PROJECT ENABLE: Enabling Individuals with Disabilities Through Computing

Project ENABLE is sponsored by the National Science Foundation's Broadening Participation in Computing Program and is aimed at increasing the participation of persons with physical disabilities in computing and computing-related fields. Both in the workforce and in post-secondary academic institutions, persons with physical disabilities are starkly underrepresented with respect to the percentage of the total group population. In 2003, persons with disabilities (not strictly physical) comprised 5.04% of the total number of individuals working in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupations. The numbers at academic institutions are so small that they are generally not reported.

To remedy this situation, a two-week workshop was just conducted that introduces participants to computing and computing-related careers and educational opportunities will be hosted at East Stroudsburg University. The workshop gave participants an introduction to computer programming using a graphical language called Alice. There is no cost to attend the workshop. All seven of the participants successful completed the program, and were allowed to keep their textbooks, and awarded a certificate of completion. to the address below:

The PI for the grant is

Dr. Jeanine Cook
Associate Professor at New Mexico State University
Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
P.O. Box 30001/MSC 3-O
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8001

New Mexico State University contact is

Dr. Heather D. Pfeiffer
1-575-646-7419

East Stroudsburg University contact is

East Stroudsburg University, Psychology Department
Attn: Dr. John Chang
200 Prospect Street
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301-2999