Industry contacts may express concerns about communication with potential hires who are blind or have low vision. Read through this tip sheet on Workplace Communication for Blind & Low Vision Employees from DeafTEC and AccessATE for helpful hints and resources to prepare you to discuss these topics with industry partners and advocate for your students.

This resource describes advice for one-on-one conversations and group communication, especially in settings such as meetings or video conferences. Readers interested in learning more can check out this blog post on Best Practices for Alternate Text from AccessATE.

AccessATE supports the work of the NSF-funded Advanced Technological Education (ATE) projects and centers in making the materials and activities they develop more accessible for all students and faculty, including those with disabilities. The project aims to increase awareness and understanding of accessibility requirements and provide guidance, tools, and support that offers solutions and helps achieve compliance with accessibility standards.

The recently completed two-year study “Exploring Past Investment in Learning through Grant-funded Undergraduate Advanced Technology Education Centers (EPILOGUE)” released its comprehensive report earlier this year. The project sought to investigate the legacy of ATE centers, including the ideas, innovations, knowledge, and products developed by each center and how these continue to evolve and be employed in instructional settings. 

The findings in the report draw on interviews, archival documents, and public information from 10 ATE centers. Among the key findings, six major themes emerged: partnerships, team formation, leadership characteristics, creating an independent organization, the role of the National Visiting Committee, and the use of data and external evaluation.

Read the full report for more detailed findings and visit the project homepage for case studies, resource sheets, and other information.

Potential employees often express concerns about accommodations or safety when hiring students who are blind or have low vision. Read through this Accommodations & Safety for Blind & Low Vision Employees tip sheet from DeafTEC and AccessATE for helpful hints and resources to prepare you to discuss these topics with industry partners and advocate for your students.

This resource covers accommodations such as assistive technology and accessible materials, tips for workplace safety, and additional useful resources. Readers interested in learning more can check out this blog post on Assistive Technologies for Blind & Low Vision Employees from AccessATE. 

AccessATE supports the work of the NSF-funded Advanced Technological Education (ATE) projects and centers in making the materials and activities they develop more accessible for all students and faculty, including those with disabilities. The project aims to increase awareness and understanding of accessibility requirements and provide guidance, tools, and support that offers solutions and helps achieve compliance with accessibility standards.

Potential employees often express concerns about accommodations or safety when hiring students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Read through this Workplace Accommodations and Safety for Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Employees tip sheet from DeafTEC and AccessATE for helpful hints and resources to prepare you to discuss these topics with industry partners and advocate for your students.

This resource covers accommodations such as Automatic Speech Recognition applications and video captioning, tips for workplace safety, and additional useful resources. Readers interested in learning more can check out this blog post on Video Captioning for Accessibility from AccessATE.

AccessATE supports the work of the NSF-funded Advanced Technological Education (ATE) projects and centers in making the materials and activities they develop more accessible for all students and faculty, including those with disabilities. The project aims to increase awareness and understanding of accessibility requirements and provide guidance, tools, and support that offers solutions and helps achieve compliance with accessibility standards.

The ATE project Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work recently released a research paper that outlines recommendations for the integration of knowledge and skills in three key STEM areas: advanced digital literacy, data knowledge and analysis, and business knowledge and processes. The paper draws on research conducted with industry leaders, technicians, and STEM educators. 

Members of the ATE community will find much that is relevant to their own work, especially the report’s discussions of new programs to support emerging occupations and strategies to ensure the competitiveness of community college technical programs.

Readers can learn about the project and download the paper, “A Framework for Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core.”