Accessdesign: A Two-Day Workshop For Students With Disabilities Exploring Design Careers

A two-day pilot workshop called Access to the Design Professions for People with Disabilities (AccessDesign) was conducted for high school and college students with disabilities in Seattle. The goal of the workshop was to increase the pipeline of design professionals with disabilities by recruiting students with disabilities into postsecondary design education. It was supported by the DO-IT Center and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), as well as participating organizations and individuals. The two-day workshop highlighted design education options one day and design careers the next. Evaluation data suggest that participant understanding and interest regarding design fields and knowledge about accommodations increased. Students enjoyed opportunities to network and were particularly interested in design examples related to accessibility. They were also interested in learning more about general issues related to college such as admissions and financial aid. These lessons could improve future programs offered by the DO-IT Center as well as other practitioners.