Carnegie Mellon University's Jeff Bigham and Carol Frieze were both recognized as recipients of the 2016 AccessComputing Capacity Building Award, which honors collaborators who work to advance students with disabilities in computing fields.

Bigham, an associate professor at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and Language Technologies Institute, received the award for his work engaging students with disabilities in accessibility research and outreach activities. From hosting AccessComputing research interns in his lab to leading computing activities for students at National Federation of the Blind conferences, Bigham has made a meaningful impact on research and educational opportunities for students with disabilities.

Carol Frieze, the director of Women@SCS and SCS4ALL, received the award for her work to make participation programs more welcoming and accessible to students with disabilities. This fall, she planned a Capacity Building Institute at CMU that addressed current and future resources for the university's faculty, staff and students with disabilities, while showcasing groundbreaking research pertaining to the disability arena at CMU.

The work and accomplishments of both recipients have significantly helped to change the way people with disabilities are viewed, and to identify their potential to succeed in computing careers and activities, according to AccessComputing.