Opportunities! For University of Washington Students with Disabilities, spring 2013 Dear Student, This newsletter comes from the offices that provide resources for students with disabilities on the three University of Washington campuses (Seattle, Tacoma, and Bothell) in partnership with the UW Career Centers and DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology). On page two of this letter, you'll find information about UW Career Centers, the Spring Career Fair, Research Experiences for Undergraduates, and positions with the U.S. Forest Service. Page three talks about projects called AccessSTEM and AccessComputing, and has information for Veterans, such as UW VetCorps, an upcoming Veteran Panel, and the CSNE Research Experiences for Veterans program. Page four highlights a Scholarships Website, College Funding Strategies, Accessible Science, Assistive Technology, and a student seminar for Promoting Equity in Engineering. Page five talks about Student Groups, a new Cultural Center on Campus, the Disability Studies Program, and the Center for Technology and Disability Studies. Page six discusses an invitation to provide input to the UW Advisory Committee on Disability Issues, and shares information about the new DRS office on the Seattle campus. We sincerely wish you a successful and enjoyable college experience. To request this newsletter in an alternate format or to make content suggestions, contact Scott Bellman, DO-IT Program Manager, at 206-685-3648 (voice/TTY) or swb3@uw.edu. Bree Callahan Director Disability Resources for Students 011 Mary Gates Halll Seattle, WA 98195-5839 Rosa Lundborg Manager, Veterans Services and Disability Resources for Students UW Bothell 18225 Campus Way NE Bothell, WA 98011-8246 Shannon Ledesma Associate Director of Student Support and Advocacy UW Tacoma 1900 Commerce Street Tacoma, WA 98402-3100 Sheryl Burgstahler Director DO-IT, University of Washington 4545 15th Ave NE Seattle, WA 98105 Visit UW Career Centers! The Career Centers on each UW campus help students learn about majors, careers, and the labor market. Career counselors are available to help with resume development and improving interview skills. Career Centers utilize the web-based system HuskyJobs to manage job and internship listings. Applying is easy! Find out more about HuskyJobs at washington-csm.symplicity.com/. Employer videos are now on the Career Center YouTube Channel. Check it out at: www.youtube.com/user/TheUWCareerCenter Career Center websites UW Seattle Campus www.careers.uw.edu/ UW Tacoma Campus www.tacoma.uw.edu/career/ UW Bothell Campus www.uwb.edu/careers/ Spring Career Fair April 16th, from 3-7 p.m. Husky Union Building Ballrooms Looking for a career position, summer job or internship? Then don't miss the Spring Career Fair, presented by The Career Center. The year's largest career fair brings more than 100 employers to the Seattle campus. The Spring Career Fair is open to all majors and class levels from all three UW campuses as well as alumni. For more information, visit: careers.washington.edu/Calendar#/?i=1. Research Experiences for Undergraduates through NSF The National Science Foundation funds research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. To browse REU sites, visit: www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/index.jsp. Forest Service Seeking Students for a Career Experience Program The U.S. Forest Service's Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) combines a student's academic studies with paid on-the-job training and work experiences in preparation for a permanent career. The student must be in a degree program directly related to Forest Service positions. For more information browse: www.fs.fed.us/fsjobs/scep.html or contact David Gross, Oregon and Washington Recruiter, at 514-467-5104 or dgross@fs.fed.us. Join Projects for Students Pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) Fields Funded by the National Science Foundation, the AccessSTEM and AccessComputing projects are recruiting students in STEM fields such as biology, chemistry, physics, math, computing, engineering, aerospace, astronomy, geology, anthropology, horticulture, conservation, forensics, and many social science disciplines. Tutors - Get help finding STEM tutors when struggling in a class. Internships - Receive assistance finding and applying for great internships. Academic Coaching - Receive individualized academic coaching services. Career Building - Learn about careers, resumes, job fairs, and networking. Mentoring - Get support from other students, faculty, staff, & professionals. Free USB Flash Drive - Given to new AccessSTEM students. Get yours today! $100 for REFERRING A FRIEND: AccessSTEM is currently offering $100 for UW students that successfully recruit someone into the program. On the application, have them write your name in the blank "Where did you hear about AccessSTEM?" For more information about AccessSTEM and AccessComputing, contact Scott Bellman at 206-685-3648 (voice/TTY) or swb3@uw.edu. Student applications are at www.uw.edu/doit/Stem/team_app.html, and www.uw.edu/accesscomputing/team_app.html, respectively. Resources for Student & Alumni Veterans Career Center Support The Career Center proudly supports UW students and UW alumni who are veterans of the United States military, through individual career counseling, walk-in appointments, networking events, and career workshops Career Counseling appointments are FREE to UW Alumni who are veterans or enlisted in the United States military. VetCorps The Career Center has teamed up with VetCorps to provide specialized support to student veterans. VetCorps is staffed by current student veterans who are specially trained to help veterans with issues relating to educational benefits, career advising, and military-to-civilian/academic life transition. For information, send an email message to vetcorps@uw.edu. Veterans Panel Wednesday April 10 3:30-5:30, Husky Union Building 334 Veterans share their experiences about student life and answer questions. CSNE Summer Research Experience for Veterans The UW Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering will sponsor a summer research program for veterans on the Seattle campus. Participants will work on research projects with investigators and take part in training sessions to provide veterans with solid critical thinking and communication skills that will serve as a foundation for future study. The program runs from June 17- August 23. Applications are due April 1st. For more information, visit: www.csne-erc.org/research-experience-veterans. Scholarships Web Page Check out this website that contains scholarships for students with all types of disabilities and interests. Using an interactive sorting tool, you can filter scholarships by disability or other criteria. Information includes scholarship name, deadline, description, eligibility, and links to individual sponsors. To see this page in action, visit www.uw.edu/doit/Student/scholarships.html. College Funding Strategies for Students with Disabilities Common forms of financial aid include grants, loans, work study, and scholarships. Many students use a combination of these financial aid resources. To learn more about strategies for funding your education, check out College Funding Strategies for Students with Disabilities at www.uw.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/financial-aid.html. Promoting Equity in Engineering PEERs is a program for students, by students to improve the UW College of Engineering. Through a student seminar and peer-led presentations, PEERs engages a cadre of student leaders to engage peers, professors, and staff to create a more inclusive engineering environment. Students can sign up for the 1-credit PEERs seminar offered during fall quarter. For more information, contact peers@uw.edu. Accessible Technology at the UW The Accessible Technology website provides resources and tips related to IT accessibility, as well as opportunities for community involvement. Check it out at www.washington.edu/accessibility/. Accessible Science A collection of accessible science equipment is on display at the Access Technology Center in MGH064. Come explore the equipment and learn how science can be made more accessible through the application of Universal Deign. More information is available through the publication Accessible Science Equipment at www.uw.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/science_equip.html. Assistive Technology at the University of Washington The Access Technology Center (ATC) on the Seattle Campus provides resources to improve access to computing resources for University of Washington students, faculty, and staff. The computers, software, and special equipment in the center and at other locations on UW campuses provide: * access for blind users via speech output or Braille; * screen magnification for people with low vision; * alternatives to the standard keyboard and mouse; * speech recognition software as a writing tool; * tools to make reading and writing easier; * accessories for comfortable computer use; and * the capability to produce documents in alternative formats such as e-text, Braille, and large print. For information about assistive technology on your campus, ask your disability services representative. Visit the Access Technology Center at the UW Seattle campus in Mary Gates Hall, Room 064, or consult their website at www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/. ASUW Student Disability Commission The Associated Students of the University of Washington Student Disability Commission was established to create communities around experiences of individuals with disabilities and their allies by providing programming, resources and a safe accessible space. For more information, including a meeting schedule, send an email to asuwswdc@uw.edu. Disability Advocacy Student Alliance (DASA) DASA is a student group facilitated for and by students. They aim to represent student interests while working with allied student groups, the UW administration, and the off-campus community. Students with and without disabilities, those who have friends with disabilities, or people who want to learn about disability rights and advocacy are welcome to join the fun! For more information contact dasa@uw.edu or visit the DASA Facebook page by searching for "UW disability revolution." UW Bothell Student Group The mission of the Disabilities Strengths Education and Awareness Student Alliance (DSAA) at the University of Washington Bothell is to foster a safe, welcoming, and supportive atmosphere for students of all abilities. By educating students, faculty, and staff about disability culture, the group will encourage a learning environment that is academically rewarding, meaningful, engaging and fun. For more information, send an email message to Karon at ronnie22@uw.edu. New Cultural Center on the Seattle Campus The D Center- a cultural space affirming all bodies, minds, and identities is slated to open this Spring. It will better our UW community by fostering disability & deaf pride, promoting social justice through an inclusive anti-oppressive environment, sharing resources and tools for self-advocacy and empowerment, developing and supporting educational programming, engaging stakeholders with principles of universal design, and promoting a transforming socio-cultural understanding of disability. For more information, send an email message to dcenter@uw.edu. Disability Studies Program Disability Studies at the University of Washington involves a multi-campus interdisciplinary group of faculty, staff, students and community members, who share an interest in questions relating to society's understanding of disability. The undergraduate Disability Studies Minor and the Individualized Studies Major in Disability Studies provide opportunities for students to develop a strong interdisciplinary foundation in the social, legal and political framing of disability. For more information, visit the Disability Studies website at www.depts.washington.edu/disstud. Center for Technology and Disability Studies The Center for Technology and Disability Studies (CTDS) works to advance assistive technology and accessible information systems to support individuals with disabilities in accessing opportunities in education, their community, and employment. CTDS is an interdisciplinary program that conducts research, education, advocacy, and informatics projects related to AT and accessible information systems. Upcoming events include the Symposium on Disability, Technology, and Rehabilitation in Low and Middle Income Countries, on June 27th & 28th, For more information, visit uwctds.washington.edu/index.asp. Check Out the New Seattle Campus Disability Resources for Students Disability Resources for Students opened Winter Quarter 2013 in their new space, 011 Mary Gates Hall. The location was remodeled to fit the specific needs of DRS staff, students and partners. Counselor and staff offices were brought together, specific space for the Note Taking and Print Access programs was established, the Testing Center was enhanced to include 8 private testing rooms and a main room that holds up to 38 people, and a lounge area was established to welcome all students and visitors. UW mascott "Dubbs" stopped by in January- now it's your turn to visit our new space! Advisory Committee Encourages Input from Students The UW Committee on Disability Issues (CDI) serves in an advisory capacity to the Vice President and Vice Provost for Minority Affairs and Diversity and the Vice President and Vice Provost for Student Life. The goal of the CDI is to advance systemic change and overall improvement of campus climate for faculty, staff, students, and other UW community members with disabilities. Input and energy from members of the UW community are welcome! CDI committee members particularly encourage students, faculty, and staff of color to provide input, especially individuals with disabilities. For information regarding the committee or to attend a meeting, please contact one of the co-chairs, EG Sekins at egs2@uw.edu or Ellen Taylor at ebtaylor@uw.edu. 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 students currently attending any two- or four-year university. DO-IT, University of Washington Sheryl Burgstahler, Director Scott Bellman, Program Manager 4545 15th Avenue NE, Suite 100 Seattle, WA 98105 206-685-DOIT (voice/TTY) doit@uw.edu; www.uw.edu/doit/ About this Publication This publication is a joint venture between DO-IT, the UW Disability Resources for Students offices, and Career Centers on all three campuses. Its purpose is to inform UW students with disabilities about some of the many opportunities available to them. It is printed periodically. Submit content suggestions to Scott Bellman at 206-685-3648 (voice/TTY) or swb3@uw.edu. This publication was developed with funding from the National Science Foundation (#HRD-0833504, CNS-1042260). The contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the U.S. federal government, and you should not assume their endorsement. Copyright (c) 2013, University of Washington. Permission is granted to copy these materials for educational, noncommercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged. University of Washington College of Engineering UW Information Technology College of Education Spring 2013