Robert Todd (University System of Georgia), Nathan W. Moon, and Maureen Linden delivered a presentation on Monday, October 9, 2017, at the 33rd Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity (Pac-Rim Conference), in Honolulu, HI. The presentation "BreakThru: Findings & Lessons in Using Virtual Worlds to Broaden Participation of Students with Disabilities in STEM" discussed key findings from the National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported Georgia STEM Accessibility Alliance (GSAA) and its BreakThru project.

CACP researcher Nathan W. Moon recently attended "STEM Education, Learning Disabilities, and the Science of Dyslexia," a conference sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on September 26-27, 2017, in Washington, D.C. The conference was a response to the Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia (READ) Act, which was passed into law by Congress in 2016 and mandates NSF funding for dyslexia research.

Kaye Husbands Fealing, SPP, and Paul M.A. Baker, CACP, (with Connie McNeely, GMU) were awarded $46,000 to develop a science policy report "Science of Broadening Participation (SoBP) 2.0: STEM Employment of People with Disabilities.” The report identifies barriers and opportunities for increasing participation by people with disabilities in STEM fields and focuses on the high technology industry and non-government employers. The project continues the work of the Science of Broadening Participation (SoBP) Symposium workshop held in 2016.

Researchers at the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC) have conducted a review of representative applications and examples of currently available wearable and connected technologies. Drawing on the findings, the research brief explores the potential impact of inclusive design principles on future device development for users with disabilities – a critical approach to ensuring that these technologies truly meet the needs of this target population.

Paul M.A. Baker was an invited Visiting Scholar at the School of Economics and Management at Beihang University, in Beijing China. He worked with faculty and doctoral students in several areas: policy approaches to broadening participation in STEM disciplines including people with disabilities, workforce innovation and postsecondary education, and technology and the “Future of Work." Beihang University, focused on engineering science and technology, is one of the ten highest ranking engineering universities in China.

Paul M.A. Baker was a panelist on the "How Fiber Broadband Drives Education, Skill and Workforce Requirements… And How It Helps Meet Those Needs” panel, at the "Fiber for a New Economy” 2017 Economic Development Conference, Atlanta, GA, November 8, 2017.

CACP researchers Helena Mitchell, Nathan Moon and Salimah LaForce presented papers at the 2016 CSUN Conference.  The 2016 CSUN Conference was held in San Diego, CA from March 21 to March 26, 2016 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel.  (In photo above, Helena met with Charles McCobb (FEMA) and Richard Ray (NENA) at CSUN.)

CACP researchers presented at three different sessions.

Nathan Moon presented, "Virtual Worlds for Supporting STEM Education and Workforce Development," for the Education session,

February 9, 2016 - In 2014, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate funded the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Center for Advanced Communications Policy to examine and report on how to optimize Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) message receipt by people with disabilities. Reaching people with disabilities, including the deaf and hard of hearing, with WEA messages is critical, in part because people with disabilities utilize and depend on wireless devices, including mobile phones at more than 96 percent.

Christina Touzet traveled to New Orleans, LA to present a poster, EAS & WEA: Does the new alerting technology improve accessibility? at RES/CON 2016 (formerly the International Disaster Conference and Expo (IDCE) March 1-3, 2016.  Christina presented the results of research activities which were conducted to examine the effectiveness of EAS and WEA to provide alerts to people with disabilities.  Specifically, the Wireless RERC conducted comparative analyses of the awareness of EAS and WEA messages, the accessibility of the two systems, as well as the types of pro

Paul M.A. Baker moderated the "What Works: Dimensions of Accessibility and Participation” panel at the Symposium on the Science of Broadening Participation (SoBP), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), February 25 - 26 in Arlington, Virginia. The symposium addressed development of a qualified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce in the U.S., with particular attention to the under-representation of minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.