Purdue News

March 1, 2002 Disability Awareness Month events begin at Purdue WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Disability Awareness Month activities begin at Purdue Wednesday (3/6) with a reception and awards ceremony honoring those who have aided the university's efforts in disability accessibility and diversity. Purdue Provost Sally Frost Mason will discuss "Disability Diversity: Reaching New Heights" at 10 a.m. in the Purdue Memorial Union, East Faculty Lounge. The Focus Awards are given annually to current students, faculty, staff, alumni and retirees for their accomplishments and contributions to improving disability accessibility. Disability Diversity is co-sponsored by the Affirmative Action Office, Adaptive Programs, Physical Facilities and Personnel Services. Reservations are requested. Contact the Affirmative Action Office at (765) 494-7253 or (765) 496-1343 (TTY). This and other activities in March are free and open to Purdue faculty, staff and students. During the month compliance and disabilities services staff will provide materials at information booths on campus. Materials available will include literature about disability-related language, etiquette, the Indiana Governor's Planning Council for People with Disabilities, Purdue's Tactile Access to Education program and more. Information was being made available to the Purdue community beginning today (Friday, 3/1). Information also will be available Monday (3/4) from 9-11 a.m. in the lobby of the Materials and Electrical Engineering Building; and Monday, March 18, from 9-11 a.m. in the lobby of the Steven C. Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education. On Tuesday, March 19, the Affirmative Action Office will co-sponsor "Playgrounds and Play Areas: Application of the Americans with Disabilities Act." The teleconference will be from 2-3 p.m. in Stewart Center, Room 202. The teleconference is one in a series of distance learning opportunities available to the area community featuring information regarding the ADA. The presentation will highlight accessibility guidelines and discuss their practical implications in play areas. The teleconference is open to the public. Other presentations include: • "Implementing the ADA for Supervisors at Purdue" on Thursday, March 21, from 10-11:30 a.m. in Stewart Center, Room 202. This workshop, open to all campus supervisors, will examine what constitutes a disability, how to recognize an employee's request for a reasonable accommodation, and what to do next. Reservations are requested. • "Look Who’s Laughing" on Monday, March 25, from 1:15-2:15 p.m. in Stewart Center, Room 320. The documentary shows the lives, experiences and humor of six working comedians who have various types of disabilities. The documentary, shot at comedy clubs across the country, is open to the public. • "Demonstration by EPICS" on Wednesday, March 27, from 11 a.m. to noon in Potter Engineering Center, Room 234, known as the Fu Room. Purdue's Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program students will demonstrate three of the projects that they are currently undertaking to assist Purdue students with disabilities. Projects involve an adjustable table, an adjustable chair and an interactive campus map. The students involved in the campus map project recently received a $5,000 grant from the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. The demonstration is open to the public. Reservations are required. For more information, to make a reservation, or to request an accommodation, contact the Affirmative Action Office at (765) 494-7253 or 496-1343 (TTY). Writer: Grant Flora, (765) 494-2076, gflora@purdue.edu Source: Gina Kerr, compliance and disability services assistant director, (765) 494-7253; gkerr@purdue.edu. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page