Brian Kajiyama: Heart of a Warrior

COE Student Brian Kajiyama was featured on the September 30th episode of ESPN's news magazine program, E:60 in a story called, "Brian Kajiyama's Heart of a Warrior." Last season, Brian was an inspirational member of the UH Warrior football team, serving wholeheartedly as a graduate assistant and coach.
 
Watch the Video | Read the Press Release by ESPN's E:60

UH College of Education Doctoral Student Is An Inspiration
 
Brian Kajiyama, PhD student in the College of Education Department of Special Education, is an extraordinary mentor and role model whose cerebral palsy has driven him to achieve more and give back. His quiet, kind demeanor and wheelchair belie his huge presence, according to Steven E. Brown, Assistant Professor at the Center on Disability Studies (CDS). "Brian has impacted every single person I've seen come into contact with him, from fellow students to professors,"said Brown.
 
Kajiyama also earned his masters in the COE Department of Counselor Education with an emphasis on vocational rehabilitation. Dr. Brenda Cartwright, chair of counselor education and Kajiyama's advisor at the time, said, "Given his personal experiences and knowledge of disability-related issues gained through academia, I have no doubt that he will demonstrate leadership and continued advocacy to ensure that the civil rights and service needs of people with disabilities are addressed." Currently, his doctoral focus is on exceptionalities.
 
A graduate assistant for CDS for two years, Kajiyama has been a presenter and an MC for their national Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities. He has also presented at a number of other conferences with COE faculty. This year, Kajiyama served as a graduate assistant for the University of Hawaii Warrior football team. "I really enjoyed the experience, though it was a challenge to balance the demands of a PhD program with my responsibilities to the football team," said Kajiyama.
 
With the support of the COE, Kajiyama spearheaded Art Enabled, a student-organized event that is designed to celebrate the arts and disability while commemorating the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. It is an inclusive community event where people of all abilities enjoy a day of entertainment, culminating in the creation of a large mural. While the event has grown over the years, Kajiyama's vision is to take Art Enabled and share it with other states across America. "This demonstrates that great things can come from ideas inspired by faculty at the COE," he said.
 
Faculty and students alike are, in turn, inspired by Kajiyama. Rhonda Black, professor in the Department of Special Education, shared that he has supported numerous students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in learning technology applications. "He also has taught all of us in the Department of Special Education about the power of augmentative communication," she said. He communicates through a talking keyboard device, which he acquired after an 18-month battle with the Hawai'i's State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. James Skouge, assistant professor of educational technologies in special education, supported Kajiyama through the ordeal and has written about it as well as other stories regarding his and Kajiyama's work together.
 
"Apparently voiceless, Brian's message has come through loud and clear: people with disabilities, no matter how significant their impairments may appear, possess much value to offer the world," added Brown. "Everyone in the College of Education and beyond can benefit from paying attention to this perspective of valuing everyone's abilities."
 
Kajiyama has provided a multitude of counseling services to students with severe disabilities and from culturally diverse groups. He was appointed to the Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB) where he has demonstrated his understanding and commitment to the needs of the disability community for the past three years.
 
"He has an attitude of wanting to pay back those who have helped him through the years," said Jean Johnson, Associate Director for CDS. "The Easter Seals Board of Directors is waiting for a time when his life settles down so he can join their board." Kajiyama looks forward to a career as a professor in the Department of Special Education, specializing in assistive technologies for persons with disabilities.