Opportunities!

Information for University of Alaska Anchorage Students with Disabilities

December 2007

Dear Student,

You are receiving this correspondence from University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Disability Support Services and the UAA Career Services Center in partnership with DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology). The purpose is to inform you about some of the many opportunities available to you. We invite you to review this letter and participate in activities that are of interest.

On page two, you will find information about the Athenaem, Internships and Scholarships, and Adaptive Computer Technology. Page three talks about the Reel Eyes Film Festival, College Funding Strategies for Students with Disabilities, projects called AccessSTEM and AccessComputing, the Student Lounge, and an organization called Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities. Page four talks about Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) Internship Programs, and the Emerging Leaders internship program.

Disability Support Services, the Career Services Center, and DO-IT sincerely wish you a successful and enjoyable college experience. To request this newsletter in an alternate format, contact Kaela Parks at 907-786-4530.

Sincerely,

Kaela Parks
Director, UAA Disability Support Svcs.
ECRH 105
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
907-786-4530 (v/TTY)

Lindsay Washek
Assistant Director, UAA Career Svcs. Center
ECRH 122
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
907-786-4339

Sheryl Burgstahler
Director, DO-IT
3737 Brooklyn Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98105
206-685-3648 (v/TTY)


Visit the Athenaeum at the Career Services Center       
www.uaacareerservices.com 
Students are welcome to come to the athenaeum to enjoy the comfortable chairs, vintage decor, and cafe tables! The athenaeum houses a large library of books about resumes, interviews, cover letters, college directories, job search information, government job information, career fields, test preparation guides, and more! The athenaeum also serves as a computer lab with six computers, internet access, and a printer for student use. Be sure to check the Career Services Center website regularly to be informed about exciting job opportunities, internships, networking opportunities, and recruitment events!  
On-line job posting and referral program: Students are encouraged to use the UAA Career Services Center on-line job posting and referral program. It is used by more than a thousand Alaskan employers and more than 3,000 students and alumni!
 
Want to know more about Adaptive Computer Technology?
Then visit the UAA Adaptive Computing Lab in ECRH 103. The lab is open Monday through Friday from 8:00AM - 5:00PM. Students who need access to adaptive computing in the evenings or on the weekends can visit the adaptive computing stations in the Library or the LRC.  The DSS Lab will continue to offer adaptive technology training sessions on a regular basis. For more information, drop by the DSS lab and introduce yourself!

MIUSA's Internships with International Exchange Organizations 
Mobility International USA, an organization devoted to empowering people with disabilities around the world to achieve their human rights through international exchange and international development, provides a web page which lists internship opportunities in international development and  exchange. For more information, visit http://www.miusa.org.

ENTRY POINT! Summer Internship Opportunities
ENTRY POINT!  offers outstanding internship opportunities for students with disabilities in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fields of business. Students with disabilities can apply their skills in a real-world setting in competitive summer internships. Apply now! For more information and an application, visit http://ehrweb.aaas.org/entrypoint/apply.html. For help locally, contact Kaela Parks at 907-786-4530 (V/TTY).

Scholarships List at California State University Sacramento
CSUS web resources include a comprehensive list of disability-related Scholarships. The site is at http://www.csus.edu/sswd/services/scholarshipsdisabilityrelated.htm.







Reel Eyes Showcase of Films By and About People with Disabilities
This spring will mark the 5th anniversary of the Reel Eyes showcase of films by and about people with disabilities. Films will be shown in Anchorage, Palmer, Soldotna, Homer, Juneau, and Fairbanks. Learn more about specific films, dates, and locations by visiting the Reel Eyes website at: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/dss/information/reeleyes.cfm

Funding Strategies for Students with Disabilities
Financial aid is available to help students and their families pay for educational expenses after high school. Common forms of financial aid include grants, loans, work-study, and scholarships. Students with disabilities may also be eligible for disability-related Federal and State programs that offer financial support. Many students use a combination of some or all of these financial aid resources. To learn more about strategies for funding your education, check out College Funding Strategies for Students with Disabilities at http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/financial-aid.html.

DO-IT AccessSTEM and AccessComputing Projects
DO-IT is recruiting students with disabilities for two projects funded by the National Science Foundation. Both projects provide opportunities for students to locate internships and other work experiences, develop disability disclosure and accommodation strategies, and network with mentors. The AccessComputing project is seeking students pursuing computing careers, while the AccessSTEM project is seeking students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields. For more information, contact Scott Bellman at 206-685-3648 (V/TTY) or swb3@u.washington.edu. 

Visit the Student Lounge 
Find out about accommodation strategies, legal issues, and resources for students with disabilities at the online resource called the Student Lounge at: http:/www.washington.edu/doit/Resources/postsec.html. At this site there are also resources for faculty (The Faculty Room), student services organizations (The Conference Room), and administrators (The Board Room).

COSD- Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities 
COSD is a unique consortium composed of large and small universities, national employers and US Government agencies focused on the career employment of college graduates with disabilities. COSD is funded through a grant provided by the U. S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. For more information, visit http://www.cosdonline.org/index.shtml.







Financial Aid                     
Visit http://www.parentsinc.org/finaid/finaid.html for a list of sources of financial aid specifically aimed at students with disabilities.

Internships for Graduates and Undergraduates with Disabilities 
The Emerging Leaders internship program matches undergraduate and graduate level college students with disabilities with paid summer internships at prominent corporations. Visit http://emerging-leaders.com/  for program details and qualifications. Applications are evaluated as received. Students are strongly encouraged to apply early, because early applicants have the greatest opportunity for placement in an internship.The final deadline for consideration is December 31, 2007.

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) Internship Programs
AAPD partners with corporate sponsors to offer students with disabilities special summer internship programs. Visit the AAPD website regularly to find out about programs such as the Mitsubishi Electric America-AAPD Congressional Internship Program, the Microsoft-AAPD Federal Information Technology Internship program, and the Washington Center Internship program. 
Applications are now available and deadlines are approaching! For more information, visit: http://www.aapd.com/awards/leadership.php#ip.

About this Publication
This publication is a joint venture between UAA Disability Support Services, UAA Career Services Center, and  DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology). This publication was developed with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF HRD-0227995). However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the National Science Foundation, and you should not assume their endorsement. Submit content suggestions to Scott Bellman, DO-IT Project Coordinator, at 206-685-3648 (V/TTY) or swb3@u.washington.edu.

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, Technology)
DO-IT serves to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers. It promotes the use of computing and networking technologies to increase independence, productivity, and participation in education and employment. Based at the UW Seattle campus, DO-IT works with students preparing for college, in addition to those students currently attending any two or four-year college or university. For more information about DO-IT, contact 206-685-DOIT(voice/TTY), doit@u.washington.edu, or http://www.washington.edu/doit.