Equal Access
to Computing
Terrill Thompson
Tami Tidwell
Tean Tarihugh
University of Washington
These slides: http://staff.washington.edu/tft
UW Collaboration
UW CSE (Computer Science &
Engineering)
DO-IT Center (Disabilities, Opportunities,
Internetworking & Technology)
Funded by National Science
Foundation
To broaden participation of people with
disabilities in computing careers
Our partners and collaborators agree
• People with disabilities
can bring a fresh
perspective to the field
• Diversity is good for
innovation
The Problem
• Students with disabilities are more likely to
go to 2 year institutions instead of 4 year
institutions.
• Students with disabilities tend to drop out
of computing majors more than other
students.
• Very few students with disabilities go on
for advanced degrees in computing.
Why? There are Barriers
• Diminished support systems after high school
• Little access to successful role models
• Lack of access to technology that can increase
independence, productivity, & participation
• Inadequate self-advocacy skills
• Inadequate accommodations
• Low expectations & other negative attitudes
on the part of people with whom they interact
- National Organization on Disabilities
One Solution: Universal Design
“the design of products and environments to be
usable by all people, to the greatest extent
possible, without the need for adaptation or
specialized design.”
The Center for Universal Design
http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciples.htm
Design computing departments so
each student:
• Feels welcome
• Can get to facilities and maneuver within
them
• Is able to fully benefit from resources and
courses
• Can make use of equipment and software
Applying UD to Computing
Departments
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Planning, Policies, and Evaluation
Facility and Physical environment
Support services
Information resources
Computing courses and faculty
Computers, software, and assistive technology
Evidence-Based Practices
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Technology access
Hands-on activities
Self-determination skill-building
College/career prep. activities
Bridges between academic levels & careers
Work-based experiences, including research
Peer, near-peer, mentor support
Tutoring
Preparing educators, employers
Combinations are most effective!
A Few Examples
Example #1: Universal Design & Video
Captions => Video search
Example from MIT OpenCourseware: http://interactive.3playmedia.com/mitocw/
Captions => Automatic Translation
Example is from youtube.com
Captions => Interactive transcripts
Captions => Research Opportunities
Example is from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/
Universal Design => Bigger Audience
Universal Design => Success
• Crowdsourced captions using Amara.org
• Crowdsourced subtitles in 20 languages
• 11.5 million views on YouTube (#1 in March '13)
http://youtu.be/nKIu9yen5nc
• Recently described for blind students
http://youtu.be/nKIu9yen5nc
• Three described versions, 3-4,000 views each on
YouTube
Universal Media Player (UMP)
Example 2: Integrating Universal Design
into Curriculum
http://uw.edu/accesscomputing/webd2
WebD2 Features
• Teaches standards-based & accessible web design
• Is platform and vendor-neutral (teaches concepts,
not specific tools)
• Standards-based, accessible design is taught early
as a core design principle, and reinforced
throughout the course
• For assignments students must use valid code &
conform to accessibility standards
• Is FREE!
• Includes extensive support for teachers, many of
whom are themselves learning
Not Just a Curriculum,
A Community
• Nearly 4000 registered teachers worldwide
• Discussion list with 372 subscribers
• Teachers provide peer support:
– Help with coding problems
– Sharing resources
– Discussing teaching strategies
Countries with 10 or more teachers
Teaching the World
(Countries with one or more teachers)
Our Stuff Is Online
• These slides
http://staff.washington.edu/tft
• Equal Access: Universal Design of Computing
Departments (handout)
http://tinyurl.com/accesscomputing
• AccessComputing website
http://uw.edu/accesscomputing
• Accessible Technology @ The UW
http://uw.edu/accessibility