Meet the 2005 Scholars:

This summer DO-IT will host its annual Summer Study program for DO-IT Scholars. Primary funding for the DO-IT Scholars program is provided by the state of Washington. Additional funding for Scholar activities is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Boeing Company, Dynamac Corporation, and NASA. We welcome the following new participants this year.

Daman, who has cerebral palsy, lives in Silverdale, WA. He is a sophomore in high school and works as a computer systems manager at a local company. Daman is interested in architecture and computer engineering.

Daren lives in Kent, WA. He has a strong interest in math and science. Daren, who has dyslexia, plans to take college courses in his junior and senior year of high school to prepare for medical school.

Andrew, who has Tourette's syndrome, lives in Seattle, WA. He is interested in soccer, drama, art, writing, and engineering and hopes to attend college in Houston.

Sakina lives in Spokane, WA. Her favorite subjects are world history and science. Sakina, who has attention deficit disorder (ADD) and a learning disability, plans to get a degree in business and someday open a clothing store.

Hunter, who has Asperger syndrome, lives in Spanaway, WA. His favorite subjects are math and writing, and he plans to go to college and become a video game designer and a special education teacher.

Kayla B. lives in Bellevue, WA. She is a junior and her favorite subjects include English and science. Kayla, who has muscular dystrophy, would like to become a child psychologist.

Cassandra, who has spina bifida, lives in Spokane, WA. Her favorite subjects are Japanese and technology applications. Cassandra would like to eventually work in the field of computer technology. Currently, she designs computer wallpaper as a hobby.

Kayla T. lives in Kent, WA. She enjoys reading and says that creative writing is her favorite class. Kayla, who has cerebral palsy, would like to earn a college degree and work in the field of computer technology.

Bella, who has cerebral palsy, lives in Seattle, WA. She has an interest in math and has tackled science subjects from astrophysics to genetics. Bella performs in community theatre and would like to be a disability advocate and a preschool or kindergarten teacher.

Dulce lives in Vancouver, WA. Her favorite subject is math and she also enjoys reading. Dulce, who has mild cerebral palsy and is hard of hearing, would like to become a computer support specialist.

Eli, who has Asperger syndrome, lives in Edmonds, WA. His interests include Japanese animation and his favorite subjects are Japanese and science. Eli would like to become an anime translator or a marine biologist.

Nate lives in Seattle, WA. His favorite academic courses include language arts and history. Nate, who has a learning disability, plans to go to college, earn a degree in business, and pursue a career in the real estate industry.

Noah, who has cerebral palsy, lives in Bellevue, WA. His favorite classes are math and social studies. Noah would like to work in the music business or write for a magazine or newspaper.

Jessie lives in Seattle, WA. She enjoys math and language arts and would like to earn a degree in business. Jessie has Morquio syndrome, which effects her mobility, and a learning disability.

Jennifer, who has cerebral palsy, lives in Naches, WA. Her favorite subjects are science and history. She would like to pursue a career in the computer technology field.

Marlen lives in East Sound, WA. Her favorite classes are biology and marine science. Marlen, who has a learning disability, would like to become a biologist.

Jesse, who has Asperger syndrome, lives in Seattle, WA. His favorite courses are French and science. Jesse plans to go to college to become a forensic scientist.

Shavonne lives in Richland, WA. Her favorite subjects are computer applications and student store management. Shavonne, who has spina bifida and hydrocephalus, plans to someday earn a Ph.D.

Logan, who has cerebral palsy, lives in Yelm, WA. His favorite classes are computer science and history. Logan is interested in working as a computer animator or programmer.

Zachary lives in Camas, WA. His areas of interest include mathematics and fire science. Zachary, who has dysgraphia, would like to eventually live in a larger city like Tacoma and work as a firefighter.

On December 3, 2004, DO-IT Ambassadors and UW students Chris and Ryan participated in the Assistive Technology and Augmentative Communication (ATAC) conference hosted in Kyoto, Japan. 

Chris and Ryan joined DO-IT program manager Sara Lopez at the Seattle office and connected to the ATAC conference using iChat technology—an Internet connection that supports video and audio. In Japan, Dr. Mamoru Iwabuchi, who was a visiting Scholar at DO-IT for one year, and I spoke to an audience of Japanese teachers and service providers who were interested in the role technology can play in K-12 education and college preparation.

This "panel of experts" answered questions translated into Japanese by Mamoru for an audience of 70 participants. Questions answered included:

• What have you learned from DO-IT?
• What accommodations do you have at school?
• What are your tips for an independent college life?
• What kind of concerns and challenges do high school students with disabilities have regarding the transition to postsecondary education?
• What can high school teachers do for their students' successful transition?
• Should students disclose their disabilities when submitting their applications and/or having job interviews?
• What are some tips for developing an online mentoring community?

Dr. Iwabuchi, DO-IT Director, Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler, and I partnered to present a paper at the conference entitled Transition Guide for High School Students with Disabilities. After the conference Mamoru stated, "People say that it was a big success! I could never have this great feedback without your contribution. All your answers were clear and contained a powerful message to the audience. I am sure you have made a good change here! You were fantastic DO-IT delegates!"

For more information about DO-IT's global efforts, visit DO-IT International Connections at DO-IT International Initiative.

The DO-IT Admin team met for its third collaborative meeting February 16-18, in downtown Seattle. Most DO-IT Admin team members are disability support staff. Representing 23 states, they work together to make postsecondary student services, from libraries to admissions and registration offices, more fully accessible to students with disabilities. The DO-IT Admin project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, serves to implement a comprehensive professional development program for postsecondary faculty, student services staff, and administrators.

Throughout the 3-day meeting, team members shared their expertise and worked on professional development materials including presentations for student service staff, a video on universal design of instruction, the Student Services Conference Room at www.washington.edu/doit/distance-learning-course-serving-students-disabilities, and publications (check out the Equal Access series at www.washington.edu/doit/brief-category/academics).

In addition to a yearly meeting in Seattle, team members stay in touch via email and bimonthly teleconferences. They also train staff and disseminate information in their regions. To date, DO-IT Admin team members have given over 125 professional development presentations, reaching over 3,500 postsecondary staff, administrators, and faculty members. Their efforts are making campuses nationwide more accessible.

I am a former DO-IT Scholar in my 7th year with the program. As a DO-IT Ambassador I've continued to stay actively involved with DO-IT through my online communication with other participants, recent internship, and by volunteering every year during Summer Study. In March I graduated from Highline Community College with two degrees in the business technology field—administrative assisting and office management—as well as 6 months worth of internship experience!

Staying in touch with the DO-IT family, even after I completed the Scholars program, has allowed me to come to staff for assistance in obtaining internships, updating my resume, and getting advice on career directions. In November I met with Tami, one of the DO-IT staff members who focuses on careers, to talk about doing an internship, a requirement for my graduation from Highline. The first question she asked me was, "Where would you ideally like to work?" I thought about it for a moment and knew, hands down, that Amazon.com was it. I like to shop for things like books/music/DVDs and knew Amazon was an international leader in online sales. Tami told me there was a possibility I could intern at Amazon! She knew someone who worked there and was willing to make a call on my behalf. I was absolutely thrilled but didn't want to get my hopes up in case things didn't work out. Luckily, this wasn't the case. Tami's contact put me in touch with one of her coworkers who was willing to meet with me.

Within two weeks of meeting with DO-IT, I found myself sitting in the corporate office of Amazon.com meeting with Glenys—my potential supervisor. The meeting went very well and I could hardly wait for a response. Later that evening, I sent a thank you email to Glenys for taking the time to meet with me; even if nothing came out of it, I was grateful for the opportunity. Waiting was the worst. It was getting close to Christmas and there were only a couple of weeks before I returned to school. I needed to have an internship site secured by the second week of class at the latest to ensure I could complete the internship hours I registered for in the 10 weeks allotted, and I was getting nervous. I awoke the morning of Christmas Eve to an early present; an email from Glenys stating I was approved and could start at Amazon.com on January 11th! You can bet I was bursting to tell family and friends my good news.

The week before I started, I got to take a tour of the company where I visited several different departments, met some of my new co-workers, and saw the office I would be sharing with a new hire. My first week at Amazon consisted of getting all my accounts and passwords straightened out. The second week, I was given my first project. I review documents to make sure things make sense to someone who is new and not yet familiar with the company. Since then, I've also made reservation changes statewide, learned how to use the copy and fax machines having NEVER used either before, created web expense reports for coworker travel reimbursements, created databases for coworker business contacts, and done filing and mail sorting.

There has been one challenge during my taking on a coworker's calendar using Microsoft Outlook. It was a little overwhelming and frustrating having never used it. I went to my supervisor and let her know that I was struggling with it. She was so glad that I came to her and asked for help and was happy to sit down and go through it with me. She was patient and understanding, knowing that my time there was a learning experience.

There are only a few weeks left in my internship. I am sad to leave but confident I have indeed learned a great deal. I've really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere at the company and the wonderful people I've worked alongside. I hope there is a possibility for full-time employment at Amazon.com, but, if not, I am grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity fulfilled and the valuable experience to add to my resume.

My advice to DO-IT Scholars and Ambassadors is don't hesitate to ask the DO-IT staff for employment/internship assistance. You'll be amazed at what connections they have!

Last month, students from DO-IT participated in a career workshop hosted by the Emerald City Rotary on the University of Washington campus. The goal of the workshop was to refine students' interviewing skills as well as provide them with information about the hiring process.

During the workshop Dr. Robert Fraser presented topics including when to disclose a disability to a future employer, proper questions to ask during the interviewing process, and appropriate follow-up. In Dr. Fraser's presentation, he stressed the importance of displaying your abilities rather than limitations as well the significance of preparing ahead of time. Before going to an interview, the interviewee should research the company or position. A great way of gathering this information, as Dr. Fraser pointed out, is through an informational interview where the interviewee's primary intention is gathering information and establishing their presence with the company. Common questions such as, "What would a typical work day entail?" are excellent ways to collect information about the position and provide essential information that can be used at the formal interview.

Scott Bellman and Tami Tidwell from DO-IT presented a variety of topics ranging from accommodations and when to disclose your disability to interviewing tips and follow-up procedures. Scott noted that at any point during the process of obtaining a job (the first interview, filling out the paperwork, or at the time of the offer), the person being interviewed has the right to ask for accommodations.

After receiving interview tips from the different presenters, it was time to put what we had learned to the test with mock interviews with the Rotary members. Each member of the rotary was grouped with students interested in similar fields. The Rotary members were given copies of student resumes and interviewed participants based on the types of position they desired. Once the interview was complete, the small group of students and the Rotary member discussed the strengths and weaknesses and offered ways of improving the interview. As a group, we decided that having strong questions for the interviewer, such as, "What attributes have made others successful in this field?" were essential. However, if the position no longer seems right for you or the interview has not gone as well as expected, don't be afraid to ask for a referral.

At the end of the workshop, in true DO-IT style, there was a networking lunch with pizza, salad, and drinks. Overall, I found that this workshop was quite informative. I used the skills I learned in an interview later that week. I would like to thank all those who participated in the workshop, especially Bill Poole, Dr. Fraser, Jim Bittner, and Debby Seaman from the Emerald City Rotary.

I started college last fall at the UW with a very heavy course load of 18 credits. My reading disability made the work quite a challenge, especially in chemistry. That was why I jumped on an opportunity posted on the DO-IT online discussion list-free tutoring for students with disabilities pursuing science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (funded by the National Science Foundation as part of the AccessSTEM project). It was really easy to set up. I just contacted the Chemistry Department and they gave me a list of tutors. I contacted several of them via email, and I was able to find a great person. She just had to fill out some paperwork at the DO-IT office, and we were all set.

We met at Starbucks once a week for an hour. I created a list of questions and homework problems beforehand, which we would go over during our session. My understanding of the material really improved. One of the things I was having trouble with was synthesizing all of the little pieces of information I needed to learn in a way that made sense. My tutor was really helpful in this respect. She drew pictures of what the molecules were actually doing, which cleared up at lot of confusion I had when reading the textbook.

I want to thank DO-IT for making this tutoring possible. It really made my first quarter go much more smoothly than it would have otherwise. I recommend that other students consider getting a tutor or finding out if there is a free tutoring center on campus. With the help of my tutor and a lot of hard work I was able to get a very good grade in the class!

My name is Bud. I'm a senior at Monroe High School in Monroe, WA. I spend a lot of my time doing homework and activities with my school. I just finished my fourth and final year in my school's chess club. I'm also doing a final year of Distributed Education Clubs of America (DECA) competitions. I have applied to several colleges this year including UW, Gonzaga, Pepperdine, George Washington, and Georgetown. I've been researching schools for a couple of years now, so I'm anxious to commit to one. I'm interested in studying business. When I was ten I lost part of my vision from a disease called Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. I have enjoyed participating in the DO-IT program because of the types of technology used. Using computers for schoolwork is very helpful for me. I had a great time living on the college campus as a DO-IT Phase I Scholar last summer. It has been a very beneficial experience for me, and I look forward to the new experiences I will have and the people I will meet this summer at the UW as a Phase II Scholar.

 

 

My name is Karen Braitmayer and I am a DO-IT Mentor and practicing architect. I have osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a collagen disorder that affected my skeleton, musculature, growth, and, most recently, hearing. I use a wheelchair for mobility and found that experiencing life from a largely seated position gave me a unique perspective on the built environment. I fell in love with architecture as a way to make change in my community towards more inclusion for people with disabilities. I now specialize in analyzing facilities for compliance with accessibility regulations and standards, as well as designing more accessible environments.

I am particularly happy when I can design a home or facility to meet an individual's needs, especially people with disabilities. I was invited to participate in a recent episode of ABC Television's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition when they remodeled the home of a family with a son who had OI. I provided a list of recommendations for accessible features specifically suited to the young boy's needs and was shown on camera explaining why modifications can benefit those with disabilities. It was a fun chance to share my passion for accessible homes and communities.

I truly enjoy any opportunity to share with younger people that same passion. I am especially thrilled when those young people also have personal knowledge of disability and can see their environments in novel ways. DO-IT gives me a chance to connect with students who are ready to consider careers in technical fields such as architecture. Occasionally, DO-IT invites me to speak to students about my choice of career or work directly with a student who has expressed an interest in architecture. Recently, I had the pleasure of introducing Andrea, DO-IT Ambassador, to my office and work through a day-long job shadow. Andrea challenged me to think critically about what I do on a daily basis and refueled my enthusiasm for my work. I hope a bit of my love of architecture rubbed off on her!

My name is Andrea, and I am currently a junior in the architecture program at the University of Washington. I had a stroke in 1996 during a medical procedure meant to examine an arteriovenous malformation in my brain. The stroke weakened the right side of my body and left me in a wheelchair. This and other experiences have influenced my decision to study architecture and work with accessibility issues.

I joined the DO-IT community in 2000 with the expectation that I would be able to find opportunities through the program that would otherwise be unknown to me. I also knew that a lot of help would be necessary to achieve my goals, and I knew an organization like DO-IT could provide this support. DO-IT has exceeded my expectations in both offering me help and support and introducing me to many new people and experiences. It has played an important role in getting me to where I am today.

One of these opportunities was the chance to shadow a DO-IT Mentor and architect, Karen Braitmeyer. This job shadow allowed me to see how a person in a wheelchair can successfully practice architecture. It also gave me a better idea of what a licensed architect does during a typical day. Karen is really inspiring to me as a successful architect who happens to use a wheelchair. I am grateful to DO-IT for giving me the opportunity to meet and learn from her.

Hi! I'm Noell. I support overall facility operations and staff in the building where the DO-IT Center is located at the University of Washington in Seattle. I also support specific DO-IT activities. I believe that DO-IT is a fantastic program that is extremely important to any educational system.

I graduated from the University of Washington with BA degrees in English and history. I am a Lewis Carroll fiend. My emerging interests in literature are comics and graphic literature. My favorites are Sandman, TinTin, Fables, Scud, and Maus. As far as history goes, I most enjoy ancient history, including Egyptian, Greek, and Roman, as well as World War II history and East Asian history.

Practically a native, I grew up in the Seattle area after brief periods in North Carolina, Alaska, and California. I graduated from Cascade High School in Everett, with every intention of becoming a high school English teacher. I still plan to pursue that path, but, for now, I am taking time to get to know the world and myself, as well as revel in opportunities to participate in wonderful, educationally-directed programs like DO-IT.

If you've got an active email account, it is likely that you've received more than one odd email purporting to be from your bank, directing you to log on to your account using your account name and password. Others will direct you to verify your information by also asking for personal information such as your social security number, birth date, or mother's maiden name.

If you happen to do your personal banking at the same bank mentioned in the email, and if the content looks credible, you may be tempted to follow the directions. If you do, you will likely fall victim to identity theft. This scheme is commonly called "phishing," as the perpetrators put bait out there, in this case as a tempting email message, waiting for someone to take a bite.

Earlier versions of these phishing schemes were crude and more suspicious to the average person. Now, these criminals have gotten more sophisticated in their methodology. Rather than having a "from:" line along the lines of abc123@hotmail.com, their message will show something more credible like a forged "from:" line security@wamu.com. Additionally, when you look at the URL that you are advised to click within the email, it may show the text www.wamu.com, but have an underlying routing address like www.asianet.com.tw.

Worse yet are those phishing schemes that succeed in corrupting your computer's host file. By doing so, your correctly entered www.wamu.com would be redirected by the corrupt host file to a confederate site that exactly matched the real bank.

In either of the above scenarios, you'd still end up at a web page that looked exactly like the real, in this case, Washington Mutual Bank web page. And many of the links on that page might directly link to the real bank as well. What is most important to remember is that upon entering your personal information, the cyber thief would now have the means to steal your financial identity.

Ask anyone who has fallen victim to identity theft and you'll realize that going phishing with these guys would be a real nightmare in terms of time and money spent to clear your name and attempt to recover lost property, monies, and your reputation.

Never reply to these emails or follow the links contained within them. Instead, just hit the delete key. If in doubt, call your personal bank and ask them if they emailed you. They'll probably direct you to information about phishing schemes online.

For more information on phishing check out the following links:

The Anti-Phishing Working Group
www.antiphishing.org

Phishing Info
www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams

Better Business Bureau article on Phishing
www.bbbonline.org/idtheft/phishing_cond.asp

Recently I posed the following question in our Internet discussion forum and offered a $50 prize for the most outstanding contribution. Below you can read the rich conversation that ensued. Congratulations to DO-IT Ambassador Priscilla for her prize-winning contribution!

Sheryl: We are writing an article for DO-IT News with ideas about how technology that was not designed specifically for people with disabilities is useful to people with disabilities. We're hoping to have lots of examples from people with a wide variety of disabilities. So what technology benefits you and others with your disability, or what technology have you noticed benefits people with other types of disabilities? We will have a prize for the best contribution from a DO-IT Ambassador, Scholar, or Pal, but others can suggest items for the article, too.

DO-IT Ambassador: This is kind of an obvious one but I thought I would just throw it out there. The technology is modern word processors, specifically the spell check functionality. These features are so important for me as a student with a learning disability. I will always struggle with spelling, but spell checkers allow me to communicate effectively and efficiently.

DO-IT Mentor: ...my deaf friends and I have found text pagers (or text messaging features in cell phones) to be helpful communication devices!

DO-IT Pal: Tape players are a big one for the blind, especially when listening to textbooks. Also, being able to assign a certain ring to a certain person on a cell phone helps blind people know who's calling. Some regular phones now have talking caller ID, which is also nice.

DO-IT Ambassador: ... spell checker, and not just in word processing programs, but EVERYWHERE—email, Excel, etc. It gives me a lot more confidence in my writing. The built in thesaurus and dictionary fall into that category as well.

DO-IT Pal: Spell checkers as well as grammar checkers are important to the blind as well. Because of contractions in Braille, a blind person might not know how to spell something. For example, "receive" is simply "rcv".

DO-IT Ambassador: I have a reading disability and one tool I use a lot on the computer is the "find" function. Especially on web pages where I'm looking for one thing in a sea of words. Also my email provider allows me to Google search all the text of my messages so I can find a message without reading anything. Good topic!

DO-IT Mentor: I love e-books particularly because of the convenient use of the "find" command. That's not just because I'm basically lazy, but also because I don't have the fine motor skills that makes turning pages easy. So, for instance, if I'm looking for "genome" I don't have to look in the index and then at twenty-five different pages. Instead I can use the "Find" command. Reading newspapers online is easier for the same reason.

DO-IT Ambassador: Word processing was the first thing to come to mind for me... but I got thinking, and one that is equally important for me is the Internet. It helps me in a variety of ways: first, many books are available free in electronic formats, and this has been a tremendous resource for me... even aside from text-to-speech software. Because I am not able to skim books to find quotes (especially for papers) if I can find the full text online, I can search it using my web browser.

Another place I find the Internet incredibly powerful is when I need to look up information. I am dyslexic and have trouble alphabetizing things, so finding something in a paper dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia is slow. With the Internet I can go to Google and type define:MyWord, and it comes back with sometimes 20 different definitions from different places with a brief description, and all I need to do is skim them down for the one I want. In the same way, instead of needing to do research in a library, I can find materials online and search them for the specific information I want. The Internet, and Google, are probably my pick.

DO-IT Pal: I find computers, especially the Internet and email, are useful to blind people who can get screen readers. The Internet is a good way to look up information, especially because Braille is not easy to skim through when looking for information, not all resources are available in Braille, and Braille takes up a lot of room. Email is nice because you don't have to worry about the Braille getting crushed in the mail. Also, you can send your sighted friends email without having to worry about making an envelope. They can also send things to you without transcribing it into Braille. The computer itself is helpful for formatting papers. Current programs make it easy to apply styles without worrying about how it looks.

DO-IT Ambassador and prize winner: Being a person who has a few disabilities at the same time, I benefit from a number of different technologies out there.

• Cell Phones—I use a cell phone for mainly emergencies, such as if my power wheelchair quits working, I can call for help. This actually happened to me once when I got my first power wheelchair. I learned the hard way that I was desperately in need of new batteries.
• Cordless Phones—A cordless phone allows me to use a headset (on almost all cordless phones) to hear better and be able to carry it with me, instead of having to struggle to reach or not be able to get it at all.
• Headsets & Speakerphones—I have a hard time holding the phone for more than a couple minutes, so headsets and a speakerphone really help me when I'm not using a TTY. Plus, nowadays many headsets allow me to adjust the volume to hear the person better.
• Audiobooks—Although I'm a visual learner, I use audiobooks in addition to the printed book so that I can read faster and longer.
• Remote Controls—For the computer, DVD, and TV, if I didn't have a remote control, I would need assistance to operate them.
• Spell Checkers—I usually know how to spell, but when I write down or type, letters are flipped around, and I may not realize it. A spell checker corrects my spelling mistakes.
• Computers & Internet—The computer and Internet allow me to connect to/with the outside without the difficulties of getting to places, even when I'm in the hospital.
• Instant Messaging & Email —This allows me to communicate with others much more easily, more conveniently/effectively and for longer periods of time.
• Glider Point Mice—This type of mouse is easier for me to use, allowing me to use the mouse with a single finger.
• Voice Recognition—Speaking to my computer allows me to get things written faster.
• Portable Notetakers—As a person who types much faster and easier than I write, I use a portable notetaker to take notes.
• Scanners—A scanner allows me to scan text and have it transferred to my computer so I can enlarge text that would otherwise be too small for me to read.
• Tape Recorders—Tape recorders allow me to record class lectures and make notes of things I may have missed during class time.

Confused by some of the DO-IT lingo? Here's a dictionary of some of the DO-IT terms.

AccessSTEM (ak-sêss stêm) n. An alliance funded by the National Science Foundation to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It joins a series of other DO-IT efforts that include AccessWeb, AccessIT, AccessCAREERS, and AccessDL. Check them out at www.washington.edu/doit.

DID-IT (did-it) n. Past tense of DO-IT.

DO-IT (doo-it) n. Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology, a collection of programs and projects to increase the success of people with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers and to use technology as an empowering tool.

DO-IT Ambassador (doo-it- âm-bas'é-dér, - dôr) n. A previous Scholar who graduated from high school and now continues to participate in DO-IT by guiding younger Scholars.

DO-IT Mentor (doo-it-mën'tôr', -tèr) n. An adult who is in college or a career who helps Scholars and Ambassadors as they pursue academics and careers. Most communication is online.

DO-IT News (doo-it- ^nooz, ^nyooz) n. The DO-IT newsletter that features stories, articles, and events about DO-IT programs, participants, and disability-related issues. Past issues are at www.washington.edu/doit/news/do-it-news.

DO-IT Pal (doo-it- pal) n. A member of an electronic community of teens with disabilities preparing for college and careers.

DO-IT Summer Study (doo-it- sûm'ér-stûd'ee) n. A live-in summer program at the University of Washington in Seattle where DO-IT Scholars participate in lectures and labs; live in residence halls; and practice skills which will help them to be independent and successful in college and careers.

doitsem (doo-it- sêm) n. The discussion list for anyone interested in promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) programs and careers. The Internet address is doitsem@u.washington.edu. To join this list, visit mailman.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/doitsem.

Phase I Scholar (fâz- wûn- skölér) n. A high school student from the time they are accepted into the DO-IT Scholars program through the completion of the first Summer Study.

Phase II Scholar (fâz- too- skölér) n. A Phase I graduate who continues his/her DO-IT participation through the second Summer Study at the University of Washington.

Phase III Scholar (fâz- three- skölér) n. A Phase II graduate who retains this title until attending college and becoming a DO-IT Ambassador.

You can DO-IT! (yoo- kan; ken when unstressed- doo-it) The DO-IT motto.

• Sign up to receive DO-IT News if this newsletter was not mailed directly to you.
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DO-IT today by completing the form below! You may also make a secure online credit card donation at the University of Washington Make a Gift page by selecting the "DO-IT Program Gift Fund" option.

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Thank you!

DO-IT News is published at the University of Washington with input from DO-IT staff, Pals, Scholars, Ambassadors, and Mentors. DO-IT is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and the State of Washington.

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. DO-IT is a collaboration of UW Information Technology and the Colleges of Engineering and Education at the University of Washington.

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, request materials in an alternate format, or to make comments or suggestions about DO-IT publications or web pages contact:

DO-IT
University of Washington
Box 354842
Seattle, WA 98195-4842
doit@uw.edu
www.uw.edu/doit
206-685-DOIT (3648) (voice/TTY)
888-972-DOIT (3648) (voice/TTY)
206-221-4171 (fax)
509-328-9331 (voice/TTY) Spokane

Founder and Director: Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D.

DO-IT Funding and Partners