The purpose of the Trace Center's training program is to increase the number and level of expertise of people working to make standard information technology and telecommunication systems accessible and usable for people who have disabilities or who are aging.
The Trace Center primarily offers university-based training, including opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate study. In addition, training is often provided for companies who are working with the Center to improve the accessibility of their standard information and communication technology products.
If you have questions regarding the Trace Center training program, please contact Kate Vanderheiden.
University Program
Our university program is part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The Trace Center is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Departments of Industrial and Systems Engineering (Human Factors) and Biomedical Engineering.
University Course
Design for Human
Disability & Aging (ISyE 662) is offered each spring semester to undergraduate
and graduate students. It is an elective in the Industrial and Systems Engineering (Human
Factors) program and is cross-listed in the Biomedical Engineering Department.
Students in this course gain an understanding of the types of problems often encountered by people with disabilities when they use standard technology products. The second
half of the course gives students the opportunity to collaborate on a design
project, where their task is to design a standard product so that it is more
usable and accessible, as well as commercially viable.
Graduate and Post-Graduate Study
If interested in graduate or post-doctoral study with the Trace Center, please send your vitae and a cover letter explaining in detail your research interests and career goals to Kate Vanderheiden.
Industry Training
Industry training at the Trace Center is offered only to companies working with the Center to make their mainstream technology products more accessible. Focused primarily on product designers within information technology and telecommunications companies, and consultants working with them, our training provides the most up-to-date information from our R&D activities and draws from our previous industry training course: “Designing for Usability, Flexibility & Accessibility.” To obtain additional information and a cost estimate, contact Kate Vanderheiden.
Funding for this work has been provided by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), U.S. Department of Education, under grants H133E030012 and H133E040013.