in Mountlake Terrace, and Roosevelt High School in Seattle participated.

AccessComputing student interns have completed over 120 internships. They have worked on computing projects and research in industry settings, workshops, and labs. They have learned how to request reasonable accommodations, communicate with supervisors and co-workers, collaborate with others, and manage priorities. Their internship experiences have improved their resumes, helped them meet graduation requirements, improved their confidence, and further developed their network of professional contacts.

It's always important for students to be thinking about their professional development and their career plans. AccessComputing invites students with disabilities who are pursuing computer science or other computing-related majors nationwide to join our AccessComputing team.

The Alliance for Access to Computing Careers (AccessComputing) has funds available to support training, experiential learning, and information technology (IT)-related activities nationwide. The goal is to increase the number of people with disabilities, including post-9/11 veterans, successfully pursuing computing careers.

Students with disabilities:

• Internships
• E-mentoring
• AccessComputing Team
• Summer programs

Educators & employers:

• Host an intern
• Communities of practice
• E-mentoring
• Minigrants

Website

www.uw.edu/accesscomputing/

Connect to AccessComputing project information, resources, and materials.

Knowledge Base

www.uw.edu/accesscomputing/knowledge-base.html

Administrators at Purdue University are working to raise awareness of web accessibility issues and educate employees on how to create websites that are accessible to individuals with a broad range of disabilities. The campus-wide Web Accessibility Committee (WAC) drafted a campus Web Accessibility Policy, created and maintained a website containing web accessibility information and resources, and developed and delivered Accessible Web Design training sessions.

Thirteen students attended the 2012 Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Computing; 64 students have completed the Summer Academy during since its inception in 2007. The Summer Academy is an academically challenging program designed for students who are deaf and hard of hearing with skills in math and/or science who may be considering computing as a career. Students obtain college credits for attending a programming course and visiting tech companies in the Seattle area, including Adobe, Isilon, Google, Microsoft and Valve.