March is Disability Awareness Month for the state of Indiana and IU Kokomo
March 20, 2008
March is Disability Awareness Month for the state of Indiana. Indiana University Kokomo supports the Governor’s Council each year by developing events that promote awareness and acceptance for individuals and families living and working right here in our community who deal with disabilities. The 2008 theme, “Attitude is Everything”, is incorporated into IU Kokomo’s programs with the hope that through education the campus can assist the community with developing a stronger understanding for the vast capabilities of those who are faced every day with these challenges.
There are approximately 51.2 million people in the United States that have some level of disability; 2.7 million people age 15 and over use a wheelchair; another 9.1 million use ambulatory aids such as crutches, canes, or walkers. Of those with learning disabilities, 35% will drop out of high school, and only 14% have attended a post secondary school program, in comparison to 53% of students in the general population.
The IU Kokomo Disability Awareness Month campaign will focus specifically on educating people to the possibilities of individuals with disabilities. On March 17, 2008, in the Kelley Student Center Commons at 12 noon, IU Kokomo sophomore Chris Russell will make his debut as a stand-up comedian. Russell takes a fresh look at living with a disability by using humor to help his audience learn about disability awareness. Russell was born with cerebral palsy, yet has not let that stop him from expressing himself and becoming a successful student. Chris entertains his audience and opens them up to a “new attitude” about disability awareness.
On March 18, 2008 from 1-2:30 p.m. at the IU Kokomo Art Gallery, the IU Kokomo Office of Disability Service, in partnership with Bona Vista Industries, will present a “working lunch” workshop entitled “Transitioning From School to Adult Life” led by IUPUI Associate Professor of Special Education, Patricia Rogan, Ph.D. Rogan will address how schools can partner with families and adult services to ensure a seamless transition for youth with disabilities. This free event is open to the public and refreshments will be served.
Throughout the month of March, the IU Kokomo library will make available resources on disability success stories. Several documentaries will be available in the library for viewing.
The videos available are:
Beyond Disability: The Fe Fe Stories is about a group of young women with disabilities, who hit the streets of Chicago on a quest to discover the differences between how they see themselves and how others see them.
Sound and Fury, an Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary Feature, asks the question: If you could make your deaf child hear, would you? This is the story of the Artinian family, whose members include deaf and hearing members across three generations.
Inside Dyslexia, a provocative look into the world of learning disabilities.
The 10 Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities, a training video that uses humorous vignettes to deliver its disability awareness message.
The film, When Billy Broke His Head…and Other Tales of Wonder, is an entertaining and sometimes humorous story about disability, civil rights, and the search for intelligent life after brain damage.
King Gimp is the portrait of Dan Kiplinger who was born with cerebral palsy and his discovery of art that freed his spirit of expression from the prison of his body.
The IU Kokomo Center for Early Childhood Education sends out child development totes on a monthly basis to over 500 children, ages 3–5. These totes are filled with educational items such as books and pamphlets that are very specific to their age. The Center announced that during March’s Disability Awareness Month, the totes would include material that will help to explain different types of disabilities, promoting acceptance. In addition, a newsletter will be mailed to over 1,000 parents of young children promoting the “Attitude is Everything” Program.
Also on March 18 at 10 a.m., Director of the IU Kokomo Center for Early Childhood Education Marilyn Skinner, Ed.D, will present a special reading to children in IU Kokomo’s “Little Learners” daycare program. She will be reading from literature that will help children acquire positive attitudes toward disabilities at an earlier age.
This year’s events are co-sponsored by Indiana University Kokomo Staff Council, IU Kokomo Center for Early Childhood Education, and Bona Vista. For more information on these events, please, contact Coordinator of Disability Services, Carolyn Hildebrandt, at cshildeb@iuk.edu or by phone at 765-455-9309.
