A Bold Vision and Looking Forward

The Quad at University of Washington campus.

A Bold Vision

The DO-IT Center empowers people with disabilities through technology, education, self-determination and leadership training, and mentor support. It promotes awareness and accessibility—in both the classroom and the workplace—to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities and make our communities more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive.

The DO-IT Center strives to

  • increase the success of people with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers, including those in STEM;
  • promote the universal design of physical spaces, information technology, instruction, and services and of disability topics to be included in curriculum; and
  • create and freely distribute online content, publications, and videos for students with disabilities, K-12 educators, postsecondary faculty and administrators, librarians, employers, parents, and mentors.

Looking Forward

People with disabilities continue to face unique barriers to education and employment. These barriers include lack of encouragement; underdeveloped self-advocacy skills; little access to successful role models; social isolation; lack of awareness of technology that can increase success; and low expectations from those around them. As DO-IT looks to the future, we seek funding to further address these barriers.

We will continue to cast a wide net, serving students, job-seekers, educators, administrators, service providers, employers, policy-makers, and other stakeholders. Guidance as we create new initiatives and projects will come from

  • broadening participation, academic and career development, and self determination literature;
  • people with disabilities;
  • DO-IT parents and mentors;
  • employers; and
  • the adoption of successful practices from previous DO-IT projects.