A journey which began over twenty years ago, the passion behind INCIGHT’s creation has been driven by a belief in the potential of people with disabilities to be active contributors to society. Although the language and goals have evolved since those early days, the core values and spirit of the organization and its founders remain unchanged.
In truth, the roots of INCIGHT dig much deeper than the official twenty-year history, harking back to the founders' days on campus at the University of Portland. Guided by an ethos of expectations,_ potential, and an entrepreneurial passion, their desire was to change the world.
The origins of INCIGHT, in fact, can be traced back to the University of Portland’s entrepreneur scholars program where the foundation was established for the launch of Keen Healthcare. Built around a vision of innovating mobility products so the aging, elderly and disabled could more fully contribute to society, Keen’s growth laid the footing for INCIGHT's future emergence as an organization. It was this shell which gave INCIGHT the in-kind office and resources needed to begin as a nonprofit.
Started by Vail Horton, born without legs and Scott Hatley, diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, each saw ways to support and empower people with disabilities differently. Having already started Keen, Vail had a vision to go further. Scott knew he wanted to make a social impact with his life, and this was a purpose he could direct his life around.
Feeling so passionate about this new entity, Scott put $5,000 of his own savings into getting the nonprofit off the ground.
Joined by their college friend Jerry Carleton, INCIGHT soon had what it needed to take flight.
An important commonality joined each: their families expected they would attend college, pursue a career path and live independently.
Amidst this backdrop, this passionate group of changemakers recognized a critical gap in society—people with disabilities and barriers were often left out of the conversation, lacked expectations for their lives and were not finding the same levels of education or employment success. Fueled by a commitment to create real change, they envisioned a nonprofit which could provide the tools, resources and support needed for this population’s contribution while also inspiring confidence and igniting potential.
To match this ambition, the selected name and its meaning needed to encompass the intent behind the organization. A great deal of thought went into choosing the best name. As fate would have it, the INCIGHT name was no accident. The final product? A hybrid of the word Insight, meaning the power or act of seeing into a situation to gain understanding, and Incite, to move to action. More than a mere name, this hybrid describes INCIGHT’s founders, staff, and board members, who share a passion to make a difference, along with the personal insight into the challenges and hurdles facing people with disabilities.
With the organization launched, the question remained: what would the early programmatic focus be?
During their college years, Scott often wondered why there weren’t more people with disabilities on campus. He already knew he was one of the few from the Muscular Dystrophy community living on a college campus and still it left ques- tions. It led to the founders dreaming about how they could help more people have their same experiences. They knew school districts varied in resources, expectations and opportunities, and the student experiences were not created equal. It was clear most kids made it to high school, and it was only after graduation when the supports would go away, creating the potential to fall through the cracks. They also realized we needed a hook to draw students in, and presto! INCIGHT’s signature scholarship program was born!
The scholarship program was in full force before the organization became an official nonprofit. INCIGHT awarded its first scholarship to a student at Portland’s Roosevelt High School and on February 27, 2004 the IRS officially granted INCIGHT its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. From one scholarship the first year to 1,010 scholarships since, INCIGHT has awarded $715,000 in scholarship dollars over twenty years. An amazing feat!
INCIGHT believes everyone has unrealized potential which can be unlocked and empowered. As such, programs are built to provide the opportunities this population needs to find success, pursue their dreams and contribute to society.
A few years into the scholarship program, the team launched a suite of employment-related activities, including job fairs, Meet business events, Get Ahead jobseeker workshops and job coaching. All are geared toward connecting employers with qualified candidates. In the past decade, INCIGHT launched both the INCIGHTful curriculum for high school students and The Understanding magazine to shift perspectives and change hearts and minds.
From these early aspirations, a movement has grown that continues to drive inclusion and empowerment, touching countless lives along the way. INCIGHT works with people, organizations and cultures, helping them thrive as they reach for their fullest potential. It is through these profound relationships that
INCIGHT can change hearts and minds, leverage obstacles and unlock potential.
INCIGHT was born out of a desire to shift perceptions, challenge the status quo, and build a community where everyone has the chance to shine. So much is still ahead, and INCIGHT is barely scratching the surface of its potential. As we embark on the next twenty years, we will humbly stay true and authentic to the founder's ["founders'"_?] vision. The coming decades will include continued growth, evolution, innovation and change for INCIGHT. Optimistically, they will also include a significant movement of the needle in the number of people with disabilities obtaining education degrees and jobs. When this vision becomes a reality, we will know that greater expectations have been created, more potential has been unlocked, and hearts and minds have been changed for the better.
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