Campus Disability Advocates, a student-run organization at UT, will hold its second Disability Week from October 21 through 25.
The events aim to educate the public about the social and economic issues that often accompany disabilities, local advocacy work for equality, and the value of having diverse life experiences.
All events are free and open to the public and begin at 7:00 p.m. in the International House Great Room, 1623 Melrose Avenue.
The lineup includes
- Monday, October 21—Showcase of Knoxville Disability Organizations: A panel of representatives from various Knoxville disability support and advocacy groups will discuss their work and the progress Knoxville has made toward inclusion for people with disabilities. Represented groups include the Disability Resource Center, Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee, Disability Law and Advocacy Center, and Goodwill Industries.
- Tuesday, October 22—Forum on Employment and Disability: Representatives from the Knoxville Area Employment Consortium, local employers, and United Campus Workers will discuss the barriers and benefits of employment to people with disabilities in addition to the accommodations employers are required to provide for workers with disabilities.
- Wednesday, October 23—Pizza and Open-book Trivia: Because disability is a subject many are unfamiliar with, trivia teams will be allowed to use the Internet to answer questions while enjoying some pizza.
- Thursday, October 24—Trix Bruce, a deaf performing artist, will present a piece called “The Hearing World Around Me” about her life experiences and deaf culture.
- Friday, October 25—Film screening of The Intouchables, a movie that offers a humanizing narrative about disability. It tells the story of a paraplegic man who hires a personal care attendant without a nursing background.
Assisting with the events are UT’s Central Programing Council; the Colleges of Education, Law, Nursing, and Social Work; and the Departments of English, Political Science, Public Health, and Sociology.
For more information about Campus Disability Advocates, visit the group’s website.
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C O N T A C T :
Lindsay Lee (llee26@utk.edu)
Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)