Research Experience for Undergraduates in Digital Accessibility

这笔资金在密歇根大学弗林特分校建立了一个新的本科生研究经验（REU）网站，专注于数字可访问性。残疾人比正常人完成学士学位的可能性要小得多。研究生学位对这一人群尤为重要，因为残疾人的失业率随着教育水平的提高而显著下降。然而，残疾学生很少有机会为研究生学习做准备。这个本科生研究体验网站将为有残疾和没有残疾的学生提供参与数字无障碍研究的新机会。拟议的研究将弥合数字鸿沟，确保具有不同能力的个人能够利用技术进步，从而建立一个更加包容和公平的数字社会。该网站内拟议的研究项目将开发新的知识、方法和框架，以构建下一代包容性软件，并评估残疾人在使用技术时遇到的挑战。本网站将以许多指导本科生进行个人研究的导师的经验为基础，涵盖三个主题：(1)包容性软件需求工程与设计，(2)包容性软件开发，(3)包容性软件测试与维护。拟议的活动将包括理解研究文献，制定和完善相关的研究问题，进行实证研究和设计新的方法和原型。学生通过这些项目参与关键问题解决和多学科研究，这些项目结合了计算机科学、软件工程、人机交互、健康和相关学科的原理。学生将能够拓宽他们对以用户为中心的设计和开发公平的数字体验的重要性的理解。除了进行研究，学生们还将参加其他专业发展活动，如实地考察、专业研讨会、特邀演讲系列、职业指导和研究生院准备。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。

This funding establishes a new Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of Michigan Flint focused on digital accessibility. People with a disability are much less likely to have completed a bachelor's degree than people without a disability. Graduate degrees are particularly important for this demographic because the unemployment rate for people with disabilities drops significantly with higher levels of education. However, few opportunities exist for students with disabilities to prepare for graduate studies. This undergraduate research experience site will enable new opportunities for students with and without disabilities to be involved in digital accessibility research. The proposed research will bridge the digital divide, ensuring that individuals with diverse abilities can leverage the advancements in technology, leading to a more inclusive and equitable digital society.The proposed research projects within the site will develop new knowledge, methods, and frameworks to build the next generation of inclusive software and assess the challenges that people with disabilities experience when using technology. 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) Inclusive Software Requirements Engineering and Design, (2) Inclusive Software Development, and (3) Inclusive Software Testing and Maintenance. The proposed activities will include understanding the research literature, formulating and refining relevant research questions, performing empirical studies and designing novel approaches and prototypes. Students engage in critical problem-solving and multidisciplinary research through these projects, which incorporate principles from computer science, software engineering, human-computer interaction, health and related disciplines. Students will be able to broaden their understanding of user-centered design and the significance of developing equitable digital experiences. 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.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.