天天吃瓜 will host , a Disability Awareness Day event, on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
The daylong event, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Northeastern鈥檚 main campus, 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Chicago.
鈥淭he purpose of the event is to change the way everyone鈥攊ncluding those with disabilities鈥攖hinks about disabilities,鈥 said Doug Lawson, director of Northeastern鈥檚 . 鈥淵ou can have all the laws and policies in place, but if the cultural model is not viewing people with a disability for their abilities then laws and policies are only half the civil rights battle.鈥
Here are the day鈥檚 planned sessions:
Social Justice & Everyone's Rights
The goal of this session is to promote a conversation about self-advocating, and how to relinquish passivity when it comes to personal rights.
Disrupting the Disability Narrative
What does it mean when you call someone 鈥渄eaf,鈥 鈥渄umb,鈥 鈥渋mpaired鈥 or 鈥渟pecial鈥?
Universal Design for Learning
This presentation addresses methods to make anything accessible to anyone at any time, regardless of the environment.
Next Steps for NEIU
Five students and an alumnus will sit on the panel of this closing forum. The goal is to keep the conversation moving regarding advocacy, and to provoke the status quo when it comes to accessibility of education and environment.
The day鈥檚 events also will include an all-day photo exhibit about what it鈥檚 like to be a student with a disability on campus and community partner resource tables.
