* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. WELCOME TO FOCUS [00:00:01] ON ABILITIES, A PROGRAM ABOUT [Focus on Abilities (#189): "UH Director of Student Accessibility Center Kyle Mutz"] ISSUES AFFECTING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. I'M LEX FRIEDEN. I'LL BE YOUR HOST FOR TODAY'S PROGRAM. I'M A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER, AND I DIRECT THE ILRU PROGRAM AT TIER MEMORIAL HERMANN. WE HAVE AN INTERESTING SHOW FOR YOU TODAY, A GREAT GUEST. I'M GONNA INTRODUCE HIM AFTER WE TAKE A BREAK, BUT BEFORE WE TAKE THE BREAK, I'M GONNA ASK YOU A QUESTION THAT WE WILL ANSWER BEFORE THE END OF TODAY'S PROGRAM. WHAT ENTREPRENEUR STARTED THE FIRST AUTOMATIC BOWLING ALLEY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS? WE'LL GET TO THAT LATER. RIGHT NOW WE'RE TAKING A BREAK. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO FOCUS ON ABILITIES. THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM IS SPONSORED BY ILRU SOUTHWEST, A DA CENTER PROMOTING COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. HI. WELCOME TO FOCUS ON ABILITIES. I'M LEX FRIEDEN, AND OUR GUEST TODAY IS MR. KYLE MUTTS. UH, KYLE IS THE DIRECTOR OF DISABILITY SERVICES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. UH, KYLE, WELCOME TO FOCUS ON ABILITIES. THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON THE SHOW NOW. KYLE, YOUR, UM, EXTENDED TITLE IS DIRECTOR OF THE JUSTIN DART JR. GO AHEAD. STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY CENTER. UH, ACCESSIBILITY CENTER. YEP. SO THAT IMPLIES THAT YOU DO MORE THAN JUST DISABILITY SERVICES. CORRECT. TELL US. SO WE DO NOT ONLY ACCOMMODATIONS AND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS, BUT WE DO PROGRAMMING, WE DO EVENTS, WE DO OUTREACH AND ALL KINDS OF ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES TO HELP, UH, ENCOURAGE AN ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE OF ACCESSIBILITY, INCLUDING INCORPORATING UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND REALLY JUST, UH, MAKE AN ACCESSIBILITY OF A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AND SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN. SO THAT'S A BIG JOB, KYLE, THAT TELL US WHERE YOU CAME FROM. I MEAN, THAT IT, I JUST MET YOU A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AGO, AND BEFORE THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING A LONG TIME. AND, UH, WITH DISABILITY SERVICES AS A PROFESSION, FIRST OF ALL, WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR DISABILITY? SURE. I WAS BORN WITH MY DISABILITY. IT'S CALLED ARTHROGRYPOSIS. AND SO BASICALLY IT AFFECTED MY JOINTS AND MUSCLES. UM, I WASN'T BORN IN A WHEELCHAIR, BUT STARTED USING A WHEELCHAIR, UM, ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS OLD. AND, UM, IN MY TOWN, UH, I GREW UP IN FLORESVILLE, TEXAS, WHICH IS NEAR SAN ANTONIO. THERE WAS NO OTHER PERSON, UH, WITH A DISABILITY THAT I KNEW OF. UM, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT DISABILITY MEANT. AND WHAT'S KIND OF INTERESTING IS, I THINK I SHARED, UH, THAT WE WERE WATCHING TELEVISION ONE DAY AND A, A COMMERCIAL CAME ON ABOUT WHEELCHAIR SPORTS. I SAW, UH, KIDS PLAYING BASKETBALL, DOING TRACK. UM, AND I HAD NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WERE AVAILABLE TO ME. AND SO THE, THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND, MY PARENTS WHO WERE AMAZING, DROVE ME UP THERE. UH, I TRIED EVERY SPORT AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER, UH, SEEN ANOTHER KID WITH A DISABILITY. HOW OLD WERE YOU THEN? I WAS ABOUT SEVEN YEARS OLD WHEN I FIRST SAW THAT. AND, AND YOU SAW A CLIP ON TV? MM-HMM . YOU REMEMBER THE PROGRAM? IT WAS FOR WARM SPRINGS REHABILITATION HOSPITAL IN SAN ANTONIO. THEY HAD A, UM, KIND OF AN ADAPTIVE ATHLETIC OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY HAD EVERY ONCE A MONTH, EVERY, UH, SATURDAY. AND THEY INVITED EVERYBODY FROM THE COMMUNITY TO TRY EVERY SPORT. AND I GOT THERE. I WAS SO EXCITED. I TRIED EVERY SPORT YOU COULD THINK OF. AND ONE KIND OF A FUNNY MEMORY THAT I HAVE IS, UH, THE GAME SHARKS AND MINNOWS WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE THE, THE SHARK AND, YOU KNOW, TAG EVERYBODY. THEY COULDN'T, THEY COULDN'T CATCH ME. SO THEN THEY WERE LIKE, WELL, WE GOTTA GET THIS GUY INTO, YOU KNOW, A HEALTHY OUTLET. AND THAT'S WHEN I GOT INTO WHEELCHAIR RACING. AND THE NEXT YEAR THAT I COMPETED, I MADE THE JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, UH, MEET IN OKLAHOMA WHERE I KIND OF STARTED MY JOURNEY IN, UM, ATHLETICS. SO, SO THE SECOND YEAR YOU COMPETED, YOU WERE IN THE JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP? YEP. PRETTY COOL. IT WAS PRETTY COOL. AND NOBODY IN MY FAMILY WAS VERY ATHLETIC, UM, THAT I KNOW OF. AND SO IT WAS VERY, VERY UNIQUE 'CAUSE I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN MY FAMILY WITH A DISABILITY. I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT I KNEW [00:05:01] OF IN MY COMMUNITY THAT HAD THAT. SO IT WAS A PRETTY, UH, AMAZING THING FOR ME TO FIND, UH, AN OUTLET TO, YOU KNOW, BE INVOLVED, BE ENGAGED, UH, MEET OTHER PEOPLE, AND IT JUST REALLY ELEVATED MY, UH, OPPORTUNITIES. UM, SO WHAT ABOUT SCHOOL? I MEAN, DID, DID THE SCHOOLS ACCOMMODATE YOUR WHEELCHAIR? HOW DID THAT, SO I GREW UP BEFORE 1990, YOU KNOW, IN THE A DA. AND, UH, I REMEMBER GOING TO FIRST GRADE, UH, AND WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, RAISE ALL KINDS OF ISSUES BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE CURB CUTS. UM, SO THEY DIDN'T WANNA LET ME BE MAINSTREAMED. UH, AND SO I HAVE VERY GOOD PARENTS AND FAMILY THAT ADVOCATED AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE. AND, UH, WE MADE SURE THAT THE SCHOOL HAD RAMPS AND CURB CUTS. SO THAT WAS REALLY, UM, SOMETHING I FEEL WAS A GOOD TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE, WAS JUST, I HAD A GOOD FAMILY SUPPORT. AND I THINK SO YOUR FAMILY TOOK THE INITIATIVE? YEAH. YOU, YOU'RE A FIRST GRADER. YEAH. WERE YOU ENGAGED? I MEAN, DID YOU GO TO THE MEETINGS? OH, YEAH, I WAS. YOU, YOU REMEMBER THAT BEING A FIRST GRADER? I DO, I DO. ADVOCATING FOR YOURSELF WITH YOUR FAMILY. YEP. THAT, THAT'S PRETTY COOL. I, I GREW UP WITH, UH, AGAIN, A VERY SUPPORTIVE FAMILY AND ONE OF MY FOUNDATIONS IS MY FAITH. AND I HAD VERY STRONG, UH, FAITH IN MYSELF AND THEY HAD CONFIDENCE IN, UH, MY ABILITY. SO THEY ALWAYS WOULD NEVER LET ME PUSH MY BE PUSHED AROUND BY SOMEBODY ELSE. UM, I LEARNED HOW TO JUMP, JUMP OVER, UH, CURBS, GO DOWNSTAIRS, UH, JUST HOW TO BE INDEPENDENT. 'CAUSE MY FAMILY WAS LIKE, WELL, DESPITE HAVING A DISABILITY, YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU CAN. SO DON'T RELY ON OTHER PEOPLE TO DO THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST GO OUT THERE AND BE CONFIDENT AND DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO, UH, LIVE YOUR LIFE THE BEST YOU CAN. SO THAT'S, WHERE'D YOU GO TO COLLEGE? I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA. UH, I WAS ON SCHOLARSHIP FOR, UH, TRACK AND BASKETBALL, UH, WHEN I GOT THERE. UM, AND WAS A COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJOR AND DOING IT, YOU KNOW, TAKING A FULL LOAD OF CLASSES, UH, TRAVELING EVERY OTHER WEEKEND, PRACTICING SIX DAYS A WEEK. I HAD TO, UH, STOP BASKETBALL AND JUST FOCUS ON TRACK. AND THAT WAS MY MAIN, UH, SPORT. SO I WAS INITIALLY A TWO SPORT ATHLETE. AND, UM, BUT BACK BEFORE I GOT TO ARIZONA, I GOT TO GO TO AUSTRALIA, UH, WITH THE UNITED STATES, UH, NATIONAL PARALYMPIC TEAM, AND GOT TO RACE IN THE, UM, STADIUM IN SYDNEY, UH, REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES. SO THAT WAS KIND OF MY, UH, KIND OF DEFINING MOMENT IN, IN MY LAUNCH INTO, UH, ELITE ATHLETICS WAS THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND I WAS THE FIRST ONE IN MY FAMILY TO TRAVEL, UM, INTERNATIONALLY, UM, TRAVEL OUTTA THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO IT WAS PRETTY, IT WAS PRETTY EXCITING BECAUSE IT WAS, YEAH. AND YOU WERE STILL A YOUNG PERSON. YEP. THAT'S AMAZING. UM, KYLE, WE WANNA LEARN MORE ABOUT, UH, YOUR EXPLORATION, UH, YOUR SELF, UH, EXPLORATION AND WHERE YOU WENT TO SCHOOL AND WHAT YOU DID AFTER THAT. BUT WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BREAK RIGHT NOW. OKAY. UH, PLEASE STAY TUNED. WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE FOCUS ON ABILITIES IN JUST A MINUTE. DUSK IS THE BEST TIME TO WATCH THE BATS TAKE FLIGHT FROM THEIR WA BRIDGE HOME. WE COULD START BY TELLING YOU HOW SLEEK IT IS, HOW IT'S AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION IN ITS INDUSTRY, THAT IT MAKES CONNECTIONS FASTER AND MORE CONVENIENT. WE COULD PROMOTE THE FACT THAT EVEN TRAFFIC SIGNALS GIVE IT THE GREEN LIGHT AND THAT IT MOVES SO QUICKLY. WE HAD TO GIVE IT ITS OWN LANE. OR YOU COULD JUST RIDE, DISCOVER WHERE THIS RAIL LIKE RIDE IS GOING NEXT. VISIT RIDE METRO.ORG/METRO. NEXT. YOU'RE A LOCAL, YOU'RE ONE OF US AND WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A RICHER, MORE EXCITING EXPERIENCE. COME ON. WE'LL SHARE THE FOOD THAT WOWED NATIONAL COOKING SHOWS AND TAKE YOU TO THE ATTRACTIONS THAT PUT US IN TRAVEL AND LEISURE'S TOP 50 PLACES TO VISIT IN 2023. AND THEN WE'LL TAKE YOU OUT TO A BALL GAME TO SEE OUR WORLD SERIES CHAMPS. LET HOUSTON TAKE YOU FURTHER. LET'S GET TOGETHER. BOOK YOUR STAY TODAY. LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS COMING TOGETHER FOR A GREATER GOAL. KIND OF REPRESENTS HOUSTON AS A WHOLE, AND EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT STYLE. BUT SOMEHOW THAT'S KIND [00:10:01] OF OUR THING. IT'S DIFFERENT PATCHES OF PEOPLE AND CULTURES. THEY BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE THAT INFLUENCE US A LOT OF WHAT WE DO. WE EMBRACE THE FUTURE, WE LEARN, WE GROW, WE EVOLVE. AND WORK IS ONE TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE HERE IN HOUSTON. WELCOME BACK TO FOCUS ON ABILITIES. WE'RE HERE TODAY WITH KYLE MUTTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. KYLE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT GOING TO SCHOOL, UH, BUT YOU WERE AT ARIZONA AND THEN YOU GRADUATED. UH, DID YOU MAINTAIN YOUR, DID DID YOU TURN PRO IN ATHLETICS OR DID YOU ACTUALLY TRY TO GET ANOTHER JOB? WELL, I, IN COLLEGE I DID TRAVEL, UM, A COUPLE MORE TIMES WITH THE US NATIONAL PARALYMPIC TEAM IN BRAZIL IN 2007. AND, UH, FINLAND IN 2005. SO I GOT TO RACE IN A COUPLE MORE INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. AND I WAS ALSO THE THREE TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION IN THE A HUNDRED METERS IN THE T 52 RACING DIVISION. SO YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THE, THE TROPHY CASE AND ALL? OH, YEAH. OH, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD. YEAH, IT WAS DEFINITELY BLESSED TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, TRAVEL AND MEET PEOPLE INTERNATIONALLY AND JUST KIND OF EXPERIENCE DISABILITY IN A DIFFERENT WAY, UH, CULTURALLY. SO, UM, BUT YEAH, POST-COLLEGE GRADUATION, UM, I WAS EXCITED TO CONTINUE THAT, UH, ADVENTURE OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER MY STRUGGLES AS A YOUNG PERSON WITH A DISABILITY AND, UM, THAT MOTIVATED ME TO GET INTO THE CAREER THAT I'M IN TODAY. UM, AND SO I STARTED OUT WORKING FOR A COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN, UH, TUCSON, UH, PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE. AND I SUPERVISED THEIR SOUTHERN CAMPUS, GOT TO ADVOCATE AND HELP, UH, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. AND IT WAS JUST REALLY, UM, REWARDING WORK. I LOVED DOING IT. AND, UH, BASICALLY REBUILT THAT OFFICE TO SOMETHING THAT REALLY SUPPORTED AND VALUED, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY EXCITING TO ME, SERVING OTHER PEOPLE AND JUST, UH, EDUCATING THEM AND GETTING THEM TO, TO VALUE, UH, WHAT ACCESS MEANS TO NOT ONLY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, BUT WHAT IT CAN DO FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION. SO I, UM, WORKED THERE FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS. AND DUE TO MY FAMILY BEING BACK HERE IN TEXAS, I WAS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO TEXAS. 'CAUSE I WOULD ONLY GET TO SEE MY FAMILY MAYBE ONCE, TWICE A YEAR. AND WITH TRAVELING AND COMPETING, THAT WAS, THAT WAS REALLY TOUGH. UM, SO, UH, 2014 I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO TEXAS WHERE I WORKED AT LAMAR UNIVERSITY FOR SEVEN YEARS. UM, AND I'M ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT DIVINE INTERVENTION. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY AND YOU, UH, FOLLOW IT. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF BEEN MY CAREER IS, UM, I, ONCE I'VE DONE WHAT I FEEL LIKE I'VE, I'VE DONE ALL I CAN. UH, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO MAKE AN IMPACT. AND SO TO DO THAT, I FEEL LIKE MAKING CHANGES REALLY HELPS, YOU KNOW, BROADEN YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND, YOU KNOW, UH, INCREASE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND REALLY HELP JUST, UH, EXPAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. SO, UM, WHEN MY TIME AT LAMAR, I WORKED WITH, UH, THE NURSING PROGRAM, THE ENGINEERING PROGRAM. WE GOT AN ACCESSIBLE SHUTTLE FOR THE UNIVERSITY. UM, I STILL HAVE A LOT OF GOOD COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS BACK AT THAT UNIVERSITY. SO WHEN, UM, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE AND IMPACT PEOPLE ON A BIGGER SCALE, I THINK THAT IS ALWAYS EXCITING TO ME IS JUST, UH, BEING INVOLVED IN TRYING TO FURTHER THAT MOVEMENT OF LIKE, I REMEMBER MY EXPERIENCE AND HOW I CAN HELP SHAPE AND GIVE PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T THINK THEY WOULD HAVE THAT. SO HOW DID THE, UH, UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION CONVINCE YOU TO LEAVE LAMAR WHERE YOU HAD A SOFT JOB? YEAH. AND, AND COME TO HOUSTON, UH, WITH A PROGRAM THAT NEEDED REINVENTION. DID THEY OFFER YOU A BIG SALARY? DID THEY PROMISE YOU A BIGGER OFFICE? OR HOW DID THAT WORK? WELL, I WANT TO GO BACK TO HOW I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE JOB. 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING ABOUT BEING A PERSON OF FAITH AND I WAS AT A CONFERENCE, UM, THE HEAD CONFERENCE, WHICH IS OUR, YOU KNOW, VERY NATIONAL, UH, ACCREDITATION FOR, UH, DISABILITY SERVICES. AND, UM, WE, WE DID NOT EVEN INTEND TO GO TO THIS, UH, END OF THE, THE CONFERENCE BANQUET TO EAT. AND WE ENDED UP GOING. AND SO AT THE END OF THE THING, UM, A VERY WELL KNOWN DISABILITY SERVICE DIRECTOR, UH, SAID, HEY, DO YOU KNOW UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON'S LOOKING FOR A NEW DIRECTOR? AND I SAID, NO, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT, BUT I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A JOB. UM, BUT I'LL, I'LL CHECK IT OUT. AND SO, UM, I SPOKE WITH MY WIFE JENNY, AND, UH, WE PRAYED ABOUT IT AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIKE, JUST WHAT DOES IT HURT TO [00:15:01] CHECK IT OUT IF IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT I FEEL LIKE IS CONNECTED THAT I WANT TO DO, THEN THERE'S NO HARM. 'CAUSE I REALLY LOVE MY JOB WHEREVER I'VE WENT. AND, UM, SO I APPLIED AND, UM, I GOT INVITED AFTER MY FIRST, UH, INITIAL INTERVIEW TO COME OUT TO HOUSTON FOR TWO DAYS TO MEET WITH STUDENTS, MEET WITH FACULTY, MEET WITH CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVES. AND FUNNY THING THAT I'LL TELL YOU IS FOR SEVEN YEARS WHEN I WORKED AT LAMAR, I WOULD DRIVE THROUGH HOUSTON, UH, TO VISIT FAMILY. AND I WOULD SAY, I WILL NEVER LIVE IN HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, DUE TO THE TRAFFIC AND ALL THAT STUFF. AND SO WHEN I CAME TO, UH, HOUSTON AND I MET WITH THE STUDENTS, AND I, YOU KNOW, LEARNED ABOUT JUSTIN DART, THE RENAMING OF THE CENTER, AND, UH, WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO, UH, THERE WAS NO CONVINCING REALLY NEEDED. I MET THE PEOPLE AND, UM, I MET MY TEAM THAT WAS THERE, UM, AND I WAS REALLY EXCITED FOR THE VISION THAT THEY HAD, UH, TO ELEVATE WHAT THEY WERE ALREADY DOING TO THE NEXT LEVEL. AND, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT I'VE ALREADY DONE AT A BIGGER SCALE WAS VERY, LIKE, EXCITING FOR ME. AND JUST IN INVESTING, IN TRYING TO MAKE, UH, THE BEST IT CAN BE, THAT WAS, THERE WAS NO CONVINCING NEEDED. IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, I SAW A NEED AND I SAW, UH, WHAT THE DIRECTION THEY WERE GOING AND, AND EXCITED ME TO, TO WANT TO DO IT. WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY MADE A GOOD PITCH. YEAH. WELL, THEY, THEY, THEY GOT A GOOD REWARD FOR IT IN, IN MY ESTIMATION. KYLE, WHAT, UH, OF ALL THE, UM, THE DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU REGARD AS THE THREE MODELS THAT YOU WOULD ASPIRE TO AT U OF H? UM, I REALLY THINK THAT, UH, OF COURSE, UM, I'M REALLY BIG ON UNIVERSAL DESIGN, LIKE TRYING TO CREATE SPACES THAT, UH, SUPPORT ALL PEOPLE NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE. UM, I REALLY THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, ADVOCACY AND FURTHERING THAT MOVEMENT, IT'S NOT JUST AFFECTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, BUT IT'S HOW DO YOU GET, UM, OTHER PEOPLE TO VALUE AND GET EXCITED ABOUT WHAT ACCESS DOES FOR ALL PEOPLE. UM, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, BEEN A BIG, UH, SUPPORTER OF IT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, I STUDIED, UM, UNIVERSAL DESIGN, UM, WITH A GRANT FUNDED BY NASA. NASA, IT WAS A SPACE CONSORTIUM GRANT. AND I KNOW THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF ACCESSIBILITY AS WELL. SO I THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT. THEY GO, WELL, IT'S COMPLIANT, SO, BUT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THAT AND PLACEMENT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. UM, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, OUTREACH AND STUDENT-CENTERED MODEL, LIKE, UM, THE COLLEGE MODEL IS VERY IMPORTANT. LIKE JUST, UM, WHERE A PERSON, YOU KNOW, WITH A DISABILITY IS, IS UNIQUE TO THAT INDIVIDUAL. IT'S NOT, UH, YOU CAN'T GROUP EXPERIENCES. IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE. SO JUST VALUING THOSE STORIES, UM, LISTENING, UH, ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY. UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M, I'M REALLY BIG ON IS COLLABORATION. LIKE, UH, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF STAKEHOLDERS OUT THERE. AND I THINK ABOUT DISABILITY SERVICES IN A WAY DIFFERENT WAY THAN A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE, THE OFFICE, IT'S THE COMMUNITY, IT'S STUDENTS, IT'S FACULTY, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, ELEVATING THAT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. AND REALLY THAT OPPORTUNITY, I THINK IS EXCITING, UM, IN THIS WORK. LIKE, SO YOUR OBJECTIVE IS TO MAKE, UH, U OF H NUMBER ONE, RIGHT? OH, YEAH. ALRIGHT. UM, WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT HOW, HOW TO GET THERE. UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BREAK NOW. SO STAY TUNED FOR FOCUS ON ABILITIES WITH LEX FRIEDEN. KYLE MUS, UH, IS OUR GUEST TODAY, AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK. AT METRO, YOUR SAFETY IS JOB ONE EVERY DAY. AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO MAKING YOUR RIDE EVEN SAFER WITH SECURITY CAMERAS ON OUR TRANSIT VEHICLES AND LIVE MONITORS ON MANY OF OUR BUSES, BLUE LIGHT CALL BOXES AT OUR BUS AND RAIL FACILITIES, METRO POLICE PROVIDING PEACE OF MIND, AN MPD CONNECT APP THAT LETS YOU REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY INSTANTLY TO METRO POLICE. METRO IS BUILDING A SAFER TRANSIT SYSTEM SO YOU CAN DRIVE LESS AND DO MORE. [00:21:03] YOU ARE WATCHING FOCUS ON ABILITIES ON HTV. AND OUR GUEST TODAY IS KYLE MUTTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. KYLE, YOU HAVE COME TO U UH, UH, U OF H AT A TIME WHEN THE UNIVERSITY ASPIRES TO BE, UH, AN ELITE TIER ONE UNIVERSITY. THE SPORTS TEAMS HAVE BEEN IMPROVING EVERY YEAR. UH, THE ACADEMICS ARE BEING HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD. WHAT ABOUT THE SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES? DO WE HAVE, UM, MORE AND MORE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES? ARE THEY LOOKING FOR MORE AND MORE SUPPORT? ARE THERE THINGS WE CAN DO TO ENSURE GOOD OUTCOMES OF OUR STUDENTS? WHERE WHERE ARE YOU IN THE PLANNING PROCESS AND WHAT DO YOU AIM TO DO TO MAKE THE PROGRAM AN ELITE PROGRAM? SURE. UM, AS WE'VE KIND OF BEEN TALKING ABOUT, I'M VERY, UH, BEING AN ATHLETE, I'M VERY COMPETITIVE AND I TAKE THAT IN MY, UH, CAREER ALSO. AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE ABOUT A YEAR AND SIX MONTHS AGO, UM, IS I TAKE THE NAME, YOU KNOW, JUSTIN DART JR. AND HIS LEGACY VERY, UH, SERIOUS. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EVER SINCE I ARRIVED, UM, TRYING TO DO THAT. AND SO IN THE PAST YEAR WE'VE HAD A, A TOTAL REDESIGN OF THE INTERIOR OF THE DART CENTER, UM, THAT HIGHLIGHTS JUSTIN DART AND HIS, UH, LEGACY AND EMPOWERING PEOPLE. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE ALWAYS KIND OF, UH, GRAVITATED TOWARD, IS NOT JUST HAVING STUDENTS RELY ON US, BUT HOW DO WE EMPOWER THEM WITH KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO DO WHAT EVERY STUDENT IS DOING. SO LET, LET ME INTERRUPT YOU. YOU, YOU, YOU DID ME THE KINDNESS OF TAKING ME ON A TOUR OF THE CENTER JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND I GOTTA SAY THE WAY YOU'VE CLEANED THAT PLACE UP AND REFRESHED IT AND MADE IT LOOK NEW, AND, UH, AND PROVIDED, UH, A KIND OF, UH, HONORARY PLACE FOR JUSTIN DART JR. WHO WAS THE FATHER OF THE A DA AND, UH, A TEXAN. UH, THAT'S AMAZING. AND THE, UH, STAFF, YOU BROUGHT IN A WHOLE NEW STAFF. YEP. UH, PEOPLE VERY, UH, WELL-TRAINED, SKILLED, UH, THEY'RE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SERVE AND THEY ALL HAVE A GREAT ATTITUDE. SO GOOD JOB ON THAT. YOU'RE MAKING PROGRESS. THANK YOU. AND THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT I VALUE, UH, INTEGRITY, PROFESSIONALISM, AND JUST, UM, A HEART FOR SERVICE. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE DISABILITY MOVEMENT AND THE RIGHT CIVIL RIGHTS, UM, IT TAKES THOSE KIND OF PEOPLE TO DO THAT. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, SINCE I'VE, I'VE STARTED THERE, I'VE TRIED TO HIRE THOSE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PRINCIPLES, THE SAME, UM, DESIRE. AND, UM, SO WITH THAT, WE'VE, IN ADDITION TO THE ARTWORK AND THE THINGS WE'VE DONE INTERNALLY, WE'VE ALSO CREATED A MULTIPURPOSE ROOM FOR STUDENTS TO, UH, STUDY, PREPARE, AND MEET OTHER STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. WE ALSO HAVE AN ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY LAB THAT HAS THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY. WE HAVE A BRAILLE EMBOSSER, WE HAVE THERMAL PRINTING, UM, WE HAVE CCTVS, WE HAVE DRAGON NATURAL SPEAKING, JUST A, A PLETHORA OF LIKE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES THAT, UM, STUDENTS CAN ACCESS, BE TRAINED ON AND LEARN AND JUST DO THEIR THING LIKE OTHER STUDENTS. AND I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT WE'VE BROUGHT THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS, IN ADDITION TO OUR TEAM, THE ARTWORK AND, UH, THE PASSION IS THAT WE'VE CREATED EVENTS. SO WE BROUGHT BACK, UH, THE WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY EVENT TO, UH, UH, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 10 YEARS, UM, WHICH HAD OVER 400 PEOPLE THIS PAST OCTOBER. WE HAVE A DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT SYMPOSIUM THAT HELPS, UH, STUDENTS FIND, UH, ANSWERS AND, UH, INFORMATION ON HOW TO LAND THAT JOB THAT THEY WANT TO LAND. AND ALSO, UH, WORKING WITH EMPLOYERS TO VALUE, UH, WHY [00:25:01] IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIRE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. WE HAD A TRANSITION FAIR FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UH, WITH DISABILITIES TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 5 0 4 AND A DA, UM, ATTEND A RESOURCE FAIR. WE HAD AN ADAPTIVE ATHLETIC EVENT WHERE THEY COULD LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT SPORTING OPPORTUNITIES. THEY GOT A CAMPUS TOUR. SO I THINK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS, IT COMES FULL CIRCLE BECAUSE YOU HELP STUDENTS COMING INTO THE UNIVERSITY IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE, AND THEN YOU HELP THEM TRANSITION OUT, UM, TO, UH, THAT PLACE. SO THE EX EXCITING THING IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN STUDENTS GRADUATE AND THEY, THEY HAVE THOSE SKILLS, THEY HAVE SOME TOOLS THAT THEY CAN TAKE WITH THEM, THEN THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEM DOING THE SAME THING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE YEAH. IS REALLY EXCITING. SO I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, SOME OF THE NEW BUILDINGS AT U OF H HAVE UNFORTUNATELY INCLUDED SOME, UH, BARRIERS THAT I DON'T THINK WERE INTENDED, BUT, UH, THEY DO, UH, FUNCTION AS BARRIERS TO THOSE OF US WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS. AND YOU'VE ALREADY TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO GO IN AND HELP THE UNIVERSITY CORRECT THOSE ERRORS AND, AND MAKE THE WHOLE SPACE BARRIER FREE. YEP. YEP. WE'VE, UH, LIKE I, LIKE I'VE MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES, IT TAKES A VILLAGE APPROACH TO REALLY BUILD A CULTURE OF ACCESS. AND SO, UM, I BUILT VALUABLE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FACILITIES, IT AUXILIARY SERVICES, AND, UM, I'M IN ALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UH, TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO WE BEST DESIGN THE UNIVERSITY IN A BETTER WAY. SO WHEN THE FOOTBALL TEAM OR THE BASKETBALL TEAM GOES BACK TO THEIR NEXT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, WILL THERE BE, UM, A PROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF TICKETS AND SEATS RESERVED FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES? YES, SIR. YEAH. I'M GONNA HOLD YOU THROUGH THAT BUDDY. I'M GONNA, THE, UH, THE, UH, UH, ONE, ONE THING. SOMETIMES DISABLED, UH, SERVICE PROGRAMS GET SORT OF, UH, RELEGATED TO THE SECOND OR THIRD TIER OF MANAGEMENT AT U OF H. ARE, ARE YOU, UH, MEETING WITH THE SENIOR LEVEL MANAGEMENT TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE THE UNIVERSITY BETTER? I'M VERY INVOLVED AND, UH, VALUED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS. UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I REALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, I DRIVE ALL THE WAY FROM THE WOODLANDS TO WORK EVERY DAY, UM, WHICH IS A, A TREK, BUT THE THING THAT I REALLY, UH, HAVE LOVED SINCE FIRST GETTING THERE IS THAT, UM, I'M RESPECTED, UH, THAT CONVERSATION IS RESPECTED. UM, ACCESS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE WORKING TOWARD. AND AGAIN, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT REALLY, UM, GRAVITATED ME TOWARD THIS JOB HERE, WAS THAT THE DIRECTION AND THE, THE, THE VISION THAT THEY HAD FOR WHAT STUDENTS SHOULD BE GETTING HERE WAS SOMETHING THAT JUST, UM, IS EXCITING, THAT BODES WELL FOR THE FUTURE. UH, KYLE, WE ABOUT TO WRAP UP HERE TODAY. I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU AND, AND WITH THEIR AUDIENCE. UH, THE PERSON WHO DID THE FIRST AUTOMATED BOWLING ALLEY IN TEXAS WAS JUSTIN DART, FOR WHOM THE, UH, CENTER IS NAMED AFTER JUSTIN WAS AN ENTREPRENEUR, UH, WHEN HE FINISHED COLLEGE. AND, UH, HE, HE BROUGHT TO TEXAS THE FIRST AUTOMATED BOWLING ALLEY. SO THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME. THAT AMONG OTHER THINGS, HE'S A REMARKABLE MAN. YEAH. UH, AND ANYBODY WANTS TO KNOW THE HISTORY, GOOGLE JUSTIN DART JR. AND ALSO VISIT THE, UH, DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. UH, KYLE, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING OUR GUEST TODAY AND, UH, HOPE YOU'LL BE ON AGAIN. UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES IN THE FUTURE THAT YOU'D LIKE FOLKS TO BE INVOLVED IN, I KNOW THEY CAN GO TO YOUR WEBSITE. YOU WANT TO GIVE US A, A WEBSITE AND A PHONE NUMBER THEY CAN REACH YOU AT. SURE, YOU CAN. AN EASY WAY TO FIND US IS JUST GO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON WEBSITE AND TYPE IN DART CENTER AND THAT PULLS UP OUR, OUR SITE. UM, YOU CAN ALSO REACH ME AT, UH, 7 1 3 7 4 3 7 3 6 6. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING OUR GUEST TODAY. THANK YOU. HONORED TO BE HERE. THANK ALL OF YOU FOR WATCHING, FOCUS ON ABILITIES. AND I WANT TO THANK OUR IN STUDIO AUDIENCE TODAY. WE'VE GOT A LIVE, UH, AUDIENCE AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. UH, WE HOPE ALL OF YOU WILL JOIN US NEXT TIME FOR MORE FOCUS ON ABILITIES. I'M LEX FRIEDEN. UH, WISHING YOU ALL A GREAT DAY. UH, THANKS. AND, UH, THANKS TO HTV. WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.