DO-IT Director Reflects on 25 Years with the Center

For this issue, we asked DO-IT Director Scott Bellman to share reflections on his recent milestone of 25 years working at DO-IT. This is what he had to say.  

“On my first day at DO-IT, my supervisor Sara Lopez walked with me across the University of Washington campus. It was April. Colorful flowers and vibrant shades of green were everywhere. Undergraduate students were walking between classes and seniors were rushing along with their minds on the future, pondering graduation, summer plans, and the understanding that life was about to change forever.

The campus was different back then. It was filled with long-gone buildings and free of cell phones. One solitary skyscraper in the University District, Safeco Tower (today’s UW Tower), dominated the skyline.  

But many things were remarkably similar to the way they are today. Drumheller Fountain shot water high enough to catch rainbows. Red Square was packed with people soaking up the sun and hungry for a conversation or a bite to eat. Cherry blossom season was winding down, and UW’s annual ‘Engineering Discovery Days’ event was in full swing.

Eventually Sara pointed to the Materials Science and Engineering building and said, ‘Go in there and find Cliff. He’s running one of our DO-IT Center Discovery Days accessible technology exhibits.’ Off I went.

Cliff’s exhibit was hard to miss. His table was surrounded by local K-12 students peppering him with questions about his computer and computer gaming. When they moved on, I introduced myself and noticed that Cliff was blind, and that his setup—CPU, keyboard, and speakers—had no monitor.

‘Good thing, right?’ he laughed. ‘Those things are heavy!’  

As the next student group arrived, I watched him explain how he used state-of-the-art technology to do what college students do—check email, read the news, follow sports, and play games—without ever needing a screen.

I don’t know what to say about the person I am now versus the person I was that day 25 years ago. Since then, my respect for accessible technology and universal design has grown in ways I never could have imagined, as has my admiration for people who keep fighting for their rights even when the fight is exhausting. Over the years, I’ve seen the disability rights movement make progress, but not enough. Access to education, community, healthcare, and a livable wage isn’t just abstract policy. Access is often a matter of life and death for a group that includes more than 60 million Americans. That truth is sobering, and it stays with me.

Fortunately, this work has brought me great joy. I’m deeply grateful for the DO-IT team, our mentors, collaborators, student participants, allies, and funders—and for DO-IT's founder, Sheryl Burgstahler.  

Over 25 years I’ve had unforgettable experiences, such as meeting Stevie Wonder at an accessible technology conference, working alongside the governor of Washington State, and meeting some of the legendary icons from the disability rights movement.

But it’s everyday people like Cliff–people who are willing to share themselves with you if you are willing to listen carefully–who most ignite my curiosity and interest. A passionate fight for access is our shared responsibility toward healthy and thriving communities, and I thank all of you who have been on this journey with or without me. I offer my deepest respect to all of you. 

DO-IT Center At-A-Glance

•    2,000 students have participated in programs and engaged with mentors.
•    95% of DO-IT Scholars have attended college.
•    Over 1,000 DO-IT college and high school students completed internships.
•    Developed 100+ advocacy videos and 40 national capacity-building institutes.
•    Delivery of 70 college-preparation summer camps for youth with disabilities.
•    DO-IT's 35th anniversary is coming up in 2027!