Building Capacity in and Access to Informal STEM Learning Settings for Participants with Disabilities

在非正式STEM学习（ISL）活动或计划的早期设计阶段，并不总是考虑到各种残疾个体的需求。一旦创建了ISL产品或环境，残疾人的主要访问方法就变成了提供便利。相比之下，通用设计方法在整个设计过程中考虑具有广泛特征的用户，并致力于创建可访问、可用和包容的产品和环境。这个项目被称为AccessISL，由华盛顿大学的DO-IT（残疾、机会、互联网和技术）中心和博物馆学项目领导，包括一个学术博物馆学项目和地方ISL站点，代表博物馆、动物园、水族馆、创客空间、科学中心和其他非正式STEM学习场所。洞察将通过参与残疾人，博物馆学研究生和教师，和ISL从业人员。AccessISL项目模型由一系列方法和干预措施组成，以教育科学、变革管理、有效的ISL实践和包容性设计流程等领域的现有研究和理论为基础。该项目将收集有关政策和做法（或缺乏政策和做法）的证据，以改善ISL对各种残疾的包容性，并考虑设计和制定新战略的方法；探讨利益相关者需要什么来实现变革；揭示了在公共ISL环境中采用包容性做法所面临的挑战，并探讨了克服这些挑战的方法；并提出了博物馆学课程可纳入的相关内容。该项目由推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划资助，该计划旨在推进非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解。这包括提供多种途径，扩大STEM学习经验的获取和参与，推进非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及发展参与者对深度学习的理解。该项目有以下两个目标：*对于ISL人员和博物馆学教师：增加知识、技能和行动，使ISL项目、设施、课程和资源更受残疾参与者的欢迎和使用，并将相关实践融入他们的工作中。*针对STEM院校的残疾学生和博物馆学学生：增加知识和技能，倡导欢迎所有人（包括各种残疾人士）使用的ISL课程，并鼓励残疾人士在ISL领域从事职业。该项目采用以学生为中心的方法和一系列实践，包括残疾的社会模式、社会正义教育、残疾作为一个多样性问题、交叉性和通用设计。由实习生组成的领导团队（每个成员都是STEM专业的残疾学生或博物馆学研究生）将与项目工作人员一起参与华盛顿大学的博物馆学项目，以确定和实施策略，使ISL的活动和课程更受残疾人士的欢迎和访问。一个在线实践社区将由项目合作伙伴和全国各地的其他人共同开发。为期一天的能力建设研讨会将包括演讲，学生/人员小组讨论，分享项目和相关经验，以及小组讨论，探讨问题并进一步确定系统变化，使ISL项目更受残疾人欢迎和方便。随着AccessISL模型原型的开发，评估活动将主要是形成性的（寻找优点和缺点）和补救性的（确定/实现可以改进模型的更改）。该模型将继续通过形成性评价进行微调。模型组件的评估将集中在项目中一系列涉众的经验上。具体而言，收集的定量数据将包括参与的水平和质量、可访问性建议和开发的产品，以及ISL服务的交付。定性数据将通过观察、调查、焦点小组、访谈和案例研究收集。AccessISL项目产品将包括一个项目结束后能力建设研究所的会议记录、有前途的实践、案例研究、视频和其他在线资源，以帮助ISL从业者和博物馆学教师，从而使未来的ISL机会更多地包括残疾人。AccessISL将通过多种战略推进知识并确保长期影响：*通过应用通用设计，扩大残疾人、妇女、种族/少数民族和其他代表性不足群体对STEM的参与；*加强利益相关者之间的联系，建立协同作用和持久关系；*鼓励在博物馆学课程中教授残疾、无障碍和通用设计；*授权残疾学生和当前和未来的ISL从业者倡导无障碍ISL，并开发基础设施，以促进全国无障碍ISL项目，并*通过产品为有前途的实践做出贡献，这些产品将(a)加强对与ISL项目中残疾人相关问题的理解，(b)促进包容性实践。结果将使更多的人获得STEM机会，并利用残疾人的才能和观点加强STEM领域，从而造福社会。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Consideration of the needs of individuals with a wide range of disabilities is not always considered in the early design stages of an informal STEM learning (ISL) activity or program. The primary access approach for people with disabilities becomes the provision of accommodations once the ISL product or environment is created. In contrast, the Universal Design approach considers users with a wide range of characteristics throughout the design process and works to create products and environments that are accessible, usable, and inclusive. This project, called AccessISL, led by the University of Washington's DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology) Center and Museology Program, includes an academic museology program and local ISL sites, representing museums, zoos, aquariums, makerspaces, science centers, and other sites of informal STEM learning. Insights will be gained through the engagement of people with disabilities, museology graduate students and faculty, and ISL practitioners. The AccessISL project model, composed of a set of approaches and interventions, builds on existing research and theory in the fields of education science, change management, effective ISL practices, and inclusive design processes. The project will collect evidence of policies and practices (or lack thereof) that improve the inclusiveness of ISL with respect to a wide range of disabilities and considers approaches for the design and development of new strategies; explores what stakeholders need to make change happen; uncovers challenges to the adoption of inclusive practices in public ISL settings and explores ways to overcome them; and proposes relevant content that might be included in museology curriculum. This project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants. This project addresses the following two objectives: *For ISL personnel and museology faculty: to increase knowledge, skills, and actions to make ISL programs, facilities, courses, and resources more welcoming and accessible to participants with disabilities and embed relevant practices within their work. *For postsecondary STEM students with disabilities and museology students: to increase knowledge and skills in advocating for ISL offerings that are welcoming and accessible to everyone, including those with a wide variety of disabilities, and to encourage individuals with disabilities to pursue careers in ISL. The project employs a student-centered approach and a set of practices that embrace the social model of disability, social justice education, disability as a diversity issue, intersectionality, and Universal Design. A leadership team of interns--each member a STEM student with a disability or a museology graduate student--along with project staff will engage with the University of Washington's Museology Program to identify and implement strategies for making ISL activities and courses more welcoming and accessible to individuals with disabilities. An online community of practice will be developed from project partners and others nationwide. A one-day capacity building institute will be held to include presentations, student/personnel panels for sharing project and related experiences, and group discussions to explore issues and further identify systemic changes to make ISL programs more welcoming and accessible to individuals with disabilities. As prototypes of the AccessISL Model are developed, evaluation activities will primarily be formative (looking for strengths and weaknesses) and remedial (identifying/implementing changes that could be made to improve the model). The model will continue to be fine-tuned through formative evaluation. Evaluation of the model components will focus on the experience of a range of stakeholders in the project. Specifically, quantitative data collected will include levels and quality of engagement, accessibility recommendations and products developed, and delivery of ISL services. Qualitative data will be collected through observations, surveys, focus groups, interviews, and case studies. AccessISL project products will include proceedings of an end-of-project capacity building institute, promising practices, case studies, a video, and other online resources to help ISL practitioners and museology faculty that will result in making future ISL opportunities more inclusive of people with disabilities. AccessISL will advance knowledge and ensure long-term impact using multiple strategies: *broadening the STEM participation of people with disabilities as well as women, racial/ethnic minorities, and other underrepresented groups through the application of universal design *strengthening associations and creating synergy and durable relationships among stakeholders, *encouraging teaching about disability, accessibility, and universal design in museology courses, *empowering students with disabilities and current and future ISL practitioners to advocate for accessible ISL and develops an infrastructure to promote accessible ISL programs nationwide, and *contributing to the body of promising practices with products that will (a) enhance understanding of issues related to the inclusion of people with disabilities in ISL programs and (b) promote inclusive practices. Outcomes will benefit society by making STEM opportunities available to more people and enhancing STEM fields with the talents and perspectives of people with disabilities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.