CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — A University of Virginia student is preparing to cross the graduation stage not only as a kinesiology major, but as the engineer of his own mobility. Brian Douglas, a fourth-year student, will walk at graduation on a pair of prosthetic legs he designed and built himself, a journey that began with a summer internship assignment and evolved into a deeply personal milestone.
Douglas, who has used prosthetics since childhood, embraced the opportunity in the summer of 2023 to build his own. What started as a project quickly became a symbol of autonomy and empowerment.
“It’s super fulfilling,” Douglas said. “It kind of gave me a greater sense of control over my own mobility.”
His motivation is rooted in a sense of perspective and resilience. “Somebody else in a worse situation is putting their best foot forward every single day and pushing through it every single day,” Douglas said. “So, why can’t I? Why shouldn’t I be doing the same thing?”
Beyond the technical achievement, Douglas wants others to look past his prosthetics and see him for who he is. He is pushing back against limiting perceptions of disability.
“We’re tucked and crammed into the monolith that is disability, and I think that is kind of a mindset that needs to be shed as we move forward,” he said.
Now mentoring others and continuing to do the things he loves, Douglas says the work gives him a sense of joy that’s hard to match. Though he acknowledges the journey has its challenges, he believes struggle is part of everyone’s story.
“A lot of things are difficult, even if you don’t have a disability,” he said. “I think that people need to know that it’s OK to fail because failure is not the end of our journey. Give yourself some grace.”
As he prepares for graduation, Douglas is not only walking across the stage — he’s moving forward on his own terms, step by step.
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