Student Feedback
What was your experience? / What did you learned / Challenges?
"First and foremost, this experience was very meaningful because of the connections we built with each other and [the client] and due to our deliverable feeling like it would result in actual change that would make workplaces more accessible and equitable for individuals with disabilities. Although I had experience in group work from classes, working in academia for the first time and creating a report for a third-party client without a grade presented both challenges for the research process but opportunity for a high-quality end-result. This was a great learning experience for me, working in my first professional environment where I learned things that may seem very simple - like sending a professional sounding email, creating our own deadlines, and scheduling meetings with our clients.”
“Working fully virtually with the team...who [were] based in a different time zone also required us to plan our communication...ahead of time and make sure we allotted time for the response time. All of us had to be flexible to the schedule of people in [the organization] and their colleagues, especially since many people are on leave... We also had to be patient with each other, and even our client was very easy to approach, which made the whole process go by very smoothly, especially when we had to go back and forth for comments and questions.”
“Working fully virtually with the team...who [were] based in a different time zone also required us to plan our communication...ahead of time and make sure we allotted time for the response time. All of us had to be flexible to the schedule of people in [the organization] and their colleagues, especially since many people are on leave... We also had to be patient with each other, and even our client was very easy to approach, which made the whole process go by very smoothly, especially when we had to go back and forth for comments and questions.”
What was most impactful to you?
"The most impactful part of this is the people we got to help and the connections we made. Though I mentioned it already, we got to create a report that our client was so happy and thankful to receive, and after having interviews with colleagues of our client, addressing the obstacles they have faced. As someone who cares deeply about creating a more equitable environment for all, it feels as though we can affect change in the workplace and not like we are just publishing our report into a void.”
What will you carry forward into your career once you graduate?
“All of the work I did during this experience, like the professional correspondence, creating and meeting my own deadlines, working as a team and being flexible to each other's needs, the research experience itself, and learning about assistive technology and accessibility in workplaces is important to me and something I know I will use forever.”