Supporting Equity and Inclusion of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals in Professional Organizations

Julia Jones Huyck; Kelsey L. Anbuhl; Brad N. Buran; Henry J. Adler; Samuel R. Atcherson; Ozan Cakmak; Robert T. Dwyer; Morgan Eddolls; Fadhel El May; Juergen Theodor Fraenzer; Rebekah Funkhouser; Mathilde Gagliardini; Frederick J. Gallun; Raymond L. Goldsworthy; Samir Gouin; Joseph Heng; Ariel Edward Hight; Zina Jawadi; Damir Kovacic; Rachit Kumar; Santosh Kumar; Stacey R. Lim; Chengeng Mo; Lisa S. Nolan; Alexandra Parbery-Clark; Dominic V. Pisano; Valluri R. Rao; Robert M. Raphael; Lina A.J. Reiss; Nathaniel J. Spencer; Stephen J. Tang; Viral D. Tejani; Emma D. Tran; Mikaeel Valli; Greg D. Watkins; Rachel V. Wayne; Lindsey R. Wheeler; Stephanie L. White; Victor Wong; M. Caroline Yuk; J. Tilak Ratnanather; Peter S. Steyger

doi:10.3389/feduc.2021.755457

Supporting Equity and Inclusion of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals in Professional Organizations

Julia Jones Huyck^*, Kelsey L. Anbuhl, Brad N. Buran, Henry J. Adler, Samuel R. Atcherson, Ozan Cakmak, Robert T. Dwyer, Morgan Eddolls, Fadhel El May, Juergen Theodor Fraenzer, Rebekah Funkhouser, Mathilde Gagliardini, Frederick J. Gallun, Raymond L. Goldsworthy, Samir Gouin, Joseph Heng, Ariel Edward Hight, Zina Jawadi, Damir Kovacic, Rachit KumarSantosh Kumar, Stacey R. Lim, Chengeng Mo, Lisa S. Nolan, Alexandra Parbery-Clark, Dominic V. Pisano, Valluri R. Rao, Robert M. Raphael, Lina A.J. Reiss, Nathaniel J. Spencer, Stephen J. Tang, Viral D. Tejani, Emma D. Tran, Mikaeel Valli, Greg D. Watkins, Rachel V. Wayne, Lindsey R. Wheeler, Stephanie L. White, Victor Wong, M. Caroline Yuk, J. Tilak Ratnanather, Peter S. Steyger

^*Corresponding author for this work

Wolfson SPaRC

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Disability is an important and often overlooked component of diversity. Individuals with disabilities bring a rare perspective to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) because of their unique experiences approaching complex issues related to health and disability, navigating the healthcare system, creatively solving problems unfamiliar to many individuals without disabilities, managing time and resources that are limited by physical or mental constraints, and advocating for themselves and others in the disabled community. Yet, individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in STEMM. Professional organizations can address this underrepresentation by recruiting individuals with disabilities for leadership opportunities, easing financial burdens, providing equal access, fostering peer-mentor groups, and establishing a culture of equity and inclusion spanning all facets of diversity. We are a group of deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) engineers, scientists, and clinicians, most of whom are active in clinical practice and/or auditory research. We have worked within our professional societies to improve access and inclusion for D/HH individuals and others with disabilities. We describe how different models of disability inform our understanding of disability as a form of diversity. We address heterogeneity within disabled communities, including intersectionality between disability and other forms of diversity. We highlight how the Association for Research in Otolaryngology has supported our efforts to reduce ableism and promote access and inclusion for D/HH individuals. We also discuss future directions and challenges. The tools and approaches discussed here can be applied by other professional organizations to include individuals with all forms of diversity in STEMM.

Original language	English
Article number	755457
Journal	Frontiers in Education
Volume	6
Early online date	15 Oct 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.755457
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 15 Oct 2021

Keywords

disability
Diversity & Inclusion
hearing loss
peer mentoring
professional organisations

Access to Document

10.3389/feduc.2021.755457Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Huyck, J. J., Anbuhl, K. L., Buran, B. N., Adler, H. J., Atcherson, S. R., Cakmak, O., Dwyer, R. T., Eddolls, M., El May, F., Fraenzer, J. T., Funkhouser, R., Gagliardini, M., Gallun, F. J., Goldsworthy, R. L., Gouin, S., Heng, J., Hight, A. E., Jawadi, Z., Kovacic, D., ... Steyger, P. S. (2021). Supporting Equity and Inclusion of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals in Professional Organizations. Frontiers in Education, 6, Article 755457. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.755457

@article{198215f59c2448a0b1954170c017aeea,

title = "Supporting Equity and Inclusion of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals in Professional Organizations",

abstract = "Disability is an important and often overlooked component of diversity. Individuals with disabilities bring a rare perspective to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) because of their unique experiences approaching complex issues related to health and disability, navigating the healthcare system, creatively solving problems unfamiliar to many individuals without disabilities, managing time and resources that are limited by physical or mental constraints, and advocating for themselves and others in the disabled community. Yet, individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in STEMM. Professional organizations can address this underrepresentation by recruiting individuals with disabilities for leadership opportunities, easing financial burdens, providing equal access, fostering peer-mentor groups, and establishing a culture of equity and inclusion spanning all facets of diversity. We are a group of deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) engineers, scientists, and clinicians, most of whom are active in clinical practice and/or auditory research. We have worked within our professional societies to improve access and inclusion for D/HH individuals and others with disabilities. We describe how different models of disability inform our understanding of disability as a form of diversity. We address heterogeneity within disabled communities, including intersectionality between disability and other forms of diversity. We highlight how the Association for Research in Otolaryngology has supported our efforts to reduce ableism and promote access and inclusion for D/HH individuals. We also discuss future directions and challenges. The tools and approaches discussed here can be applied by other professional organizations to include individuals with all forms of diversity in STEMM.",

keywords = "disability, Diversity & Inclusion, hearing loss, peer mentoring, professional organisations",

author = "Huyck, {Julia Jones} and Anbuhl, {Kelsey L.} and Buran, {Brad N.} and Adler, {Henry J.} and Atcherson, {Samuel R.} and Ozan Cakmak and Dwyer, {Robert T.} and Morgan Eddolls and {El May}, Fadhel and Fraenzer, {Juergen Theodor} and Rebekah Funkhouser and Mathilde Gagliardini and Gallun, {Frederick J.} and Goldsworthy, {Raymond L.} and Samir Gouin and Joseph Heng and Hight, {Ariel Edward} and Zina Jawadi and Damir Kovacic and Rachit Kumar and Santosh Kumar and Lim, {Stacey R.} and Chengeng Mo and Nolan, {Lisa S.} and Alexandra Parbery-Clark and Pisano, {Dominic V.} and Rao, {Valluri R.} and Raphael, {Robert M.} and Reiss, {Lina A.J.} and Spencer, {Nathaniel J.} and Tang, {Stephen J.} and Tejani, {Viral D.} and Tran, {Emma D.} and Mikaeel Valli and Watkins, {Greg D.} and Wayne, {Rachel V.} and Wheeler, {Lindsey R.} and White, {Stephanie L.} and Victor Wong and Yuk, {M. Caroline} and Ratnanather, {J. Tilak} and Steyger, {Peter S.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Dr. Monita Chatterjee, Dr. Amanda Lauer, and the ARO council for their helpful comments on the manuscript. Funding Information: This article has described a highly successful model for promoting representation of D/HH individuals in hearing research. We have found that D/HH individuals have used their early career in hearing research, combined with mentorship from our group, as a stepping stone to other fields of study and medical specialties. This same support needs to be extended to inclusion of other disabilities, such as visual impairment, in their chosen field, and to the inclusion of D/HH individuals in STEMM fields beyond hearing research. Funding opportunities from the National Science Foundation (NSF 21-049, NSF 21-110) and the National Institutes of Health (R13, U13, R25) gives professional societies financial support to implement the five pillars, such as with conference costs (e.g., captioning) and mentoring activities. Funding Information: Of particular relevance to many professional societies that host meetings within the United States is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990). The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and requires that businesses open to the public, including nonprofit organizations, ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to all that they offer. The ADA typically applies to professional society meetings as they are open to the public (i.e., non-members can attend if they pay a registration fee) and are often partially funded by federal grants. Indeed, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) R13 and U13 funding mechanisms require that the proposal describe strategies for “involving the appropriate representation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in the planning and implementation of, and participation in, the proposed conference.” While the ADA requires equal access for these meetings, there is a difference between the professional society complying with the letter of the law, which places tremendous burden on the disabled individual to advocate for themselves and seek services and being proactive about reaching out to disabled attendees and securing accommodations for them. By being proactive about accommodations, professional societies can nurture and support diversity within their communities while avoiding potential conflicts between disabled individuals and conference management. Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2021 Huyck, Anbuhl, Buran, Adler, Atcherson, Cakmak, Dwyer, Eddolls, El May, Fraenzer, Funkhouser, Gagliardini, Gallun, Goldsworthy, Gouin, Heng, Hight, Jawadi, Kovacic, Kumar, Kumar, Lim, Mo, Nolan, Parbery-Clark, Pisano, Rao, Raphael, Reiss, Spencer, Tang, Tejani, Tran, Valli, Watkins, Wayne, Wheeler, White, Wong, Yuk, Ratnanather and Steyger.",

year = "2021",

month = oct,

day = "15",

doi = "10.3389/feduc.2021.755457",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

journal = "Frontiers in Education",

issn = "2504-284X",

publisher = "Frontiers Media S.A.",

}

Huyck, JJ, Anbuhl, KL, Buran, BN, Adler, HJ, Atcherson, SR, Cakmak, O, Dwyer, RT, Eddolls, M, El May, F, Fraenzer, JT, Funkhouser, R, Gagliardini, M, Gallun, FJ, Goldsworthy, RL, Gouin, S, Heng, J, Hight, AE, Jawadi, Z, Kovacic, D, Kumar, R, Kumar, S, Lim, SR, Mo, C, Nolan, LS, Parbery-Clark, A, Pisano, DV, Rao, VR, Raphael, RM, Reiss, LAJ, Spencer, NJ, Tang, SJ, Tejani, VD, Tran, ED, Valli, M, Watkins, GD, Wayne, RV, Wheeler, LR, White, SL, Wong, V, Yuk, MC, Ratnanather, JT & Steyger, PS 2021, 'Supporting Equity and Inclusion of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals in Professional Organizations', Frontiers in Education, vol. 6, 755457. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.755457

TY - JOUR

T1 - Supporting Equity and Inclusion of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals in Professional Organizations

AU - Huyck, Julia Jones

AU - Anbuhl, Kelsey L.

AU - Buran, Brad N.

AU - Adler, Henry J.

AU - Atcherson, Samuel R.

AU - Cakmak, Ozan

AU - Dwyer, Robert T.

AU - Eddolls, Morgan

AU - El May, Fadhel

AU - Fraenzer, Juergen Theodor

AU - Funkhouser, Rebekah

AU - Gagliardini, Mathilde

AU - Gallun, Frederick J.

AU - Goldsworthy, Raymond L.

AU - Gouin, Samir

AU - Heng, Joseph

AU - Hight, Ariel Edward

AU - Jawadi, Zina

AU - Kovacic, Damir

AU - Kumar, Rachit

AU - Kumar, Santosh

AU - Lim, Stacey R.

AU - Mo, Chengeng

AU - Nolan, Lisa S.

AU - Parbery-Clark, Alexandra

AU - Pisano, Dominic V.

AU - Rao, Valluri R.

AU - Raphael, Robert M.

AU - Reiss, Lina A.J.

AU - Spencer, Nathaniel J.

AU - Tang, Stephen J.

AU - Tejani, Viral D.

AU - Tran, Emma D.

AU - Valli, Mikaeel

AU - Watkins, Greg D.

AU - Wayne, Rachel V.

AU - Wheeler, Lindsey R.

AU - White, Stephanie L.

AU - Wong, Victor

AU - Yuk, M. Caroline

AU - Ratnanather, J. Tilak

AU - Steyger, Peter S.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Dr. Monita Chatterjee, Dr. Amanda Lauer, and the ARO council for their helpful comments on the manuscript. Funding Information: This article has described a highly successful model for promoting representation of D/HH individuals in hearing research. We have found that D/HH individuals have used their early career in hearing research, combined with mentorship from our group, as a stepping stone to other fields of study and medical specialties. This same support needs to be extended to inclusion of other disabilities, such as visual impairment, in their chosen field, and to the inclusion of D/HH individuals in STEMM fields beyond hearing research. Funding opportunities from the National Science Foundation (NSF 21-049, NSF 21-110) and the National Institutes of Health (R13, U13, R25) gives professional societies financial support to implement the five pillars, such as with conference costs (e.g., captioning) and mentoring activities. Funding Information: Of particular relevance to many professional societies that host meetings within the United States is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990). The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and requires that businesses open to the public, including nonprofit organizations, ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to all that they offer. The ADA typically applies to professional society meetings as they are open to the public (i.e., non-members can attend if they pay a registration fee) and are often partially funded by federal grants. Indeed, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) R13 and U13 funding mechanisms require that the proposal describe strategies for “involving the appropriate representation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in the planning and implementation of, and participation in, the proposed conference.” While the ADA requires equal access for these meetings, there is a difference between the professional society complying with the letter of the law, which places tremendous burden on the disabled individual to advocate for themselves and seek services and being proactive about reaching out to disabled attendees and securing accommodations for them. By being proactive about accommodations, professional societies can nurture and support diversity within their communities while avoiding potential conflicts between disabled individuals and conference management. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2021 Huyck, Anbuhl, Buran, Adler, Atcherson, Cakmak, Dwyer, Eddolls, El May, Fraenzer, Funkhouser, Gagliardini, Gallun, Goldsworthy, Gouin, Heng, Hight, Jawadi, Kovacic, Kumar, Kumar, Lim, Mo, Nolan, Parbery-Clark, Pisano, Rao, Raphael, Reiss, Spencer, Tang, Tejani, Tran, Valli, Watkins, Wayne, Wheeler, White, Wong, Yuk, Ratnanather and Steyger.

PY - 2021/10/15

Y1 - 2021/10/15

N2 - Disability is an important and often overlooked component of diversity. Individuals with disabilities bring a rare perspective to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) because of their unique experiences approaching complex issues related to health and disability, navigating the healthcare system, creatively solving problems unfamiliar to many individuals without disabilities, managing time and resources that are limited by physical or mental constraints, and advocating for themselves and others in the disabled community. Yet, individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in STEMM. Professional organizations can address this underrepresentation by recruiting individuals with disabilities for leadership opportunities, easing financial burdens, providing equal access, fostering peer-mentor groups, and establishing a culture of equity and inclusion spanning all facets of diversity. We are a group of deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) engineers, scientists, and clinicians, most of whom are active in clinical practice and/or auditory research. We have worked within our professional societies to improve access and inclusion for D/HH individuals and others with disabilities. We describe how different models of disability inform our understanding of disability as a form of diversity. We address heterogeneity within disabled communities, including intersectionality between disability and other forms of diversity. We highlight how the Association for Research in Otolaryngology has supported our efforts to reduce ableism and promote access and inclusion for D/HH individuals. We also discuss future directions and challenges. The tools and approaches discussed here can be applied by other professional organizations to include individuals with all forms of diversity in STEMM.

AB - Disability is an important and often overlooked component of diversity. Individuals with disabilities bring a rare perspective to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) because of their unique experiences approaching complex issues related to health and disability, navigating the healthcare system, creatively solving problems unfamiliar to many individuals without disabilities, managing time and resources that are limited by physical or mental constraints, and advocating for themselves and others in the disabled community. Yet, individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in STEMM. Professional organizations can address this underrepresentation by recruiting individuals with disabilities for leadership opportunities, easing financial burdens, providing equal access, fostering peer-mentor groups, and establishing a culture of equity and inclusion spanning all facets of diversity. We are a group of deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) engineers, scientists, and clinicians, most of whom are active in clinical practice and/or auditory research. We have worked within our professional societies to improve access and inclusion for D/HH individuals and others with disabilities. We describe how different models of disability inform our understanding of disability as a form of diversity. We address heterogeneity within disabled communities, including intersectionality between disability and other forms of diversity. We highlight how the Association for Research in Otolaryngology has supported our efforts to reduce ableism and promote access and inclusion for D/HH individuals. We also discuss future directions and challenges. The tools and approaches discussed here can be applied by other professional organizations to include individuals with all forms of diversity in STEMM.

KW - disability

KW - Diversity & Inclusion

KW - hearing loss

KW - peer mentoring

KW - professional organisations

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U2 - 10.3389/feduc.2021.755457

DO - 10.3389/feduc.2021.755457

M3 - Article

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SN - 2504-284X

VL - 6

JO - Frontiers in Education

JF - Frontiers in Education

M1 - 755457

ER -

Supporting Equity and Inclusion of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals in Professional Organizations

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