Dr. Stephanie W. Cawthon is on a mission to translate research into practices that help millions of deaf and disabled Americans like her succeed — at schools and colleges, at work or training programs, and most importantly at life.
The author of four books and hundreds of articles and chapters, Stephanie’s 28-year career in teaching and research has been dedicated to studying how:
- Accessibility can revolutionize our lives, schools, and workplaces
- Disabled people can achieve educational success and life satisfaction
- Schools, business leaders, governments, and parents can help make it happen
- #DisabilityIsHuman can be a rallying cry of empowerment and empathy
Internationally renowned in her fields, Stephanie is a professor, academic leader, and mentor at The University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Educational Psychology, with a courtesy appointment in Special Education. She is the founder and executive director of the National Disability Center for Student Success.
Deaf and disabled herself, Stephanie has blazed trails that would be a surprise to her sixth-grade teacher, who told her “you’ll never get past algebra.” She has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Psychology from Stanford University, and she received her doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2002. Learn more about her journey as a deaf academic in her profile in The Mind Hears.
Stephanie lives in Austin, Texas, surrounded by hilly vistas and delicious BBQ joints.