Saturday Computing Experience

Eleven deaf and hard-of-hearing students from Seattle-area high schools participated in the Saturday Computing Experience for eight weeks in spring 2012. Richard Ladner, PI of AccessComputing, led the class along with nine volunteers, including graduate students from the Computer Science and Engineering Department and staff from Google, Isilon and Microsoft. Three graduates of the Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Computing and AccessComputing team members, Jordan Atwood, Josiah Cheslik and Travis Smith, served as teaching assistants.

Diana

My name is Diana. I graduated six months ago from Georgia State University (GSU) where I earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in computer information systems and a certificate of international business. The IT field is always changing, and I excel in dynamic environments so computing was a great fit for me.

Photo of Diana

Daniel

“Is it working?” It sounded as though Minnie Mouse was talking, but I could see clearly that the person across from me was my mother, not an over-sized rodent in polka dots. The phrase was not as dramatic as Alexander Graham Bell’s, “Mr. Watson—come in here,” but for me, it was just as momentous. I was thirteen. As my cochlear implant was activated, those three words were the first I had ever heard clearly. I had just entered high school and this was the crossroads in my journey towards independence in the world and a critical impetus toward pursuing a career in a STEM field.

Photo of Daniel

Cheryl

My name is Cheryl. I recently graduated from the University of Washington where I double majored in political science and informatics. The study of informatics explores ways of thinking about information and technology and the ways people interact with them. It incorporates theory and hands-on technical projects to develop skills to recognize information needs and use appropriate and innovative technologies to design solutions. The goal of informatics is to present intended users with the most transparent, yet useful information or computing experience possible.

Photo of Cheryl

Universal Design

In the classroom or the workplace, most groups are diverse. We vary in background, cultural and gender identity, first language, and age. We have different learning styles, including visual and auditory. Some of us have disabilities, including blindness, low vision, hearing impairments, mobility impairments, learning disabilities, and health impairments.

How can educators design instruction to maximize the learning of all students? How can employers create environments to maximize productivity of all employees? By using universal design.

Accommodations

The best accommodations are unique to the individual and develop from a cooperative relationship between instructor and student, sometimes with the assistance of special education teachers or postsecondary campus disabled student services offices. AccessComputing provides tools and resources for assessing the accessibility of your lab or department and developing accommodation strategies.

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