WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:03.240 --> 00:00:04.800 [Music] 00:00:04.880 --> 00:00:06.900 What we're trying to do in the DO-IT Center 00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:09.260 is to help students with disabilities 00:00:09.260 --> 00:00:12.360 be successful in college and careers, 00:00:12.360 --> 00:00:15.050 but also using technology as an empowering tool. 00:00:15.050 --> 00:00:17.680 I founded the DO-IT program in 1992 00:00:17.680 --> 00:00:20.280 with a grant from the National Science Foundation. 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:23.330 Many of our projects are funded by the National Science Foundation, 00:00:23.330 --> 00:00:24.670 for example, AccessComputing. 00:00:24.670 --> 00:00:27.509 We work with computing faculty nationwide 00:00:27.509 --> 00:00:30.560 to help them include students with disabilities in their programs. 00:00:30.560 --> 00:00:33.160 We have a similar project called AccessEngineering 00:00:33.160 --> 00:00:35.290 where we work with engineering faculty. 00:00:35.290 --> 00:00:39.770 Another project that we have is called AccessISL, Informal Science Learning, 00:00:39.770 --> 00:00:43.410 and there we're working with people that develop museum exhibits, 00:00:43.410 --> 00:00:47.080 helping them make them more accessible to people with disabilities. 00:00:47.080 --> 00:00:48.660 The DO-IT Scholars program 00:00:48.660 --> 00:00:52.350 is where we work with teens with disabilities, get them ready for college and careers. 00:00:52.350 --> 00:00:56.170 For the DO-IT Scholars program, we'd like to start engaging students and families 00:00:56.170 --> 00:00:58.240 when they're sophomores in high school. 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:01.710 And that’s very intentional because we invite them to come and live with us 00:01:01.710 --> 00:01:04.140 on the university campus for three summers 00:01:04.140 --> 00:01:06.570 and we like to have after those experiences occur 00:01:06.570 --> 00:01:09.050 after their sophomore year, after their junior year 00:01:09.050 --> 00:01:11.100 and then as they're graduating high school. 00:01:11.100 --> 00:01:13.280 When the DO-IT Scholars are at summer camp, 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:15.920 they take a lot of classes and courses with us. 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:19.750 And so some of those are related to leadership and advocacy. 00:01:19.750 --> 00:01:21.690 Some of those are related to different career fields 00:01:21.690 --> 00:01:23.070 that they might want to learn about 00:01:23.070 --> 00:01:25.890 and some of it is related to college access 00:01:25.890 --> 00:01:30.940 and how to advocate for what you might need in a college environment. 00:01:30.940 --> 00:01:33.979 For their third summer as high school graduates, 00:01:33.979 --> 00:01:35.960 many of whom have been accepted into college, 00:01:35.960 --> 00:01:38.549 they work as leaders and mentors to the younger students. 00:01:38.549 --> 00:01:42.950 I was one of the first DO-IT Scholars. 00:01:42.950 --> 00:01:46.780 The mentorship that I had early on from DO-IT 00:01:46.780 --> 00:01:52.750 was sufficient to show me how to actually mentor people. 00:01:52.750 --> 00:01:58.020 And that has specifically influenced my career because I manage people now. 00:01:58.020 --> 00:02:02.490 The DO-IT Scholars program taught me that I really need to be 00:02:02.490 --> 00:02:04.170 willing to advocate for myself. 00:02:04.170 --> 00:02:08.670 I got into the program when I was a junior in high school 00:02:08.670 --> 00:02:14.409 and that was the first time that I met other people with disabilities who 00:02:14.409 --> 00:02:19.049 wanted to go to college, and were thinking about a career even beyond. 00:02:19.049 --> 00:02:21.239 I've hired a lot of people in my life 00:02:21.239 --> 00:02:24.620 and I've never hired them because of what they can't do. 00:02:24.620 --> 00:02:25.800 It's always because of what they can do 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:30.599 and the DO-IT program, these kids have an opportunity to meet adults 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:33.659 that see their opportunities before them 00:02:33.659 --> 00:02:36.420 and figure out how they can maximize the use of those skills 00:02:36.420 --> 00:02:38.700 and interests they have to be successful.