My Perspective on the DO-IT Experience
As a 2022 DO-IT Scholar, I can bring my outlook to their program and what it provides for others. Located at the University of Washington, the Scholars program is designed for those with various disabilities. As a first-year scholar of the program, the staff invest a lot of time with each person. They provide students with the assistive technology they need, showing each student the tools they need to succeed. As there is a wide variety of disabilities, we also come out of this program learning new things about each other and how others face similar or different challenges. We spent time developing a website, working collaboratively, and learning different skills that will help in college as well as understand how to help each other as each person needs help differently.
As we worked together, one remarkable thing this program provides is the opportunity to connect with others that have disabilities. I believe that even if you have a disability, you may not fully understand someone else’s experience, but you can still relate to overcoming societal barriers. Learning about others’ disabilities and how they affect each person gave me insight into helping you be outstanding advocates for yourself and others.
As someone with a multiple disabilities, I don’t have complete control over fixing myself. I believe that we should not feel like we need to be fixed. Challenges and struggles may affect us negatively, but I find it’s better to think about the parts we can control, like strategies to manage our disabilities, medication, or changes in habits. Controlling the controllable can reshape how each of us feel about ourselves. Disability can be a strength and advantage---it gives us perspectives and experiences that most don’t have, and while the effects of our disabilities influence us, we are not just the disability. People with disabilities want to fit in, but we also want to be open in our identities. We are fantastic and extraordinary just the way we are.
One of the fun things about the Scholars program is visiting the University of Washington and getting a roommate. Unfortunately, this year the program is unable to do this. COVID-19 has brought us online. The DO-IT program provides complimentary snacks, and we partook in online chat groups. There were also movie nights and sessions on writing. One activity we did was watch a documentary called Fixed: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement. The documentary is about changing the capacity at which we can make enhancements to the human body. It brings up the challenges of defining the limitations of so-called normalcy and discusses the moralistic views of fixing disability.
“Curing” disability is a hard topic, and a choice each person should be allowed to make for themselves. The more advancements in “fixing” disabilities, the more people with disabilities may be treated differently. As enhancements are created, we also need to make sure they are accessible to everyone. The goal should not be to fix the disability but to reduce the struggles and stress that come with a disability. People with disabilities aren’t different. They are ordinary people who are working in a society that often condemns those that exist outside of the box. Society has a way of projecting harsh pressures and expectations on people, even though there are a lot of different ways we can all live.
Being in this program has been an honor, and I greatly appreciate all the tools we have been given. This program is one I highly recommend for those that want to get support for their disability, especially if they are planning on going to college. When applying to DO-IT, highlight yourself. Answer each question deliberately with intention. Being a part of DO-IT is a lot of fun, and I look forward to the coming years. I hope we will be back in person next year. I look forward to getting to know all of you. And remember, we are not an inspiration. We are who we make ourselves. Your disability is not you; it is your choice to view it as an advantage. Many of you are great at piano, writing, or drawing. Each of us has things to be proud of, and this is what defines us. Don’t forget who you are, because every one of us has a future we deserve.