Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler founded and directed Accessible Technology Services—

which includes the DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center and the IT Accessibility Technology (ITAT) Team—1992-2023 at the University of Washington (UW). These dynamic groups promote (1) the development of self-determination skills, use of mainstream and assistive technology, and other interventions to support the success of students with disabilities in postsecondary education and careers and (2) the universal design (UD) of learning opportunities, physical spaces, websites, documents, multimedia, and services to ensure that they are accessible to, usable by, and inclusive of individuals with disabilities they are accessible to, usable by, and inclusive of individuals with disabilities. ITAT focuses its efforts at the University of Washington; the DO-IT Center reaches national and international audiences with the support of federal, state, corporate, foundation, and private funds.

Dr. Burgstahler is also an affiliate professor in the UW College of Education and Disability Studies program at the UW and in the Disability Studies and Services programs at City University of New York, where she teaches online. Much of Dr. Burgstahler’s teaching and research focus on the successful transition of students with disabilities to postsecondary studies and careers and on the application of UD to technology, teaching and learning activities, physical spaces, and student services; the incorporation of UD topics in mainstream curriculum; and the adoption of a UD Framework to inform all diversity equity, and inclusion (DEI) and other practices in higher education within an Inclusive Campus Model.

Dr. Burgstahler has delivered hundreds of presentations and has more than 100 publications, including the books Creating Inclusive Learning Opportunities in Higher Education: A Universal Design Toolkit (2020) and Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice (2015), both published by Harvard Education Press.

In her retirement, Dr. Burgstahler teaches disability studies courses online, publishes articles, delivers presentations, and engages in part-time work.