AccessUR2PhD Authors Three Publications for Grad Students in Computing and Their Mentors
AccessUR2PhD has three new publications created based on feedback from disabled graduate students in computing at universities across the US, as well as recent research on students with disabilities and on the writing of disabled people about their experiences in academia.
Students with disabilities are often well-suited for research, having strong problem-solving skills, creative thinking, and persistence. Exploring research and planning for graduate school can help disabled undergraduates prepare themselves for research careers. When students start thinking about graduate research, the biggest shift to understand is the difference between undergraduate education, focused on consuming existing knowledge, and graduate education, where the goal is to produce new knowledge. Discover methods and tools for engaging in research, finding accommodations for PhD programs, building relationships with mentors, and developing a strong research portfolio.
Graduate school may present a variety of barriers to students with disabilities. These might be physical barriers on campus, a lack of support, physical demands of traveling to conferences, or the time-consuming nature of graduate school. Disability-related care, the unpredictability of symptoms, and the need to spend time and energy away from research in order to advocate for accommodations and inclusion can further complicate access. Learn strategies for navigating graduate school with a disability.
People with disabilities often develop creative ways of navigating their daily lives in environments and systems that are inaccessible. This creativity is highly valuable in research settings; however, students with disabilities are underrepresented in undergraduate research and in PhD programs for a variety of reasons. Faculty and graduate student mentors can be valuable mentors to disabled students, helping them succeed in rigorous PhD programs and research.
