1 00:00:01,402 --> 00:00:04,080 >>Sheryl: What we're trying  to do in the DO-IT Center is 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,240 to help students with disabilities 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,260 be successful in college and careers, 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,000 but also using technology as an empowering tool. 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,560 I founded the DO-IT program in 1992 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,960 with a grant from the National Science Foundation, 7 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:20,960 and the idea was to help students  with disabilities from high school, 8 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,640 transition to college, into  graduate school and onto careers. 9 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:26,480 We have summer programs  for teens with disabilities 10 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:27,920 to get ready for college. 11 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:29,840 We have an online mentoring program 12 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,960 and we work with faculty to help  them make their courses accessible 13 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,280 and technology companies  in making their technology 14 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:36,960 accessible to people with disabilities 15 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:38,720 and even with parents, to help their children 16 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:40,480 with disabilities prepare for adult life. 17 00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:43,520 >>Scott: One of the things that  makes the DO-IT Center unique 18 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,256 is that we embrace students with  a wide variety of disabilities 19 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,300 and so as we engage in all of our activities, 20 00:00:49,300 --> 00:00:53,120 students learn about one another's challenges 21 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,389 and the access barriers that they face. 22 00:00:55,430 --> 00:00:56,726 >>Sheryl: Many of our projects are funded 23 00:00:56,726 --> 00:00:57,808 by the National Science Foundation, 24 00:00:57,808 --> 00:00:59,920 for example, AccessComputing. 25 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:02,880 We work with computing faculty nationwide 26 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,320 to help them include students with disabilities in their programs. 27 00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:08,480 We have a similar project called AccessEngineering, 28 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,640 where we work with engineering faculty. 29 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:15,120 Another project that we have is called AccessISL, Informal Science Learning and 30 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,560 there we're working with people  that develop museum exhibits, 31 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:22,041 helping them make them more accessible  to people with disabilities. 32 00:01:22,041 --> 00:01:24,000 The DO-IT Scholars program 33 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,337 is where we work with teens with disabilities, 34 00:01:26,337 --> 00:01:29,423 to get them ready for college and careers. 35 00:01:29,423 --> 00:01:30,880 >>Scott: The DO-IT Scholars program draws students 36 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:32,468 from all over the State. 37 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,560 And we really work with each  student to help them identify 38 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,080 what post-secondary experience will  be best for them and their family. 39 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,800 What we find most important  is to talk with that student, 40 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,731 about what they are interested  in, where they want to go, 41 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:47,566 and help them go there. 42 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,640 For the DO-IT Scholars program, we'd like  to start engaging students and families 43 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:52,240 when they're sophomores in high school. 44 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,160 We invite them to come and live with us 45 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,480 on the University campus for three summers: 46 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:58,960 after their sophomore year,  after their junior year, 47 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,580 and then as they're graduating high school. 48 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,840 When the DO-IT Scholars are at summer camp, 49 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,800 they take a lot of classes and courses with us 50 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,548 and so some of those are related  to leadership and advocacy. 51 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,800 Some of those are related  to different career fields 52 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:14,080 that they might want to learn about 53 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,280 and some of it is related to college access 54 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:21,392 and how to advocate for what you  might need in a college environment. 55 00:02:21,392 --> 00:02:23,280 >>Kat: We always love working  with the DO-IT Scholars. 56 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,080 They bring energy, creativity and innovation 57 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,920 to every program, whether it's  the classroom, a summer program 58 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:33,040 or another event going on on campus. 59 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,320 AccessEngineering is a program  where our goals are to both 60 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:40,080 encourage more individuals with disabilities  to pursue careers in engineering 61 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,080 and to also train all of our engineers in principles of universal design. 62 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:49,420 AccessEngineering has partnered tightly  with the DO-IT Center and the Scholars. 63 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:54,000 Each summer we run instructional  programs to help the DO-IT Scholars 64 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,635 explore different career paths in engineering. 65 00:02:56,640 --> 00:03:01,098 However, the DO-IT Scholars also have  helped us immensely in making the campus, 66 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,840 and in particular, engineering, more inclusive. 67 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,438 >>Scott: For their third summer,  as high school graduates, 68 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:09,520 many of whom have been accepted into college, 69 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,160 they work as leaders and  mentors to the younger students 70 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,904 who are with us for the summer. 71 00:03:14,904 --> 00:03:18,720 >>Randy: I was one of the first DO-IT Scholars. 72 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,800 The mentorship that I had early on from DO-IT 73 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:29,001 was sufficient to show me how  to actually mentor people 74 00:03:29,001 --> 00:03:34,882 and that has specifically influenced  my career because I manage people now. 75 00:03:34,882 --> 00:03:38,960 >>Rochelle: What my high  school didn't necessarily have 76 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,480 and the DO-IT program did was a community 77 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:45,200 that focused on disability empowerment. 78 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,080 It's very nice to finally be in a community 79 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:52,232 where I didn't feel as  isolated as I did in the past. 80 00:03:52,232 --> 00:03:54,240 >>Anita: The DO-IT Scholars program taught me 81 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:59,323 that I really need to be  willing to advocate for myself, 82 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,520 not just out in the typical everyday world, 83 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,880 but in classes with professors and saying, 84 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:12,002 That's not going to work for me  or I really need my extended time. 85 00:04:12,211 --> 00:04:15,440 >>Kayla: I got into the program  when I was a junior in high school 86 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:21,095 and that was the first time that I  met other people with disabilities who 87 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:25,200 wanted to go to college, who had expectations 88 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,184 that they were gonna go to college. 89 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,188 and were thinking about a career even beyond. 90 00:04:31,271 --> 00:04:33,040 >>Sheryl: I've hired a lot of people in my life, 91 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,318 and I've never hired them  because of what they can't do. 92 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:38,362 It's always because of what they can do 93 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,948 and the DO-IT program, these  kids have an opportunity 94 00:04:40,948 --> 00:04:45,440 to meet adults that see their opportunities before them 95 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:48,400 and figure out how they can  maximize the use of those skills and 96 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,041 interests they have to be successful.