History
The Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT) Center at the University of Washington has a rich history spanning over three decades. Founded in 1992, DO-IT emerged during a pivotal time when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was still in its infancy, and the digital revolution was just beginning to transform society.
DO-IT Founder Sheryl Burgstahler envisioned a world where all people with disabilities could reach their full potential and contribute their unique perspectives and talents to society. In 1992, she applied for a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) with the goal of increasing the representation of individuals with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academic programs and careers. This was the start of the DO-IT Scholars program, one of DO-IT’s capstone projects that continues to grow and be successful to this day. Listen to an interview with Sheryl in 2022 by DO-IT Ambassador Lazslo, as she shares her mindset and goals for DO-IT's beginnings.
NSF continues to fund numerous activities that include summer programs and online communities for students with disabilities, as well as programs and opportunities to increase accessible practices among educators, employers, service providers, and other stakeholders. The U.S. Department of Education has funded training for postsecondary faculty, service directors, and technology specialists to employ universal design strategies to make their offerings more inclusive. The Department of Labor, Microsoft, Boeing, Washington State, and private donations have also provided funding. See our funding and partners page to learn more.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to rethink our programming, delivery of services, and community-driven needs assessments. DO-IT’s work helped increase the accessibility of online learning environments and improved the accessibility of videoconference tools and technology. Our online opportunities grew even wider as well, as we started using these tools to reach more people across the US and even the world.
The collection of all of our projects is what we call “DO-IT.” We currently manage a large number of programs—each with unique objectives, budgets, activities, and timelines— that ultimately reward us with the success of thousands of people with disabilities. You can look into all of our active programs on the DO-IT Programs page, as well as see a variety of our past projects as well. We have also housed and archived historical information from the voices and perspectives of people with disabilities.
In January 2024, DO-IT had a large shift as our founder and long-running director, Sheryl Burgstahler, retired. Through her efforts and the strength of the DO-IT team, many of our staff have risen to become even more prominent leaders in the disability advocacy community. We welcomed Mary Mulvihill, with a long history of leadership and a passion for accessibility, as our new Accessible Technology Services executive director in early 2024, and later, Scott Bellman became the director of the DO-IT Center. Scott’s 20+ years with the DO-IT Center combined with Mary’s UW-IT leadership experience set DO-IT up for success for years to come.
As we look to the future, DO-IT remains committed to its founding vision of a world where all people, regardless of their abilities, have equal opportunities to learn, work, and contribute to society. With over 30 years of experience and a track record of innovation, DO-IT is well-positioned to continue leading the way in creating a more inclusive and accessible world for all.