Research Experience for Undergraduates in Digital Accessibility

Overview

This REU site at University of Michigan-Flint creates opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in research projects related to Digital Accessibility, defined as the area to design, develop, and assess the user experience of technology in its capacity to be accessed by all users, regardless of their physical and cognitive disabilities. The site will enable the direct training of students with and without disabilities in a collaborative environment. This will expose students without disabilities to the challenges faced by the students and people with disabilities in both learning and using existing technologies. Conversely, students with disabilities will have the opportunity to learn how to interact and collaborate with students without disabilities, therefore preparing them for future graduate studies. This site will build on the experience of many mentors who have worked with undergraduate students in their individual research to cover three themes: (1) Accessible Software Design and User Experience (2) Accessible Software Development (3) Accessible Software Testing and Maintenance The proposed activities will include understanding the research literature, formulating and refining research questions, performing empirical studies, and designing novel technologies and prototypes. In addition to conducting research, the students will participate in other professional development activities, such as field trips, professional seminars, invited speaker series, career guidance, and graduate school preparation. The faculty and industry mentors will encourage the students to disseminate their research findings through presenting and publishing in peer-reviewed venues. Multiple students in previous editions of this REU site have been successful at publication, including Best Paper Honorable Mention Awards at CHI and CSCW.