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Annual Report 1993-1994

DO-IT

Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, & Technology

Table of Contents

• Message from the Director
• Problem Addressed
• Goals & Objectives
• DO-IT Scholars
• College Transition Workshop
• Disability Awareness Presentation and Materials for Faculty
• Adaptive Technology Seminar
• Campus Program Access
• Outreach Materials
  • Electronic Resources
  • Videotapes
  • Printed Publications
• Exhibits, Demonstrations, Presentations, Events, Conferences
• Funding
• Staff
• Further Information about DO-IT

Message from the Director

The second year of DO-IT was spent building on the solid program foundation established in year one. Attention was focused on developing activities to help individuals with disabilities transition to college. In addition to college transition presentations during the summer study program, special transition workshops were offered to students with disabilities, parents, educators, and others. Efforts continued to help faculty and staff become more aware of the potential contributions of individuals with disabilities. In addition, increased efforts were made to develop and distribute information via printed materials, videotapes, and Internet information services. A wide and diverse audience was reached through DO-IT outreach efforts.

As the second year of the project draws to a close, we look forward to another year of DO-IT activities. We will continue to expand the opportunities for people with disabilities and increase the awareness of others about their academic and career potentials and accommodation needs.

                   Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D.
                   Director, DO-IT
                   College of Engineering/Computing & Communications
                   University of Washington

(130 K)

Problem Addressed

Causes of this problem include:

1. Individuals with disabilities lack regular access to role models who have disabilities and are successful in educational programs and/or careers in engineering, mathematics, and science. Potential role models are often separated by great distances, leaving individuals with disabilities isolated from those who have faced and/or are facing similar challenges in school and work.

2. High school and college students with disabilities, counselors, social service agency staff, and special education teachers often lack an understanding of the content and requirements of science, engineering, and mathematics programs in higher education; they do not encourage disabled students to prepare for these fields; and are unfamiliar with the resources available to assist students with disabilities.

3. There are inadequate resources and coordination of services provided for students with disabilities on post-secondary campuses.

4. Lab facilities and computers are often not accessible to students who have disabilities.

5. Faculty lack information about the rights, needs, and potential contributions of students with disabilities and often have negative attitudes about including them in their academic programs.

Goals & Objectives

1. To recruit students with disabilities into science, engineering, and mathematics programs and careers, with a special focus on recruiting to the University of Washington.

2. To retain students with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics programs and careers, with a special focus on the University of Washington.

3. To act as a catalyst and resource for other institutions of higher education in their efforts to recruit and retain students with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics.

DO-IT developed the following objectives for reaching these goals:

1. To help students with disabilities learn how they can use computers, electronic communications, and Internet resources to increase their independence and productivity while pursuing academic programs and careers in science, engineering, and mathematics; to promote the use of technology as an accommodation for individuals with disabilities in these fields.

2. To encourage students with disabilities to take computing, mathematics, and science classes in high school and college, moving toward careers in science, engineering, and mathematics.

3. To facilitate communication between high school and college students with disabilities and Mentors who are accomplished students and professionals with disabilities in science, engineering, mathematics, and other fields.

4. To empower individuals with disabilities by providing them with opportunities to apply their skills in efforts to recruit and retain individuals with disabilities into science, engineering, and mathematics academic programs and careers.

5. To promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics academic programs and careers, and the creation of positive learning, working, and social environments by improving access to labs, programs, special services, and adaptive technology and improving attitudes towards individuals with disabilities.

6. To decrease the physical barriers to science, engineering, and mathematics classrooms and laboratories for students with disabilities by assessing, documenting, recommending, and implementing modifications.

7. To increase understanding of factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of individuals with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics academic programs and careers; identify factors that increase the chances for success; use this information to formulate future project activities; and disseminate this information to help others address this issue.

8. To meet these objectives, the following programs and activities were established. They are described in the remaining sections of this report.

(54 K)

DO-IT Scholars

The DO-IT Advisory Board selected eighteen participants to begin the DO-IT Scholars program in 1994. DO-IT Scholars were selected based on their interests and aptitudes in science, engineering, and mathematics; their motivation to participate in the program; and the benefit of the program relative to other applicants. The Phase I Scholars represent a diverse group from rural to urban communities in Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, Montana, and Washington states. In addition, fifteen 1993 participants completed Phase II of the program in 1994. See the chart below for a summary of characteristics.

1993-4 Phase I Scholars

Schools            17 public high school, 1 home school
Location           15 urban, 3 rural
Gender             9 female, 9 male
Ethnicity          15 Caucasian, 1 Japanese, 1 Vietnamese, 1 Filipino
Disabilities (note: some participants have multiple disabilities)
Blindness          1       Attention Deficit Disorder      1
Low Vision         3       Specific Learning Disability    4
Speech Impairment  2       Mobility/Orthopedic Impairment  8
Health Impairment  6       Brain Injury                    1
Hearing Impairment 2

1993-4 Phase II Scholars

Schools            15 public high school
Location           14 urban, 1 rural
Gender             5 female, 10 male
Ethnicity          11 Caucasian, 1 Native American, 1 Pakistani, 1 Hispanic
Disabilities (note: some participants have multiple disabilities)
Blindness          4       Attention Deficit Disorder      1
Low Vision         2       Specific Learning Disability    3
Speech Impairment  2       Mobility/Orthopedic Impairment  8
Health Impairment  6       Brain Injury                    1
Hearing Impairment 2

Phase I Scholars participated in the following activities:

Internetworking

As applicants were accepted into the program in winter and spring of 1994, appropriate computer and adaptive technologies were selected and set up in their homes. Local Internet connections were made through partner post-secondary schools, K-12 consortiums, and other organizations. Students and their families received in-home training on the use of the technology, electronic mail, and Internet resources. As each participant was brought online, Mentors and Phase II Scholars welcomed him/her to the program and provided informal training via electronic mail. In addition, DO-IT staff and Mentors regularly sent electronic mail to the participants that included specially created lessons on electronic mail and the Internet, as well as useful information about DO-IT, college, careers, science, engineering, and mathematics. Scholars learned how to access information on the Internet and communicate electronically with others to explore their academic and career interests.

Mentoring

Mentors are college students, volunteers, or employees, most with disabilities themselves working to facilitate academic, career, and personal success among DO-IT Scholars. DO-IT Mentors study and/or work in a variety of fields including computer programming, communications engineering, disability support services, chemistry, research engineering, pre-college education, post-secondary education, statistics, engineering, computer science, computer consulting, adaptive technology, and biology. DO-IT staff and summer faculty are also available as Mentors. All Mentors have access to the Internet network through the University of Washington or other host institution.

Through electronic communications, personal meetings, and joint projects using the Internet, DO-IT Scholars discussed science, academic, career, disability, and other issues with their Mentors. With permission from Mentors and Scholars the contents of the messages have been coded in order to summarize the general nature of their communications. In addition to guiding Scholars, Mentors contributed regularly to DO-IT project ideas and implementation.

(72 K) DO-IT Scholar Hollis learns about conversion circuits from UW Electrical Engineering senior Christian Honl.

Summer Study

To explore their science, engineering, and mathematics interests and help prepare for transitions to college, DO-IT Scholars experienced life as college students during a two-week, live-in summer program held on the Seattle campus of the University of Washington in August of 1994. Each Scholar studied science, engineering, and mathematics by participating in lectures and labs and using computer applications and educational software, electronic mail, and resources on the Internet network. Subjects studied included oceanography; heart surgery; chemistry; virtual reality; adaptive technology; geophysics; material sciences; civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering; mathematics; software applications; biology; physics; astronomy; and climatology. In addition, they participated in a series of presentations, discussions, and activities on transitioning to college. Accommodations were made in each activity to ensure that all participants remained as active and as independent as possible. Materials, meals, and housing were provided for participants and personal care attendants.

Phase II Scholars continued their Internetworking activities as well as:

Individual Projects

Phase II Scholars designed, completed, and presented science projects based on their individual interests. DO-IT Mentors and staff acted as resources and provided assistance for Scholars in planning and completing their projects. Projects included organizing a tour of Battelle Pacific Laboratories, designing a computer based CHAT system, working on virtual reality projects, evaluating software, working on the DO-IT News newsletter, working as a staff assistant in the 1994 Phase I summer study program, and contributing to an electronic information service. Each Scholar presented his/her project to Phase I Scholars, DO-IT Mentors and staff, and summer study faculty during the 1994 summer study program.

Peer Mentoring

In addition to continuing electronic communications with each other and Mentors, Phase II Scholars practiced and developed communication and leadership skills as peer Mentors for Phase I participants, face-to-face during the summer study program and electronically throughout the year. All DO-IT Scholars were invited to communicate with patients at Children's Hospital in Seattle through an electronic mail account established at the hospital through DO-IT.

Summer Study

Fourteen Phase II Scholars returned to the UW campus, for a one-week summer program which overlapped with the Phase I program. Over a seven-day period, participants were given opportunities to develop knowledge, skills, and interests gained in the previous year by working on joint science projects with faculty and other professionals. Project topics included Information Systems, Computer Science, Genetics, and Paleontology. Phase II Scholars reported on their joint projects on the last day of the summer study program.

Throughout the year DO-IT Scholars were invited to participate in other special events including those described in the "Exhibits, Demonstrations, Presentations, Events, Conferences" section of this report as well as programs open only to the Scholars, such as a special tour of Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory.

Upon completion of the 1994 Summer Study program all Scholars enthusiastically agreed to continue in the DO-IT project. Phase I Scholars moved on to Phase II status. Those Scholars who continued to Phase III will continue to be given opportunities to be individual contributors to the DO-IT program through activities agreed to by each Scholar and DO-IT staff. Options include mentoring, creating and delivering DO-IT presentations, collecting scientific resources, administrating systems, editing the newsletter, and working in summer study programs and other DO-IT sponsored events. The four Scholars who graduated from high school in 1994 also graduated to "DO-IT Ambassador" status. As Ambassadors they will gain leadership, academic, and job skills as they help others. In addition to continuing their mentoring activities with DO-IT Scholars, Ambassadors will work with DO-IT staff to create and deliver presentations, summer/weekend camps, seminars, workshops, campus access checklists, and other special events.

Impact: Thirty-six high school students with disabilities directly benefited from the DO-IT Scholars program. In addition, more than fifty volunteers were recruited to participate as DO-IT Mentors. More than 7,000 electronic mail messages were exchanged between Mentors and Scholars and Scholars and Scholars during the first two years of the project. With permission from participants, messages were coded and summarized to reflect the nature of the communications that took place. Results will be analyzed during the third year of the project.

(57 K) DO-IT Scholars tackle mathematical problems during the Puzzling Polyhedra seminar.

The following comments of several Scholars regarding the value of their experiences in the summer study program suggest a powerful impact.

• "I did a project on what I love to learn about and I learned A LOT of information. My teacher was great."

• "I learned more about what geneticists do and a lot more about how they do what they do in the lab ... More lab time would have been absolutely wonderful."

• "I learned many new things about what a person in a research role at a university actually does. I was also told about new developments and ongoing efforts in research. Wow, this stuff is absolutely amazing!"

• "I learned about all the things that are available at some colleges for people with disabilities."

• "I really enjoyed going to the Olympic Peninsula with the others and finding fossils."

• "I liked getting to know everyone and having a little more responsibilities. I liked being a leader."

Listed below are some of the achievements of DO-IT Scholars during the first two years of the program.

• The four DO-IT Scholars who graduated from high school in 1994 are pursuing college programs in genetics, computer programming, electrical engineering, and general studies in preparation for more advanced studies in science.

• A DO-IT Scholar won a NASA Space Grant four-year scholarship to the University of Washington.

• A DO-IT Scholar won an honor for his essay about the Internet in a national contest sponsored by the National Science Foundation, National Center for Education Statistics, and NASA.

• A DO-IT Scholar was invited to speak at Washington state Governor Mike Lowry's Technology Conference.

• Two DO-IT Scholars planned and organized a field trip for Scholars and other students with disabilities to Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories in Richland, Washington; one earned a paid summer internship at the Labs.

• DO-IT Scholars and Mentors appeared on two radio shows, on one television show, in two conference presentations and in two conference exhibits about adaptive technologies, empowerment of people with disabilities, and academic programs and careers in science, engineering, and mathematics.

• A DO-IT Scholar is working part-time at Microsoft and in the Adaptive Technology Lab at the University of Washington.

• A DO-IT Scholar is now the editor of DO-IT News, the project newsletter.

College Transition Workshop

Impact: Project efforts directly impacted approximately 150 people; dissemination efforts have extended the impact to hundreds of others.

Disability Awareness Presentations and Materials for Faculty

A 9-minute videotape, funded by a grant and in-kind contributions from U.S. West Communications, was completed and used in the disability awareness presentations in 1994. The videotape, Working Together: Faculty and Students with Disabilities, introduces the viewer to faculty and post-secondary students with disabilities demonstrating successful techniques (using computers, adaptive technology, networks, and other accommodations) that allow the students to participate more productively and independently in science, engineering, and mathematics academic programs and careers. The material in this videotape is presented in such a way that it can be used by other campuses in disability awareness presentations. NEC Foundation of America committed funds to distribute the workshop materials, including the videotape, to hundreds of campuses throughout the United States. This distribution effort will be completed during the third year of the project.

Impact: Disability Awareness presentations were delivered to a total of 300 UW faculty and staff members during the first two years of project DO-IT. Feedback gathered from the audiences was used to develop a comprehensive presentation packet, Working Together, to be distributed to more than 3000 individuals in post-secondary institutions and service organizations in 1995.

Adaptive Technology Seminar

Impact: Adaptive Technology seminars reached about 130 individuals, many of whom are service providers who share gained knowledge with their clients who have disabilities. In addition, a publication developed for this workshop, which provides an overview of adaptive technologies, was distributed to approximately 1000 individuals and organizations at conferences and through mailings. This overview was also printed in a national publication and distributed via the Internet, reaching thousands of people. Further impact will result from dissemination of an Adaptive Technology videotape (under development) and printed and electronic materials to other campuses during the third year of the project.

Campus Program Access

DO-IT staff have begun the process of reviewing computer, science, and engineering labs regarding access issues. Specific problems with labs are being recorded and updated. DO-IT staff are developing checklists that will help lab operators make their facilities more accessible. The checklists will include suggestions related to specific equipment, facility, documentation, computer, and network access. Project staff will meet with lab staff to review the guidelines and help suggest and implement improvements.

Two discussion lists were established on the Internet network to facilitate communications between students with disabilities and campus units that provide access services. uwds@u.washington.edu is for University of Washington disabled students and uwada@u.washington.edu includes campus units that deal with access issues. In addition, K12out@u.washington.edu facilitates communication between UW units that offer outreach programs to precollege students.

Impact: First- and second-year DO-IT activities have increased the awareness of the computing resources available at the Adaptive Technology Lab on the University of Washington campus, thereby increasing its impact on the success of students with disabilities. Adaptive technology purchased for the DO-IT summer program is made available to campus users during the school year, thereby enhancing the existing facility. Electronic discussion lists have facilitated communications between students with disabilities, campus units and K-12 outreach programs. Results from the student survey were forwarded to the UW Standing Access Committee and specific physical access requests by students were added to the committee's project list.

Outreach Materials

Electronic Resources

Electronic tools on the Internet have allowed DO-IT to reach a large and growing audience world-wide. An electronic list was created and is used to distribute DO-IT newsletters and other publications. Discussion lists for Mentors and Scholars were created to facilitate group discussion. A distribution list was activated to facilitate communication between disabled students at the UW and another one for communication between campus units who provide services to disabled students and to provide a central electronic mail address where individuals can seek and discuss information about disability-related issues. An electronic gopher server was developed to provide program and disability-related information. Other NSF funded projects were invited to collaborate on the use and development of these electronic resources.

Impact: It is estimated that discussion lists and the gopher server have reached more than 10,000 individuals.

Videotapes (61 K) DO-IT Scholar Travis experiences virtual reality as Kris looks on.

Scholars and Mentors were actively involved in the creation of two videotapes that were completed during the second year of the DO-IT project:

• DO-IT Scholars features participants and is used for recruitment and project information dissemination.

• Working Together: Faculty and Students with Disabilities, created with supplemental funding by U.S. West Communications and NEC Foundation of America, is used in disability awareness workshops for faculty and staff on college campuses.

During the 1994 summer study programs students were videotaped and, with their input, two videotapes were designed. They will be completed during the third year of the project:

• Working Together: Science Teachers and Students with Disabilities will be used nationwide to help science teachers accommodate students with disabilities in their classes.

• Empowering Technology will provide an overview of how computers and networks can be used.

Permission to copy materials for non-commercial purposes is granted.

Impact: During the first two years of DO-IT over 200 copies of DO-IT Scholars were distributed to potential applicants, parents, educators, and service providers. Over 100 copies of Working Together were distributed to faculty and staff on college campuses, including Australia.

(57 K) DO-IT Scholars meet Mary and Maime from Canine Companions for Independence.

Printed Publications

Through printed publications, the DO-IT program communicates program information to a diverse and salient audience. Methods and materials developed by DO-IT are shared with others to be used as examples for those who wish to develop similar programs and materials.

Impact: Dissemination activities thus far have included the distribution of the following printed materials:

• More than 2000 application packets with program information in a variety of forms, including Braille and large print;
• More than 200 press releases;
• Seven DO-IT News newsletters, each distributed to a mailing list of approximately 1500 plus several thousand copies in electronic form;
• Over 40 articles about DO-IT and disability, science, engineering, and mathematics topics have appeared in the media including The Seattle Times, Time magazine, Tri-Cities Herald, The Morning News Tribune, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Journal American, The Spokesman Review, Technology Review, and The Trend in Engineering;
• More than 7,500 informative brochures and handouts on informative topics such as teaching students with disabilities, Internet resources, adaptive technology, and the DO-IT project.

Exhibits, Demonstrations, Presentations, Events, Conferences

Conferences included those sponsored by key K-12, engineering, disabled student services, and cooperative organizations such as Closing the Gap, American Association of Higher Education (AAHE), Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), EDUCOM, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), Northwest Council of Computers in Education (NCCE), the Department of Energy, CSUN conference on adaptive technology, Washington Technology Alliance, and NSF.

DO-IT Scholars and other K-12 and college students with disabilities along with their families, teachers, counselors, and service providers were invited to participate in a variety of special events. 1994 events included the UW Computer Fair booth, presentation, and reception in March; the UW Engineering Open House in April; the Job ACCESS Fair, Educational Day in Seattle in April; the UW Health Sciences Open House in April; and a presentation by Canine Companions in August. Individuals were informed of events through the DO-IT newsletter, other publications, and Internet discussion lists.

Impact: More than 40 presentations to a total of more than 1000 people were given in support of project goals during the first two years of DO-IT. It is estimated that more than 1000 individuals with disabilities and their associates took advantage of events offered by DO-IT. In addition, over 2000 stopped and visited the DO-IT and adaptive technology booths at the Computer Fair. Hundreds of visitors watched DO-IT videos and picked up publications at the Engineering Open House DO-IT Booth, managed by Scholars, Mentors, and staff. Participation in events reached more than 5000 people during the first two years of DO-IT.

Funding

DO-IT partners who have contributed gifts-in-kind and other support include Advanced Networking and Services; Albertson College of Idaho; Apple Computer; Battelle Pacific Laboratories; Clark College; Communications Technology Center; DTP Microsystems; The Evergreen State College; Ford Motor Company; Grand Coulee Dam School District; Idaho State University in Pocatello; Institute for Science, Engineering and Public Policy; Kiwanis; Lawrence Livermore Supercomputer Center; Lemman College; Microsoft/Pacwest District; NEC Foundation of America; Northwest Net; Pacific Science Center; Portland State University; Skagit Valley Community College; Southern Oregon State College; U.S. West Communications; University of Puget Sound; Washington Library Network; Washington North Central Educational Service District; and Washington School Information Processing Cooperative. In addition, DO-IT recruited more than forty instructors and other volunteers to help with activities.

Staff

• Dr. Gene Ball, Microsoft Corporation, Senior Researcher
• Tim Collins, Boeing, College Relations Regional Manager
• Kathy Cook, Coordinator of UW Disabled Student Services
• Dr. Norris Haring, UW Professor of Special Education
• Dr. Jodie Haselkorn, Assistant Professor, UW Rehabilitation Medicine
• Jack Methven, US West Communications
• Dr. George Nelson, UW Professor of Astronomy and Assistant Provost
• Martha Orvis, Transition Specialist and UW graduate student with a disability
• Cynthia Schneider, parent of DO-IT Scholar currently attending UW
• Virginia Stern, Director of Project on Science, Technology & Disability, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Jerry Van Noy, Manager, Transition Services, Washington State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation
• Rich Walsh, Executive Director, RCH (Resource Center for the Handicapped) Technical Institute
• Robert Wright, Instructional Support Specialist, Seattle Public Schools
• Dr. Ray Bowen and Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler serve as ex-officio members.

Individuals on the DO-IT staff at the end of the second year of operation included:

• Dan Comden, Adaptive Technology Specialist
• Deb Cronheim, Research Coordinator
• Dean Martineau, Electronic Resources Specialist
• Martha Orvis, Transition Specialist
• Kate Farquhar-Shirley, Program Assistant
• Nikki Stauber, Program Coordinator
• Linda Tofle, Research Assistant
• Susan Valdez, Electronic Resources Specialist

Further Information about DO-IT

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) serves to increase the successful participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs such as those in science, engineering, mathematics, and technology. Primary funding for DO-IT is provided by the National Science Foundation, the State of Washington, and the U.S. Department of Education.

To order free publications or newsletters use the DO-IT Publications Order Form; to order videos and training materials use the Videos, Books and Comprehensive Training Materials Order Form.

For further information, to be placed on the DO-IT mailing list, or to request materials in an alternate format, contact:

Director: Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D.

DO-IT Funding and Partners

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DO-IT Contact Information
Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking & Technology
doit@u.washington.edu
Modified: March 14, 2002