AccessComputing: Climate Survey

Org: AccessComputing
Url: http://uw.edu/accesscomputing

AccessComputing helps students with disabilities successfully pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in computing fields, and works to increase the capacity of postsecondary institutions and other organizations to fully include individuals with disabilities in computing education and careers. We have worked to encourage departments to collect data to determine whether they are welcoming and accessible to students with disabilities.

Climate surveys are a great way to gauge the experiences of diverse groups in your department or organization. Many such instruments, however, do not ask questions about disability. A department can collect data from their institution to learn more about the representation of students with disabilities in their department. Likewise, a climate survey can be used.

A departmental plan can specify that they will collect data on the participation of students with disabilities in their department or conduct a climate survey that considers disability.   A CISE PI can plan to undertake a similar project.

An example climate survey that asks questions about disability is available on the AccessComputing website.  AccessComputing is happy to serve as a resource for a department interested in asking questions about disability in a climate survey.