{"675482":{"#nid":"675482","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Researchers Embark on Disability in STEM Study","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECassie Mitchell and Robert \u201cTrey\u201d Quinn have a few questions they\u2019d like to ask you, and there really are no wrong answers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019re launching a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_3vHF9UnjOl3bRhY\u0022\u003Enew study focused on disability in the STEM fields of work\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which they hypothesize are a good fit for people with physical disabilities. Technology has made the work more accessible. Plus, the pay is good. However,\u0026nbsp;there are challenges for working people with disabilities that even a great salary can\u2019t overcome.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe envision a scenario in which people with disabilities can get into the workforce and provide for their needs,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/Cassie-S.-Mitchell\u0022\u003EMitchell\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuinn, one of Mitchell\u2019s former students, graduated in May with his master\u2019s in computer science. He was well-known on campus for the sign attached to the back of his wheelchair, which said \u201cTHWG\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u2014 or \u201cTo Hell With Georgia\u201d \u2014 a nod to the famous Georgia Tech-University of Georgia rivalry Quinn shares with his older sister, who attended UGA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe overall objective with this data-enabled study is to highlight the factors in academia and industry that have historically inhibited the successful inclusion of disabled people in STEM work,\u201d said Quinn, who took the lead role in this study, which will gather data from both non-disabled and disabled people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to get a\u0026nbsp;more complete picture of the current landscape, of the educational environment and the workplace,\u201d said Mitchell,\u0026nbsp;principal investigator of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/cassie-mitchell-lab\/\u0022\u003ELaboratory for Pathology Dynamics\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIncreasing the Sample Size\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study is part of the Science Leadership award Mitchell\u2019s lab received in October 2022. This program, supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chanzuckerberg.com\/\u0022\u003EChan Zuckerberg Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/\u0022\u003ENational Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E, supports early-career biomedical researchers who have a record of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. The award includes a $1.15 million grant over five years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMitchell, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/07\/mitchell-captures-2-silver-medals-world-para-athletics-championships\u0022\u003Ean internationally recognized Paralympian\u003C\/a\u003E, developed a neurological condition as a teen that resulted in quadriplegia. She\u2019s always made it a point in her lab to include students from diverse backgrounds and disabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is almost no data out there about the inclusion of disabled people in the workforce, only tiny sample sizes,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cSo we wanted to go after a larger sample size. Because if we are not reaching appropriate inclusion \u2014 and the few existing studies show that we\u2019re not \u2014 then we want to know why.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuinn added, \u201cStable and high-paying careers in STEM fields seem like a viable option for people with disabilities to both achieve and maintain financial independence.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGrappling With the Disability Tax\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor a person with significant disability, even a good-paying job may not be enough to offset the \u201cdisability tax.\u201d Quinn defines the tax as \u201cthe extra time and money that living with a disability takes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, some people need a monthly disability check to cover common living expenses. But often, a more valuable government benefit is a health plan that covers \u201cthe thousands of dollars per month in personal support and care services,\u201d Quinn explained. \u201cYou often only qualify for this if you\u2019re on government disability benefits and making less than a certain amount of money per month.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlso, policies vary by state, so individuals can easily fall through the cracks due to the complexities of various programs. And private or employer-funded healthcare plans typically can\u2019t compete with government plans, which cover these expensive personal support services.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor many people with disabilities, it comes down to a choice between working or government-supported services.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere doesn\u2019t seem to be a middle ground,\u201d said Mitchell, who estimates approximately 60% of her income supports her medical and disability needs. \u201cAnd that\u2019s after insurance.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers hope their study provides momentum that will result in something close to full accessibility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis study will illuminate the challenges, even if it doesn\u2019t solve them,\u201d said Mitchell. \u201cAnd while we\u2019re focusing on STEM, this kind of study can be extrapolated to other fields as well. Whether you\u2019re in science or not, I think people understand we\u2019re asking important societal questions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_3vHF9UnjOl3bRhY\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETake the Survey\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECassie Mitchell and Robert Quinn are examining the factors that affect the inclusion of people with disabilities in STEM fields, aiming to understand the challenges they face with the ultimate goal of improving accessibility and financial independence for disabled individuals.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Cassie Mitchell and Robert Quinn are examining the factors that affect the inclusion of people with disabilities in STEM fields, aiming to understand the challenges they face with the ultimate goal of improving accessibility and financial independence for"}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2024-07-16 15:21:52","changed_gmt":"2024-07-17 20:14:10","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674358":{"id":"674358","type":"image","title":"Trey Quinn and Cassie Mitchell","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERobert \u0022Trey\u0022 Quinn and Cassie Mitchell have collaborated on a new study of disability in the STEM fields of work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1721142965","gmt_created":"2024-07-16 15:16:05","changed":"1721143133","gmt_changed":"2024-07-16 15:18:53","alt":"Trey Quinn and Cassie Mitchell","file":{"fid":"257860","name":"Trey and Cassie.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/16\/Trey%20and%20Cassie.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/16\/Trey%20and%20Cassie.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4745408,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/07\/16\/Trey%20and%20Cassie.jpg?itok=szLqkbSn"}}},"media_ids":["674358"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"359","name":"disability"},{"id":"190048","name":"STEM careers"},{"id":"170191","name":"career survey"},{"id":"188352","name":"accessbility"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}