DO-IT News November 2004 : All Articles

With a generous grant from Boeing, DO-IT was able to fund several Scholars in 2004 in addition to those funded by the state. Thanks, Boeing! DO-IT invested your money wisely—in preparing skilled college students, workers, and community leaders for the next generation.

Summer Study '04: What Do the Phase I Scholars Do?

DO-IT Phase I Scholars participate in a two-week, live-in Summer Study session on the University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington. They learn about college life; surf the Internet; interact with peers, staff, and mentors; and have fun. Below, '04 Phase I Scholars share some of their experiences.

Service Dogs: Friends and Workers

by Phase I Scholars Vishal and Lukas

From an observer's perspective

My name is Vishal. In DO-IT Summer Study this year, we got to know three service dogs and their companions quite well. Through observing these dogs and their companions, I learned a lot.

These three dogs, Mystere, Fisher, and Silly, are perfect matches for their companions Lukas, Maryann, and Meg, respectively. They were always by their companions unless it was nighttime and they were "off duty." The love from these dogs is obvious. At one time, during photo day, Fisher and Mystere got up on their companions' laps to be in the pictures with them. It is amazing that they are so obedient and respond to their companions so well. Which brings me to training for service dogs. From what I observed, the dogs and their companions must have gone through rigorous training to get to the point where the dogs obey commands so well and for their companions to have the type of composure necessary to teach their dogs. Although service dogs have training at an organization, they still have to learn with their companions!

Last but not least, the dogs have fun also! During the evening when we were done with the day's classes and had dorm activities, the companions took off the dogs' work harnesses, which they wear all day when "on duty." Taking these harnesses off signaled to the dogs that they were "off duty." Then they would roam around looking for people to play with or be petted by. One day, Fisher and Mystere were wrestling each other, with Robert kind of playing as well, while a lot of us watched. It was fun to see them play and have fun. These three dogs are truly amazing and so are their companions. We love ya pups!

From a companion's perspective

My name is Lukas and my service dog is Mystere. I love having Mystere as my service dog but, more importantly, as my companion. She is always there for me. I love knowing that my parents and my brother can leave me at the house alone, but I don't ever feel alone, because Mystere is there. I'm thankful everyday that Mystere is a part of my life. Yes, the paperwork, training, and everyday work is long and hard, but it all pays off. I look at this as investing a little chunk of time to receive an enormous return. I thank the organization I got Mystere from for everything they have done to make owning Mystere possible. You guys are outstanding!

Microsoft Field Trip

by Phase I Scholars Andrew and Bud

On our Microsoft trip we had a good time. When we got there, we were taken into a soundstage where we heard an interesting lecture about Windows™TM accessibility. After the lecture they brought in pizza and we ate and socialized for a while before the next activity began. After lunch, a panel of Microsoft employees with disabilities talked to us. They talked about the assistive devices they use to do their work and the overall environment of Microsoft. Next, we toured the Microsoft production studios and learned about broadcasting.

We then went to the Microsoft Museum where there was a lot to see. There were all kinds of fancy devices and TVs to play with and watch including X-Box and motion detector games. The trip was fun and full of information.

Planetarium Intergalactic Wonders

by Phase I Scholars Maryann and Makenna

The DO-IT Scholars got a great opportunity to visit the astronomy building and planetarium at the University of Washington during the 2004 Summer Study. One of the things that is impressive about the astronomy building is the great accessibility for many types of disability needs. The powered entrance door is very wide with a large hand press plate outside. The press plate could have been more visible for first-time users with its location identified with a sign or light. The elevator to the planetarium is large enough to accommodate three wheelchairs.

Mark Claire, an astronomy graduate student, was the speaker for the Astronomy Exploration presentation. The information Mark provided about the solar system was detailed, and he took the time to explain everything so that it was easy to understand. The planetarium had very comfortable seating for observing the night sky and viewing the stars and planets. The seating was at a good height for transfers from wheelchairs. Mark was also able to program and reposition the solar system projector to give examples of what it would be like to observe stars and planets from different places on Earth, including Seattle. It was easy for everyone to see the large domed screen because of the circular seating and it gave the feeling of the planets and stars moving toward you.

We also had a chance to see pictures of the surface of Mars taken by the Mars Rovers and sent through downloads back to Earth. The pictures showed craters, landscapes, and possible traces of previous water existence. Other pictures Mark showed in the planetarium were from the Cassini spacecraft that orbited Saturn. The pictures of Saturn's rings had a lot more detail than those astronomers had previously seen or expected. Astronomers and scientists gained information about Saturn that was never available to them before. Mark also described the Cassini spacecraft's entry through the Mars atmosphere and its landing on the surface of Mars. The Cassini used rockets, a parachute, and air bags for the landing and bounced like a superball on impact with Mars's surface!

Mark gave everyone an opportunity to learn more with open discussion and easily understood answers to all our questions. The DO-IT Scholars seemed to enjoy "Exploring our Solar System." It was a great learning experience and fun at the same time. Thanks Mark for your time and a cool fantastic journey to the stars and planets!

The Aquarium

by Phase I Scholars Meg and Katie

As you walk into the second building of the aquarium, the otter and seal exhibits are not the first things you see; you see some people, a few exhibits, and the start of a long (yet accessible) path to follow along your exploration. As you continue down the hallway, you can see the various sizes and shapes, from side exhibits to whole rooms, and glass walls with animals that swim with ease.

There can be anything from a room of crowded people to a few scattered people trailing along like sailboats following the wind and flowing with the tide. Taking time to admire each display, you leisurely tug your way along, admiring the fast-paced sharks and salmon until you finally reach the climax of your trip, the otters and seals. On approaching these magnificent animals, you admire their grace and willingness to be the center of attention. You take your time to look upon these highly esteemed mortal beings and then make your way to the end of your insightful journey.

Dorm Activities

by Phase I Scholars Tracy and Laura

Through the DO-IT Scholars program, we have had the opportunity to learn many things about college. We learned that college students are very busy people. They have quite a bit of homework, projects, and studying for tests to do. College students also engage in extracurricular activities. There are also many activities that they can involve themselves in at the dorms.

At McCarty Hall, where we stayed, there are many activities in which residents can involve themselves. For those who like using their thinking skills and strategy, there are card and board games that they can play. Others who like to use their active skills can play pool, foosball, and Ping-Pong in the lobby. There are also outdoor activities that can be played on the fields and tennis courts. People can watch movies in the lounges. Finally, one activity that many of us Phase 1 Scholars enjoyed was going back to our dorm rooms and reflecting on what we had done that day.

Reflecting on our experiences on the UW campus, we have noticed that college is a very busy time in people's lives. There is so much to do and so little time to do it in. It is nice, however, to live in a dorm where there are activities that you can participate in during your precious free time. McCarty Hall has those activities.

Pacific Science Center

by Phase I Scholars Russell and Alex

Although there were many things to see at the Pacific Science Center, we agreed that the IMAX movie, Bugs in 3-D, was the best part. The most impressive thing was the depth created by the 3-D glasses. Images seemed to pop out of the screen and gave us a sense of realism. With the huge screen and the great surround-sound, it was definitely better than your average movie experience.

Some of the other exhibits that were particularly fascinating were the butterfly house and the glow-in-the-dark exhibit. The butterfly house was a good way to get ready for the IMAX movie. It was a fun experience to see all the different kinds of butterflies and to try to identify them from the chart you receive on your way into the house. Before leaving, you have to be checked for any butterflies that may be catching a ride on your clothes. The glow-in-the-dark exhibit was also interesting. It was about different animals that glow. For example, fireflies glow to communicate, and some deep-sea fish glow to lure their prey.

Overall, the Pacific Science Center was definitely a worthwhile field trip.

The University of Washington HIT Lab

by Phase I Scholars Kathleen, Michael, Julie, and Blanca

On Monday, August 9th, Phase I Scholars visited the Human Interface Technology (HIT) Lab. Our group started by doing virtual surgery on a virtual human hand by giving the hand sutures. To do this we had to wear 3-D glasses and manipulate the suturing tool while viewing the process on the computer screen. Judging by participant reactions, suturing is a complicated process not recommended for the weak of stomach. Several of us decided that performing that kind of procedure, though interesting, is definitely not one of our choices for a future career! Next, we read The Magic Book—a book that, when viewed through special VR (Virtual Reality) lenses, produced a 3-D image on the picture side of the book.

Later we interacted with Virtual Air Hockey. We also interacted with a Virtual DJ device that played various types of music when disks with particular symbols were placed underneath a camera.

Finally, we wrapped up with a visit to the VR simulator for a game called "Snow World." Perhaps a better description for this simulator would be "Snow Wars," because what you do is shoot anything and everything with snowballs. "Snow World" is one of the virtual reality programs designed by the HIT Lab for the treatment of burn patients. Since the process for changing the dressing on a burn is often painful, the patients are immersed in a virtual world, which distracts them from the pain they would feel in the real world by making them think they are somewhere else. In order to put patients in the virtual world, they wear a special piece of equipment that resembles a bulky pair of sunglasses on the exterior with wires running out the back. On the inside of these "glasses" is a screen that shows what you are looking at in the virtual world while the small speakers give off the corresponding sounds of your surroundings. The patient controls his field of view by turning his head. For instance, a patient turns his head to the right and the direction he is looking in the virtual world will also turn to the right. The patient is in this virtual world has access to a keyboard. By tapping the space bar, the patient can throw snowballs at whatever he is looking at, and the information for the things he sees, hears, and is able to interact with is transmitted by a computer. There are penguins, snowmen, polar bears, snow turrets, and Ice Soldiers that you throw snowballs at in "Snow World." The turrets and ice soldiers actually fire back at you and take a lot of snow balls to destroy.

Some of us became so immersed in "Snow World" that we found it hard to separate from the game! Other uses for this technology include helping people overcome phobias. The potential of this technology in our future remains to be seen, but it is an asset to the treatment of patients in the present.

All in all, going to the HIT lab was a VERY fun trip, and here's hoping we DO-IT again next year!

Summer Study '04: What Do the Phase II Scholars Do?

Phase II Scholars return to the University of Washington campus for their second Summer Study. They meet the Phase I Scholars as they participate in their first Summer Study, learn about college life and career preparation, and participate in a one-week workshop with postsecondary instructors. The following articles summarize some of the experiences of the 2004 Phase II Scholars.

Phase II Scholars Explore the "Art" of Computing

by Phase II Scholars Annemarie, Jessie, Tasha, and Jamie

As frequently as we all use computers, rarely do we realize the complex problem-solving skills necessary to create the programs. In August 2004, we touched the surface of such programming in the "Game of Life" Summer Study workshop. Instructed by Professor Richard Ladner, several undergraduate and graduate assistants, and a DO-IT Intern, Scott, we worked on separate projects for a week that demonstrated a few of the different uses for computer programming.

Scott created several "hunter and prey" and "maze" games. He had to work through the difficulties of "debugging," or finding errors in the program code, and use logic to create the appropriate behavior for the characters of his games.

Creating programs for an entirely different use, Scholars Tasha and Jamie developed maps of the University of Washington campus for blind students and visitors. They had to first simplify the visual maps through image processing and then add Braille text to the resulting images. These maps were printed on a tactile printer that has the ability to punch bumps into paper.

Annemarie used image processing for a slightly different application. She configured gray-scale images into black-and-white images using a process called dithering, which is like pointillist art. Additionally, she applied sharpening programs, edge detections, and background filters to find crystallized proteins automatically from images.

Jessie worked with Stephen Wolfram's A New Kind of Science as a basis for using more classical programs. Several of these resulted in complex and beautiful patterns and shapes.

The workshop revealed the wonders of computer programming as well as the frustrations. All of us experienced many instances of satisfaction, but they were all preceded by diligence and intense problem solving.

Spaced Out

by Phase II Scholars Shaun, Patrick, Tressa, and Josh

During Summer Study our group learned about the ever-changing solar system. In the "Spaced Out" workshop our instructor, Chris Laws, taught us about the planets and formation of craters by the collision with comets and asteroids.

On the first day we all shared what we already knew about the solar system. Some of these things included what's in the solar system, the sizes of the planets, and the distance from planet to planet. We even made a simple but accurate model of the relative distances between the planets of the solar system.

On the second day our group learned about craters and how to use them to help determine the age of planetary surfaces. We simulated making craters by using sand and water droplets. Once we had practice with crater counting, we were able to test our skill by applying it to images and graphs of the surface of Mars.

On the third day we were taught the difference between comets and asteroids, as well as how to distinguish between a meteor, meteoroid, and meteorite. We participated in a simulation that demonstrated how asteroids and meteorites affect a planet's surface. We dropped balls of various masses from different levels and measured dimensions of the impact. We also froze hard-boiled eggs in liquid nitrogen to simulate the collision of an asteroid with a planet.

The fourth day was the most interesting of all. We simulated the creation of comets by making comet ice cream! We used the ice cream contents to represent different components of a comet. We were even able to watch it freeze using liquid nitrogen. On our last day, we learned about planet rings and prepared for our group presentation at Summer Study's closing ceremonies.

Overall we really enjoyed the experience of this workshop and found that the ever-changing solar system is very interesting. We would like to thank the DO-IT program for offering this class and our instructor for being a fun and informative teacher.

Virtual Veggies Workshop

by Phase II Scholars Andrew, Conrad, Crystal, Skylor, and Jamie

Working as a team, we five Scholars, Interns Gimmie and Andrea, our personal assistant Sam, and Suzanne Weghorst and other staff members created a virtual garden using cutting-edge technology in the UW Virtual Reality Lab. We searched online for pictures to use as models for objects to use in our garden. In order to create the garden, we first had to learn about the guidelines we needed to follow to make our virtual garden accessible to people with disabilities and the elderly. We also learned that our virtual garden should have a certain "flow," meaning that the garden should be challenging yet enjoyable at the same time.

Then we learned about the technology used to build a virtual garden. The software we used was 3D Studio Max, a program that makes computer graphics. We also used markers, which are pieces of paper that are perfect squares with an asymmetrical shape within each. Once a marker was completed, we put the Webcam over it; the computer was able to read it and create an image that appeared on the computer. Once these steps were repeated, we were able to create a virtual garden or anything else we could dream up; there are no limits. This project made us think outside the box and challenged each of us in different ways. It was made possible with the additional help of interns. We owe a special thanks to everyone who made this experience possible.

Camp Courage provides a camp experience for folks with disabilities and is one of DO-IT's summer projects where I volunteer my time. A couple of summers ago, DO-IT was ending a summer session at Camp Courage in Minnesota. One of the campers was in tears. I asked her what was wrong, and she haltingly replied that camp was ending and she had to go home. I said, "Yes?" not understanding the problem. She sobbed, "You don't understand, at home no one appreciates the problems I go through. Here, everyone understands and it doesn't matter." Here was a young girl that had a memorable camp experience and did not want it to end.

How does one get an opportunity to experience that emotion? Well, I went to Sheryl and Dave Burgstahler's for dinner several years ago and they told me about the DO-IT program. I offered to help and, since Sheryl never turns a resource down, I think I was on the Mentor list before the night was over. I'm not sure what all the requirements are to become a DO-IT Mentor, but perhaps an interest in helping young people grow and develop and a career in Software Engineering qualify. I worked for Boeing when it was called Douglas, and McDonnell Douglas, and then again when it was called Boeing. I worked on the Saturn/Apollo program at the Cape when we were launching men to the moon. I worked for Boeing making an automated transportation system to move students around the University of West Virginia campus in Morgantown. Software engineers get to do lots of weird stuff. But the weirdest of all is being Dorm Dad for the DO-IT Summer Study program. Like the requirements for becoming a DO-IT Mentor, I don't think the requirements for Dorm Dad are things you can fully put down on paper. Being the DO-IT Dorm Dad for the last few years has given me the opportunity to get to know some neat Scholars who are about to meet new challenges of college and life as young adults.

A few years ago at Summer Study one of the Scholars was in an electric wheelchair, but she played a powerful ping-pong game with one hand on the paddle and the other on the wheelchair's joystick. She was a tiny young lady and listened carefully when it was announced that if the summer schedule was too tiring, the Scholars could inquire about taking a nap. So this young lady asked if she could skip class in favor of a nap. When asked if she was tired, she said, "No, but if I take a nap now I can stay up later and play Ping-Pong!" Nap denied.

Perhaps all will not have as emotional an experience as that Courage Camper or as cute an experience as that Ping-Pong champ, but I also doubt that any DO-IT Scholar ever forgets their DO-IT Summer Study experience. I've sure had fun being part of it.

Who am I? I define myself as a computer nerd, a movie lover, and a small giant. I am a fun-loving, yet occasionally moody, guy who enjoys books, movies, music, computers, and talking about pretty much anything. I consider myself to be somewhat of a learning disabilities poster boy as I have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), dyslexia, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. I worked with medications for years to try to control all my disabilities but found I didn't like the dead feeling I got when I was taking them. For a couple of years now I have been working on managing my disabilities without the medications. Some aspects of life are harder, but I enjoy the rush I get from the ADHD that makes my mind run at the speed of light and letting my imagination run with that.

I was first involved with DO-IT in 2001 as a Scholar and moved through the program to become an Ambassador and Mentor. I love all the net chats and discussions through the DO-IT online community, but I really love DO-IT Summer Study and missed it too much to stay away this year, so I volunteered my time at many of the Summer Study activities. It will probably be that way for years to come! My younger brother is in the program now. It's great to watch him laugh and learn with the other Scholars. DO-IT is a one-of-a-kind program, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. You just can't find better people anywhere else on the planet.

As the technology support person for DO-IT, I've been called upon to repair and restore Scholar machines each year. Whereas it used to be accidentally deleted files or virus infections that occupied much of my service time, now I'm mostly removing spyware or wiping and restoring machines because the intrusion of this malware is too great to allow for recovery of the system.

Spyware comes in many guises. Some are relatively benign, merely providing information to outside users so that your web-browsing experience is customized to meet your unique needs. Visitors of the New York Times website, for example, can read articles by having a free account. Creating this account deposits a cookie in your web browser so that on return visits to that site, the site knows it is you, sparing you the need to reenter your username/password.

The cookie that is deposited is a small text file that has enough information for their remote servers to know it is you visiting again. If they keep an extensive record of your visit and surfing habits, then they'll have a great deal of unique, private information about you all linked to that cookie.

You can agree to the deposit of cookies or not via your web browser's preferences settings. You can also pick and choose which cookies to accept or reject. Additionally, you can manually delete individual cookies stored on your computer.

The more pervasive spyware threat comes in the form of web plug-ins and hidden applications. Some of these are installed during visits to particular websites, perhaps as something "required" to view content on a site. Others are installed as part of the installation of another application that the user downloads. Sometimes the End User License Agreement shows somewhere in the fine print that this other application will be installed and is being OK'd by the end user in exchange for use of this so-called free application. Worse yet, some applications purporting to be spyware removal software actually install what they are expected to remove—spyware.

Each of the thousands of known spyware has its own unique activity and threat level. Some may hijack the web browser's home and search pages, redirecting the user toward a target site. Others can go as far as installing backdoor entrances for intrusion, logging keystrokes to capture passwords and private information such as credit card numbers, and then sending that information to a remote computer without your knowledge or permission.

Once spyware "infects" a computer, it can be difficult to impossible to remove. Imagine accidentally spilling some pepper in your salt shaker and shaking it up before you've discovered your mistake. Picking through the salt grain by grain to remove the foreign substance is tedious and time-consuming. Likewise, once spyware has entered your computer, the removal process can be so difficult that it is easier to wipe the system. More than once in the past year, my tech coworker has seen me painstakingly sifting through the "salt" attempting to remove the "pepper" and said to me, "Wipe and restore it." And often that has been the end solution met with an "I told you so."

Users need to take a two-pronged response to dealing with spyware. First is prevention: not allowing it into your computer in the first place. Second is using removal tools to clean up the machine.

The use of peer-to-peer network file sharing is highly risky. Many of the shared files moving between users are illegal copies of another's audio/visual content. There is an inherent risk in opening these unknown files and in giving others access to drives on your machine.

Free applications, which are popular, get installed without much scrutiny regarding the implications of doing so. Many users want the instant gratification of using what their peers are playing with and don't take the time to investigate spyware that may be associated with these applications.

Before downloading and installing any new application, use your favorite search engine and see if the application has been implicated as an intrusion vector for spyware. Put the name of the application and the word spyware into the search text box and see if you get hits indicating a connection.

Once you've been infected with spyware, there are a couple of programs that are mentioned again and again by those writing about ridding your machine of the spyware threat. They are Ad-Aware (www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware) and Spybot Search & Destroy (www.safer-networking.org/).

With each of these spyware removal tools there is an update function to ensure that the tool can remove the latest threats. Each may also require repeated runs to remove all of the infection, often doing so as a process that loads upon a restart of Windows™.

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