DO-IT News January 2022

Everyone has adjusted to the pandemic in many ways in their personal life and careers. For those of us in AccessComputing, we pivoted from on-site to online presentations, meetings, and events. As conferences moved online, I was able to take advantage by engaging in more discussions, delivering a multitude of presentations and poster sessions, and leading many online discussions. At these events, stakeholders have discussed the issues surrounding the conversion of postsecondary on-site courses to online platforms. In the past few years, there has also been a growth in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and discussions nationwide. In response to these conference themes, I tailored talks about the accessible and inclusive design of online learning and the application of a universal design (UD) framework to underpin these practices to a wide variety of stakeholder groups. Focusing on accessibility and inclusion in computing, I presented at RESPECT, Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, ACM SIGCSE, Computer Science Teachers Association, and HighEdWeb conferences. I also presented on these topics within accessible IT at Accessing Higher Ground and CSUN Assistive Technology conferences. 

In relation to teaching and higher education, I reached stakeholders focused on pedagogy and the delivery of online and on-site courses in a keynote address at the NWeLearn conference and concurrent sessions at the Online Learning Consortium Innovate, Lilly, Teaching Innovation, American Association of Colleges and Universities Conference on General Education Pedagogy, the Universal Design for Learning conference, the Higher Education Pedagogy conference, and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) conference. DEI-focused practitioners and researchers were engaged in my presentations at the National Summit for Educational Equity; the AAC&U Conference on Diversity, Equity, and Student Success; Northwest Regional Equity Conference; National Summit for Educational Equity; and Inclusive Educators. I talked to researchers and practitioners more specifically focused on disability at the Society for Disability Studies, Multiple Perspectives, Pacific Rim International, CUNY Accessibility, and Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) conferences. I reached informal science learning professionals at the American Alliance of Museums, Smithsonian Education Association; and University Professional and Continuing Education conferences. 

This year I felt like I was living in the digital version of Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go. The movement of on-site to online forums gave me an opportunity that I took advantage of—to attend conferences all over the country. One of the highlights was a keynote address I gave at the International Disability Inclusion Symposium hosted by the University of Tokyo titled “DO-IT Framework, Goals, Practices, and Collaborations in Asia.” I hope you too were able to find a silver lining in these challenging times.

I’m Eric Trekell, and I’m the newest program operations specialist with DO‑IT. I’ll be working on multiple DO-IT programs, including AccessComputing, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners (NNL), The Alliance of Students with Disabilities for Inclusion, Networking, and Transition Opportunities in STEM (TAPDINTO-STEM), and the Alliance for Interdisciplinary Innovation in Computing Education (AIICE) among others. I have an AA degree in political science from Northeastern Junior College and a BA with dual majors in government and history from Adams State University, both located in Colorado, where I grew up. I received an MS in educational administration from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. Prior to joining DO-IT, I was the director of the Center for Disability Services at Everett Community College for four years and assistant director of Services for Students with Disabilities at Edmonds College for three years. 

I’ve spent most of my career thus far in higher education, a lot of it working in resource and retention services focused on underrepresented student populations. I began my career while in grad school at Texas A&M; while getting my master’s, I worked full-time as a student organization advisor in the Memorial Student Union Student Programs Office. Then I spent two years as assistant director for Student Services at Texas A&M’s former branch campus in Japan. Upon returning from Japan, I became a lecturer with the Academic Success Center, where I taught student success and first-year-experience courses, as well as coordinated supplemental instruction services for the pre-med and political science programs. After a rollerblading accident and two surgeries on my left ankle, I wanted to make sure I could still ski, so I left Texas to return to the mountains of Colorado. In that move, I also accepted the opportunity to work as the founding director of a new TRiO Student Support Services program at my alma mater, Adams State University. Eventually, I left Colorado again and spent seven years as an assistant dean of students and the first professional, full-time director of the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I met my husband.

Said husband is from Europe, so we left the U.S. in 2010, when he finished grad school and his visa expired. We married in Iceland and prior to relocating to Seattle in 2014, we lived first in Amsterdam, then in London. We loved being able to go to all the (free!) museums in London, but we also enjoy camping and hiking. For that reason, we always have both WA state and national annual parks passes with us when we travel in Washington or around the US.
 

This year, DO‑IT Phase I Scholars participated in a three-week, online Summer Study session. They learned about college life; explored online resources; interacted with peers, staff, and mentors; and had fun. The DO‑IT Scholars program started in 1993 as an experimental project for teens with disabilities nationwide. While it is usually held on campus at the University of Washington, this year brought new challenges as well as new opportunities. It is currently open to Washington State teens and is supported by the State of Washington.

Phase II Scholars returned for their second Summer Study. They met the Phase I Scholars, learned about college life and career preparation, and participated in two-week workshops learning about the environment and digital media.

As the days get shorter, we trade short sleeves for sweatshirts and heavy-duty raincoats. The crisp morning air is getting colder with every waking morning. It is a stark reminder that summer is officially coming to an end, and this year we all prepare for the hustle and bustle of an awkward hybrid remote and in-person activities this fall, whether that is returning to the office, classroom, or embarking on another path of change. 

To transition from in-home life to this “new normal,” we asked our 2021 Scholars from Summer Study and Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners participants to tell us some of their favorite apps.

Mental Health 

Meditation 

After this year, I think we all can use some help taking some time to breathe and reflect. Insight Timer, Headspace, and Calm are all highly recommended for their vast array of meditation techniques. They each offer guided meditations in different forms and offer specific programs for anxiety, sleep, grief, and self-improvement. 

Mindful “mindless” games 

Meditation is not for everyone; sometimes, it’s best to get lost in a mindless game. #SelfCare combines both self-care and thoughtless fun. It has games centered around affirmations, reflection, and forming health habits. 

Organization and Productivity 

Digital calendars

Whether it was Google, Outlook, IOS, or old school paper and pen methods, everyone had some kind of calendar to remind them who, what, when, and where. Some utilized both by having their digital calendars send them reminders of classes or meetings and using paper ones for visualization reasons.  

Focusing 

A lot of students recommended timer systems such as Alexa or their phone’s default option as ways to have focus periods, mindful breaks, or even naps. Having a separate entity like Alexa is excellent for gentle reminders to prepare you for your next meeting—it is not as easy to hit snooze on a talking speaker as it is on your smartphone. 

One student recommended Forest, an app that grows a tree as long as you have the app open for a set amount of time. This prevents you from moving to other apps on your phone and allows you to focus on another task. If you close the app before the window closes, the tree dies. If you succeed, the app company will offer you points to plant real trees.

Studying 

Note Taking 

GoodNote, IOS Notes, OneNote were some of the most popular note-taking apps of the summer. All three apps have the same core features, such as writing to text but differ in stylistic choices and user preferences. OneNote offers a well-developed speech-to-text option, while GoodNote is great for digital notes and uploading pdfs. If you are a traditionalist and like the feel of paper and pen, Rocketbook, Moleskine’s Eclipse, or Livescribe (Symphony or Echo) pens and notebooks are also great options. 

Digital reading/listening

Audible, Kindle, and OverDrive were some of the crowd’s favorites. OverDrive is like a digital public library, where you can rent ebooks, audiobooks, and more for free. In addition, OverDrive owns the free apps Libby and Sora. Libby is a cross-platform app that connects to your local library, while Sora is developed for students. Sora keeps track of assignments, readings, statistics, and notes.

Audible and Kindle both have subscription options that offer student discounts. Unlike OverDrive, there is no wait or return date for their audiobooks or Ebooks. Within Kindle, you can change line spacing, paper color, and the font of your text, including a dyslexic-friendly font. For college students, renting your textbooks using Kindle can save you hundreds of dollars. The in-app note-taking abilities are some of my favorites.  

From productivity to mental health to reading, there are millions of apps to be shuffled through to discover what ones get the prime real estate of your home screen. Hopefully, after reading this, you can find some of your new favorites. 
 

My name is Anh, and while attending the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, I experienced a spinal cord injury, which left me with a permanent disability. While recovering, my rehabilitation counselor provided me with various career-related resources, including information about the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP), a recruitment and referral program that connects federal and private sector employers with current and recent graduates with disabilities. Participating in WRP ended up being one of the most important programs that has helped guide my career. 

 

WRP helped me obtain a part-time job after graduation, and while there, I learned about Disability:IN NextGen Leaders, who are college students and recent graduates with disabilities who show talent and leadership in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); finance; and business fields. The NextGen Leaders collaborate with corporate partners to prepare for employment through various mentoring programs. I was connected with both the Talent Accelerator Program, an intensive career development opportunity, and the Mentorship Exchange, a six-month career mentoring opportunity for college students and recent graduates with disabilities.

The Talent Accelerator Program prepared me to talk more confidently with employers about my skillsets and abilities, as well as become more comfortable in industry settings, especially as all the employers in the program were committed to disability inclusion.

I also loved the Mentoring Exchange. My mentor not only helped by providing resume critiques and professional advice, but also found various ways to help me explore my interests. I met with my mentor every other week, and we remain in contact. One favorite thing about my mentor was that she gave me sound advice and provided a lot of helpful information about Disability:IN’s Annual Conference.

At the conference, I got to talk with different companies and learn about available positions and the qualities they looked for in candidates. I learned the right questions to ask during an interview, what I should highlight on my resume, and other valuable tips. I loved interacting with the corporate partners, who offered advice about how to succeed in the workplace. I interviewed with four companies while attending the conference, and landed three follow-up interviews. As a result, I received an offer for my current position, working in user experience with The Nielsen Corporation in Chicago.

The Disability:IN’s Annual Conference surpassed all of my expectations. Participating in an event specifically for individuals with disabilities, where people advocated for themselves and others, was a unique and beneficial experience. I not only learned how to talk more confidently about myself, but also about my disability. I also got to meet and network with so many diverse individuals with different disabilities and from different backgrounds. I encourage other young people with disabilities to apply to be NextGen Leaders to get the opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals and find so many different options and activities, both at the conference and beyond.

I believe the best way for employers to attract more young applicants with disabilities is to demonstrate that their company is actively working to recruit, hire, and advance employees with disabilities. This includes companies putting a disability plan in place and investing in disability inclusion. Potential employees need to be supported through the application and interviewing processes, as well as being provided accommodations once hired.
 

Check out new Knowledge Base articles developed through DO-IT’s Access to Informal STEM Learning (AccessISL) project. The project, a collaboration with the UW Museology program, supports efforts to make informal science learning opportunities more welcoming and accessible to everyone. Recently developed articles include the following and can be found in the AccessISL Knowledge Base:

• California Academy of Sciences: A Promising Practice in Planning for Visitors who are Neurodiverse
• How do I include deaf students in informal learning conversations?
• Riverside Art Museum: A Promising Practice in Improving Access for Natural Science Education
• What is the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education?

With AccessISL, ISL programs and academic departments nationwide can participate in training, consultation, community building, and activity and resource development. We’ll be developing further Knowledge Base articles and resources during our upcoming virtual AccessISL capacity building institute (CBI) in March 2022. For information about the institute, send an email to doit@uw.edu.
 

DO-IT is currently recruiting Washington State high school students with disabilities who are interested in pursuing a postsecondary education. 

DO-IT Scholars prepares students for success in college and careers. The DO-IT Scholars program includes two consecutive Summer Study sessions with the University of Washington, where students will participate in labs and lectures with UW faculty, work on projects together, and explore campus and Seattle-area resources. This allows students to experience college life and develop their self-advocacy skills. Each Scholar is provided a laptop and any necessary assistive technology and works with a DO-IT technology specialist on setup requirements. Throughout the school year, Scholars connect with program staff, mentors, and each other. They participate in DO-IT events, complete projects, and receive valuable information and support for the transition to college.

The DO-IT Scholars program is free of charge. Please have the student apply or leave a teacher or parent recommendation online. Applications are due by January 30th!

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) serves to increase the successful participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers, 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.

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