February 21, 2005

Affirmative Action Office to promote Disability Awareness Month

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue University Affirmative Action Office has scheduled several events in acknowledgement of Disability Awareness Month, which is recognized each March throughout Indiana.

The Purdue celebration will include five events from March 7-28 and will feature a presentation by hearing-impaired comedian and motivational speaker Kathy Buckley at 7 p.m. March 7 in the Purdue Memorial Union's East and West Faculty Lounges.

All of the Disability Awareness Month events at Purdue are free and open to the public.

Buckley, who has been nominated four times as best female stand-up comic at the American Comedy Awards, will kick off the events. Her performance will focus on her life and the challenges she has faced as a person with a disability. Buckley's performance is sponsored by the Affirmative Action Office, the Office of the Vice President for Human Relations and Adaptive Programs.

"Her amazing success as a hearing-impaired person in such a public and competitive business makes Buckley a perfect role model for people with disabilities of any kind," said Gavin Steiger, assistant director of the Affirmative Action Office. "Buckley's presentation is an ideal centerpiece for this year's Disability Awareness Month events at Purdue."

Buckley also will serve as guest speaker at the March 8 reception honoring 2005 Focus Award recipients. Focus Awards are given annually to individuals affiliated with Purdue who have advanced the university's commitment to improving disability accessibility and diversity.

The complete schedule for Disability Awareness Month events at Purdue is as follows:

• March 7. 7-8 p.m. Memorial Union, East and West Faculty Lounges. Buckley presentation.

• March 8. 10-11 a.m. Memorial Union, West Faculty Lounge. Creating Inclusive Environments. A reception honoring the 2005 Focus Award recipients. Sponsored by the Affirmative Action Office, the Office of the Vice President for Human Relations, Adaptive Programs, Human Resource Services, Physical Facilities, and Space Management and Academic Scheduling.

• March 15. 2-3:30 p.m. Stewart Center, Room 304. A Perspective on Reasonable Accommodation. A seminar focusing on reasonable accommodation and the employment process under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Sponsored by the Affirmative Action Office. An ADA Distance Learning Series program.

• March 22. 2-4 p.m. Stewart Center, Room 310. ADA Overview. A seminar focusing on past, current and future implications of the act. Sponsored by the Affirmative Action Office.

• March 28. 2-4 p.m. Stewart Center, Room 310. ADA for Supervisors. A seminar focused on supervisor implementation of the ADA. Sponsored by the Affirmative Action Office.

To reserve a space, request an accommodation or receive more information on any of the events, please contact the Affirmative Action Office at (765) 494-7253, TTY (765) 496-1343, aao@purdue.edu.

Disability Awareness Month was established by the Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities.

Writer: Aaron Martin, (765) 496-3133, martinac@purdue.edu

Source: Gavin Steiger, (765) 494-7253, aao@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Media are welcome at all events. To make arrangements, contact Gavin Steiger, Affirmative Action Office assistant director, (765) 494-7253, TTY (765) 496-1343, aao@purdue.edu.

To the News Service home page