The DO-IT Team

DO-IT 2020 Milestones
 

Grant-Funded Projects

DO-IT staff worked on many ambitious projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The projects included AccessComputing, AccessCSforAll, Access to Informal STEM Learning, AccessINCLUDES, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners, Access Engineering Research Centers (ERC), ERC INCLUDES, and AccessCyberlearning. Staff also worked on DO-IT’s state-funded Scholars program, and worked to maintain resources, activities, and collaborations related to legacy projects. DO-IT received funding from NSF for AccessADVANCE, which will focus on advancement of female faculty with disabilities and will be starting in January 2021.

70+ Internships

DO-IT participants engaged in over 70 internships with a majority being paid internships in STEM fields. Locations included Intel, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, PIMCO, Google, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, JP Morgan Chase, NASA, IBM, Dell, and several universities. Through internships, students build their professional networks, learn about career fields, improve strategies for requesting job accommodations, apply academic learning to real-world environments, and access state-of-the-art equipment.

1000+ Participants

DO-IT serves over 1000 students with disabilities in our programs. Activities in 2020 included workshops, networking events, mentoring activities, disability advocacy events, and our signature Summer Study program, which was virtual this year. Through these activities, students build job seeking skills, improve their resumes, learn how to be successful in college, gain access to assistive technology, and much more.

[Text featured: Local & Global Impact: More than 553 DO-IT Scholars from 247 high schools in Washington and 29 states across the US; 6 nationwide industry partners; 49 institutional partners and 15 organizational partners across 23 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico; more than 500 AccessComputing students from all 50 states; and DO-IT Centers hosted in Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea.

Participant Spotlights

Erin Howard, Western Washington University

Erin joined the DO-IT community in 2019 as a member of AccessComputing. She is a non-traditional student who returned to community college after a seven year gap. Erin earned her associates in 2017 from Olympic College and now attends Western Washington University where she studies physics, computer science, math, and astronomy. Erin completed an AccessComputing-funded REU last summer and presented a resulting publication to the American Astronomical Society. She was also selected as a finalist for the 2021 National Center for Women & Information Technology Collegiate Award. Erin helps DO-IT by attending virtual panels where she provides insight to life as a disabled university student. Erin is also working on a white paper promoting accessibility in physics labs with a group of current and former students and faculty. Erin shares that “DO-IT lets me be the older friend and mentor I wish I had when I was younger and attempted college for the first time. Navigating disability in academia is tough, but DO-IT works hard to build up our skills and self-confidence and provide us with a wonderful community. I love being a part of DO-IT!”
 

Rochelle Bowyer, University of Washington

Rochelle started her relationship with DO-IT in 2016 as a Scholar. After earning her associate’s degree at North Seattle College, she now attends the University of Washington studying communications and international studies. Rochelle continues to develop leadership and advocacy skills as a student assistant in the DO-IT office. This past summer she supported staff as they converted the DO-IT Scholars program to an online format. Rochelle helped roll out DO-IT’s new Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners program this past summer and is excited to be the 2021 Intern Coordinator for DO-IT’s Access to Informal STEM Learning project. Throughout the year, Rochelle has participated in panels sharing her experiences as a disabled student, writes articles, and creates content about disability culture and accessibility issues. This year, Rochelle won the “Emerging Advocate Breaking Barriers Award” sponsored by Disability Rights Washington, in part for “demonstrating advocacy methods and providing insight on how to promote a positive disability culture.” Rochelle shares that “DO-IT has given me the tools to dismantle my internalized disability stigma and start a journey of disability empowerment.”

    DO-IT 2020 Highlights

UW mechanical engineering faculty and DO-IT collaborator Kat Steele wins DO-IT Trailblazer Award			DO-IT hosts first ever fully online summer programs
AccessComputing PI Richard Ladner Receives National Science Board 2020 Public Service Award			New book by DO-IT Director titled Creating Inclusive Learning Opportunities in Higher Education: A Universal Design Toolkit