Highlights from the 2022 DO-IT Scholars Program

Each summer, the DO-IT Scholars program hosts a Summer Study that supports 40-60 high school and college students with disabilities in learning about technology, self-advocacy, college preparation, and disability culture. This past summer, first-year students shared their favorite sessions, as well as what they learned this year with peers and staff. Below are some highlights:

Favorite Sessions

• HTML coding and web design
• Using math with origami and 3D models
• Inclusive Tech Lab with Microsoft
• Learning about the brain with the Center for Neurotechnology
• Opportunities to connect and socialize, including game night, movie night, the talent show, and snack box socials
• How to advocate in college

What Scholars Learned

• Different aspects of how the human brain works
• HTML coding, website styling, JavaScript, and web content creation
• Methods for reaching out to professors and disability services, as well as how to best approach getting needed accommodations 
• Different forms of accessible technology, including screen readers (which often work better than Voice Over) and the tools being developed in the Inclusive Tech Lab
• The history of people with disabilities and our rights
• How to advocate for myself in college and other aspects of life
• Perspectives from college students and professors who have worked with students with disabilities before
• Science careers can be accessible and achievable