Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology (DO-IT) on the Electronic Highway
Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler
Dan Comden
University of Washington
Presented at CSUN Adaptive Technology Conference, 1994
Overview
The United States needs citizens trained in science, engineering, and mathematics, including individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, racial minorities, and individuals with disabilities. The National Science Foundation has funded a project through the College of Engineering at the University of Washington whose purpose is to recruit and retain students with disabilities into science, engineering, and mathematics academic programs and careers. DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology) makes extensive use of computers, adaptive technology and the Internet network. Electronic communications provide new options for accessing people and resources through online discussion groups, mail services, library catalogs, encyclopedias, dictionaries, newspapers, and other information resources. Computers, when appropriately adapted for access, allow students with disabilities to use computer software to communicate with peers and faculty, and to access electronic information without assistance. This paper highlights several activities of the DO-IT program that make use of the Internet and can be replicated by other postsecondary schools, K-12 districts, and service providers.
Background
Individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in science, engineering, and mathematics academic programs and careers. Few enter these fields and those who do experience high dropout rates. Causes of this problem include:
- Individuals with disabilities lack regular access to role models who are disabled and 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 or are facing similar obstacles in school and work.
- Counselors, social service agency staff, parents, and special education teachers often lack an understanding of the content and requirements of science, engineering, and mathematics programs in higher education and do not encourage students with disabilities to prepare for entering these fields.
- There are inadequate resources and coordination of services provided for disabled students on post-secondary campuses.
- Lab facilities and computers are often not accessible to disabled students.
- Faculty lack information about the rights and needs of students with disabilities and their potential contributions to society and often have negative attitudes about including students with disabilities in their academic programs.
Goals and Objectives
The goals of DO-IT are to recruit and retain students with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics programs and careers and to act as a catalyst and resource for other institutions of higher education who wish to make similar efforts. DO-IT has developed the following objectives for reaching these goals:
- To help students with disabilities learn how they can use computers, electronic communications, and Internet resources to increase their independence and productivity and to support their efforts in pursuing academic programs and careers in science, engineering, and mathematics; to promote the use of technology as an accommodation for individuals with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics academic programs and careers.
- To encourage high school students with disabilities to take mathematics and science classes in high school and college, moving toward careers in science, engineering, and mathematics.
- To facilitate communication between high school students with disabilities and accomplished students and professionals with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics, and other fields.
- 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.
- To promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics academic programs and careers; to create positive learning, working, and social environments by improving access to labs, programs, and adaptive technology; to improve attitudes towards individuals with disabilities.
DO-IT Scholars and Internet Activities
DO-IT Scholars are selected during their Sophomore or Junior year of high school on the basis of their interest and aptitude in science, engineering, or mathematics; their motivation to participate in the program; and the benefit of the program to them relative to other applicants. They must reside in the Northwest region (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington). The disabilities represented in the current group of Scholars include blindness, low vision, mobility/orthopedic impairments, hearing impairments, attention deficit disorder, specific learning disability, speech impairment, and brain injury. The DO-IT Scholars Program consists of three phases. Admission to Phases II and III is based upon the successful completion of previous phases and a desire to participate in the program. Scholars participate in the following Phase I activities, where Internet access plays a key role.
Internetworking
DO-IT Scholars learn to use computers to enrich their education and explore career opportunities, through information access and communications with college students, faculty, and professionals, on the Internet network. Scholars communicate electronically from home using computers, modems, software, Internet network connections and special adaptive technology. Local Internet connections are established through partner institutions. Students and their families receive in-home training on the use of the technology, electronic mail, and Internet resources. In addition, DO-IT staff send via electronic mail lessons on electronic mail and Internet use and other information about DO-IT, science, engineering, and mathematics.
Mentoring
Through electronic communications, personal meetings, and joint projects using the Internet, DO-IT Scholars are brought together with college students, faculty, and practicing engineers and scientists with disabilities to facilitate academic, career, and personal achievements. Post-secondary student mentors and career mentors study and work in fields that include computer programming, communications engineering, disabled student support, chemistry, research engineering, pre-college education, post-secondary education, statistics, engineering, computer science, computer consulting, adaptive technology, and biology. All mentors have access to the Internet network through the University of Washington or other host institutions. In addition to mentoring DO-IT Scholars, they contribute regularly to project ideas and implementation through electronic communication.
Summer Study
DO-IT Scholars study science, engineering, and mathematics by participating in lectures and labs and using computer applications and educational software, electronic mail, and resources on the Internet during a two-week, live-in, summer program at the University of Washington. Topics for investigation include oceanography; heart surgery; chemistry; virtual reality; adaptive technology; geophysics; material sciences, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering; mathematics; software training; biology; physics; astronomy; and climatology. Accommodations are made in each activity to ensure that all participants remain as active and as independent as possible.
Those who complete Phase I can continue with Phase II activities. In Phase II, participants apply their skills and knowledge to independent science projects, communicate with each other and mentors, mentor other students, and return a second summer to the UW campus, for a one-week program which overlaps the summer schedule of the new Phase I participants. Phase II activities include:
Individual Projects
Phase II participants design and complete independent science projects based on their individual interests. DO-IT mentors and staff provide assistance in planning and completing their projects. Individual projects selected by current Phase II participants include planning and organizing a tour of Batelle Pacific Laboratories, designing a computer-based CHAT system, working on virtual reality projects, evaluating software, and contributing to an electronic information service. Participants also contribute articles for DO-IT News and give input on various aspects of the project.
Summer Study
One year after the Phase I summer program, Phase II DO-IT Scholars return to the University of Washington campus to work on joint projects in science with faculty and other professionals during a one-week summer program. Participants develop knowledge, skills, and interests gained in the previous year by working on joint science projects with faculty and other professionals; and by presenting their individual projects to Phase I and II DO-IT Scholars, staff, and summer study faculty.
Mentoring
In addition to continuing their current mentor relationships, Phase II participants develop and practice communication and leadership skills by acting as peer mentors to Phase I participants, face-to-face during the summer study program and electronically before and after the summer session. DO-IT has also started an electronic mentoring outreach to patients at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital and Medical Center.
DO-IT Scholars completing Phase II are invited to participate in Phase III. Phase III includes opportunities for Scholars to be contributors to the DO-IT program through activities selected in cooperation with DO-IT staff. Several options include special mentoring responsibilities, scientific resource development, system administration, newsletter editing, working in the summer programs and other DO-IT sponsored events.
DO-IT has created an electronic bulletin board and gopher-server. They allow DO-IT to reach a wider audience to include anyone with a disability or interested in disability-related issues, or science, mathematics, and engineering teachers who have access to the Internet. An electronic list is used to distribute DO-IT newsletters and other publications. Discussion lists for mentors, Scholars, and staff facilitate communication and a campus distribution list facilitates coordination between campus units who provide services to disabled students.
Along with the Scholars program and Internet activities, DO-IT sponsors a variety of other activities, including:
- disability awareness presentations and materials for faculty;
- adaptive technology workshops for faculty, students and staff;
- a college transition workshop for K-12 students with disabilities, parents, teachers, counselors, and service providers;
- improved access to computer, science, mathematics and engineering labs and programs; and
- conference presentations.
Conclusion
The ultimate goal of DO-IT and similar programs is to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in academic programs and careers. Access to the electronic highway can play a critical role in reaching this goal. For more information, to be placed on the mailing list, or to share information about your program contact DO-IT, University of Washington, Box 354842, Seattle, WA 98195; Voice/TTY: (206) 685 DOIT; FAX (206) 685-4045; email doit@u.washington.edu.
Sheryl Burgstahler
sherylb@cac.washington.edu
Last updated: Feb 4, 1998