WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:01.020 --> 00:00:04.820 AccessERC is about capacity building. 00:00:04.820 --> 00:00:30.140 [Music] 00:00:30.380 --> 00:00:34.440 Access ERC is a project funded by the National Science Foundation. 00:00:34.440 --> 00:00:39.720 It's actually a supplemental grant to the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering, 00:00:39.720 --> 00:00:43.820 which is an engineering research center at the University of Washington, 00:00:43.820 --> 00:00:46.390 also funded by the National Science Foundation. 00:00:46.390 --> 00:00:49.470 And there are about 15 of these centers across the country. 00:00:49.470 --> 00:00:53.320 And we were funded to help the other centers 00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:57.700 recruit and employ and engage 00:00:57.700 --> 00:01:00.120 individuals with disabilities in everything they do. 00:01:00.120 --> 00:01:04.640 We are helping other ERCs train their staff, 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:07.850 create accessible websites, collect demographic data, 00:01:07.850 --> 00:01:10.549 and also ensure that the space and the labs that they have 00:01:10.549 --> 00:01:13.089 are accessible to people with disabilities. 00:01:13.089 --> 00:01:18.529 I think it's important for ERCs to include people with disabilities 00:01:18.529 --> 00:01:21.789 because when we think about pretty much any problem 00:01:21.789 --> 00:01:25.549 that any of us are trying to solve, 00:01:25.549 --> 00:01:28.359 the research has shown that the more diverse group 00:01:28.359 --> 00:01:30.009 that you have working on a problem, 00:01:30.009 --> 00:01:35.580 the more interesting and probably robust solution sets you'll get. 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:42.899 Develop strategic partnerships, 00:01:42.899 --> 00:01:46.740 including those with disability and veteran service units. 00:01:46.740 --> 00:01:49.689 Recruit people with disabilities, including veterans, 00:01:49.689 --> 00:01:52.659 onto advisory boards and leadership teams. 00:01:55.100 --> 00:01:59.520 We've reached out and have partnered with our Veterans Center on campus. 00:01:59.520 --> 00:02:01.079 So that's a good start 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:07.859 because the director is very willing to share information about our activities, 00:02:07.860 --> 00:02:11.640 to help us recruit students who might be very interested in being researchers 00:02:11.660 --> 00:02:12.540 in the lab. 00:02:13.380 --> 00:02:17.000 It's easy to send out an email or a letter 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:19.990 that's saying, you know, we want to look at you. 00:02:19.990 --> 00:02:22.440 We would like you to apply to our program. 00:02:26.500 --> 00:02:30.060 Promote disability awareness. 00:02:30.060 --> 00:02:32.860 Highlight the achievements of people with disabilities. 00:02:32.860 --> 00:02:37.290 Encourage faculty and staff to engage in disability-related conferences. 00:02:37.290 --> 00:02:41.890 And so I think one key message 00:02:41.890 --> 00:02:48.380 that cannot be underscored enough is the fact that an institution 00:02:48.380 --> 00:02:53.430 is willing to create the environment that allows for that success. 00:02:53.430 --> 00:02:54.910 And so how do we put out that message? 00:02:54.910 --> 00:03:02.180 Well, I think in every brochure that is there to recruit students, employees, 00:03:02.180 --> 00:03:06.750 in every message on the web that showcases your institution 00:03:06.750 --> 00:03:09.330 and all that it has to offer, 00:03:09.330 --> 00:03:12.410 in every message that is delivered by the president 00:03:12.410 --> 00:03:16.280 we need to allow information. 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:18.750 We need to highlight information 00:03:18.750 --> 00:03:22.760 that shows where to find connections about universal design, 00:03:22.760 --> 00:03:28.140 about services to disabled students, about our commitment to inclusion. 00:03:35.540 --> 00:03:39.020 Apply universal design and provide reasonable accommodations. 00:03:39.030 --> 00:03:44.900 We did mentor a blind student before. 00:03:44.900 --> 00:03:50.780 And I think, luckily, we have a leader, director, and also our staff 00:03:50.780 --> 00:03:55.920 are very supportive of a student coming to our lab 00:03:55.920 --> 00:04:01.690 because our lab is dealing with high-voltage equipment. 00:04:01.690 --> 00:04:10.760 We provided an opportunity for him to do modeling and really advanced analysis, 00:04:10.760 --> 00:04:14.410 which was a very challenging research project. 00:04:14.410 --> 00:04:17.959 And this student was just wonderful to work with 00:04:17.959 --> 00:04:24.039 and he helped us to understand what he needs, what he wants. 00:04:24.039 --> 00:04:27.569 When we are organizing events, 00:04:27.569 --> 00:04:29.490 we try to make them accessible to all. 00:04:29.490 --> 00:04:32.210 We ask people for their accessibility needs. 00:04:32.210 --> 00:04:33.499 And I work really, really hard 00:04:33.499 --> 00:04:38.620 to make sure everybody feels comfortable with whatever they do need. 00:04:38.620 --> 00:04:41.490 And especially when we do diversity inclusion workshops, 00:04:41.490 --> 00:04:42.689 because that's the whole point, 00:04:42.689 --> 00:04:46.369 is that they should feel like they are welcome. 00:04:46.369 --> 00:04:51.939 Consult with individuals with disabilities in lab and facility design. 00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:55.780 Review websites, documents, and videos for accessibility. 00:04:55.780 --> 00:05:00.069 Right now, we're in the information age. 00:05:00.069 --> 00:05:04.360 We're, you know, disseminating information in a variety of ways, 00:05:04.360 --> 00:05:07.349 and ensuring that your message is able to get out 00:05:07.349 --> 00:05:10.970 and be accessible to everyone is absolutely critical. 00:05:10.970 --> 00:05:14.719 And there's something I can do, 00:05:14.719 --> 00:05:17.750 some things that I can implement myself as an instructor. 00:05:17.750 --> 00:05:22.620 I learned about captioning processes, the use of headings. 00:05:22.620 --> 00:05:28.340 The website is the first entrance into our program, 00:05:28.340 --> 00:05:30.800 into what we do. 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:38.199 And if that population cannot access it, what good is it? 00:05:38.199 --> 00:05:43.419 Given that we are a center that works on sensorimotor impairment, 00:05:43.419 --> 00:05:48.689 it was important that the space be accessible to a broad audience, 00:05:48.689 --> 00:05:51.199 and not only students with disabilities, but members of the community. 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:55.560 So we have members of the community come to our practitioner and user advisory boards, 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:57.470 attending our research seminars. 00:05:57.470 --> 00:06:01.380 And so having this wide open space makes it much easier to negotiate, 00:06:01.380 --> 00:06:06.540 whether the users are using an assistive device, a wheelchair or otherwise. 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:09.920 So another aspect of the space that we really enjoy 00:06:09.930 --> 00:06:11.460 is the flexibility in the furniture. 00:06:11.460 --> 00:06:15.539 We can set it up in many different configurations to engage users. 00:06:15.539 --> 00:06:18.589 But we can also clear it out of the way if we have an event 00:06:18.589 --> 00:06:21.710 where many people with assistive devices are present. 00:06:21.710 --> 00:06:24.980 It's really an element of universal design. 00:06:33.160 --> 00:06:36.300 Consider disability as a diversity issue. 00:06:36.300 --> 00:06:39.879 Provide mentoring opportunities for people with disabilities. 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:43.389 I've worked in diversity for quite some time 00:06:43.389 --> 00:06:51.509 and sometimes the conversation about diversity can focus very much 00:06:51.509 --> 00:06:57.770 on one or two particular groups, in part, racial minorities and women, 00:06:57.770 --> 00:07:02.839 and not as much be discussed about persons with disabilities. 00:07:02.839 --> 00:07:07.809 Engineers are problem solvers and many of these students 00:07:07.809 --> 00:07:12.729 bring a different perspective based on their experiences. 00:07:12.729 --> 00:07:17.240 One type of people will have one type of solution to the problem. 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:20.669 So with the different people bringing their different perspectives, 00:07:20.669 --> 00:07:24.490 we'll have an opportunity to solve the problem 00:07:24.490 --> 00:07:27.900 in a way that we hadn't thought about before. 00:07:34.340 --> 00:07:35.699 Collect disability status 00:07:35.699 --> 00:07:37.419 with other demographic information 00:07:37.419 --> 00:07:42.250 in application and evaluation forms. 00:07:42.250 --> 00:07:44.760 Analyze data to determine effectiveness. 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:49.779 It is important in all of our evaluation instruments 00:07:49.779 --> 00:07:51.520 to ask about disability, 00:07:51.520 --> 00:07:55.400 when we're asking students to evaluate how well they've done in an activity, 00:07:55.400 --> 00:07:59.110 or what they've learned, or how a lab is working for them, 00:07:59.110 --> 00:08:01.180 it's important for us to ask if they have a disability 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:04.219 so we can see if their experience is different than other students. 00:08:04.219 --> 00:08:07.330 But it's also important to ask access questions. 00:08:07.330 --> 00:08:12.080 ERCs are designed to have huge impact in society 00:08:12.080 --> 00:08:15.409 by solving some of the major challenges in engineering 00:08:15.409 --> 00:08:17.020 that society is currently facing. 00:08:17.020 --> 00:08:19.210 And in order to have that kind of impact 00:08:19.210 --> 00:08:21.139 and to solve these important problems, 00:08:21.139 --> 00:08:23.740 we need to include every section of society, 00:08:23.740 --> 00:08:29.040 including people with disabilities, in all aspects of ERCs.