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Multiple Perspectives on
Access, Inclusion,
and Disability
Annual Conference
2006 Detailed Program
April 17th -- 18th, 2006
Pfahl Executive Education & Conference Center; The Ohio State University Campus, Columbus Ohio.
The organizing theme for the sixth annual conference will be "Personal Perspectives & Social Impact: The Stories We Tell." The goal is to encourage presenters and participants to reflect on how personal experiences create and transform social, cultural, and legal realities. A look into what the psychologist Theodore Sarbin referred to as "the storied nature of human conduct."
Before reading the program below, please meet the sponsors.
- ADA-OHIO
- ADA-OHIO is a state wide non-profit organization that provides information, technical assistance, and training about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to individuals, businesses, state and local government agencies or municipalities. Anyone who has a question about the ADA is encouraged to call their office at 1-800-ADA-OHIO or 614-844-5410 or visit the website at: http://www.ada-ohio.org/informat.htm
- FAME Project
- The Ohio State University is collaborating with national partners and select urban, suburban, and rural colleges and universities to develop, pilot and disseminate Faculty and Administrator Modules in Higher Education (FAME) that are designed to improve the quality of education for students with disabilities. National organizations such as AHEAD, HEATH, CAST and NCSPS have agreed to partner with Ohio State to develop universally-designed training modules that reflect state-of-the-art technologies and content for faculty and administrators in order to improve student education. Visit the website at:http://ada.osu.edu/resources/fastfacts/index.htm
- Ohio ADA Coordinators’ Network
- The Ohio ADA Coordinator's Network was created to provide networking,
information and resource sharing opportunities for individuals serving
as ADA Coordinators, 504 Compliance Officers or in similar roles in
government (municipal, county, state or federal) or business settings
across the state of Ohio. The Network's initial goals are to hold a
meeting once a year; to sponsor a discussion list; and generate an index
of commonly useful resources.
The Ohio ADA Coordinator's Network was initiated by the collaborative efforts of ADA-OHIO, The ADA Coordinator's Office at The Ohio State University, and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission in the hope that others will join our effort to share information to expand opportunities in Ohio.
This group is intended to serve as the discussion list and will be open to members to post questions in the expectation that the synergy of virtual brainstorming and discussion will improve our efforts. Additionally, once every six to eight weeks an expert will be invited to present a case study or emerging issue to the list and lead a discussion on that topic.
Membership: Limited to professionals responsible for compliance with the ADA, Section 504 and other laws focused on disability in Government and Business settings within the state of Ohio. Link to join Ohio ADA Coordinator's Network -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ohioadanetwork/ - The Ohio State University: Office of Academic Affairs
- Link to Academic Affairs -- http://oaa.osu.edu/
- The Ohio State University: ADA Coordinator’s Office
- 614-292-6207; Link to ADA Coordinator's Office -- http://ada.osu.edu
- The Ohio State University: ASL Program
- Link to ASL program -- http://asl.osu.edu/
- The Ohio State University: The Digital Union
- – 614-292-2793; Link to the Digital Union -- http://telr.ohio-state.edu/digitalunion
- The Ohio State University: Disability Studies Program
- Link to Disability Studies Program -- http://disabilitystudies.osu.edu/
- The Ohio State University: Web Accessibility Center
- – 614-292-1760; Link to the Web Accessiblity Center -- http://www.wac.ohio-state.edu/
2006 Conference Program
Last Updated: April 13, 2006. Check back regularly for updates and changes.
Please click here for a Word version of the Conference Program.
Through the generous subsidy of our sponsors, the conference fee of $300 has been reduced to a $50 fee for each day. (This fee Includes materials, breaks and lunch). For OSU students lunch is $5 and the conference sessions are free. For OSU faculty & staff, the conference is $20 per day.
Multiple Perspectives
on Access, Inclusion, and Disability Conference
April 17-18, 2006
Monday April 17 (8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. sign-in)
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Where to Tell Your Story
Facilitated by L. Scott Lissner, ADA Coordinator, The Ohio State University Panel will consist
of: C. Larry Watson, Associate Regional Attorney, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Cleveland Field Office; Michael Kirkman, J.D., Legal Director, Ohio Legal Rights; L. Irene Bowen, Deputy Chief, Disability Rights Section, U.S. Department of Justice; Tamara Perry, Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights; Ronnell Tomlinson, Ohio Civil
Rights Commission; and Karla Ussery and Kelly McHargh, Department
of Education’s Office For Civil Rights.
If you have a story to tell, who do you tell it to? DOJ, OCR, OCRC, OLRS, EEOC, State Court, Federal Court….. To kick off this year’s theme “Personal Perspectives and Social Impact: The Stories We Tell” we have assembled a group of experts representing key technical assistance and enforcement agencies. Each agency will introduce its jurisdiction and the range of issues it addresses; describe its services and processes; and conclude with a brief discussion of priorities and initiatives for the upcoming year. After the panelists have introduced their organizations they will field questions and answers from the audience.
11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Session A: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Ruth Colker,
Professor and Heck Faust Memorial Chair in Constitutional Law, Moritz College of Law, The
Ohio State University, and Vanessa Coterel, Attorney-at-Law, The Legal Aid Society of
Columbus.
A typical IEP meeting includes 4-8 professionals from the school system meeting with one
parent, maybe two, and can be intimidating. Based on this experience Prof. Colker applied for and
received a grant and developed a special education practicum; an interdisciplinary course that
brings together law students and Allied Health students. The students, working with the Columbus
Legal Aid Society, apply what they learn in class to support students and parents going through
the IEP process. This session will describe the experiences of the faculty and students
participating in this experience and discuss models for sharing the curriculum with advocacy groups
and other colleges.
Session B: Let's Build a House! Accessible & Affordable Homes Using the ABILITY
House Model. Gillian Friedman, M.D., Executive Director, ABILITY Awareness, Chet Cooper,
Founder, ABILITY Awareness and the non-profit ABILITY Magazine, and James Chaffin, Program Manager,
Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps-OH.
In this presentation, Mr. Cooper will discuss his personal experiences and how, with the help of
Habitat for Humanity, he turned ABILITY House from an idea into a dynamic program recognized by
President George W. Bush with the Presidential Service Award, the nation’s highest award for
volunteer service. Presenters will explain the College Students Initiative and how students who
have disabilities are encouraged to participate and lead local projects. ABILITY House facilitates
constructing accessible Habitat homes for families with disabilities, while outreaching to people
with disabilities in the community to build the homes. It allows students with disabilities
preparing to enter the job market to show employers not only academic success, but also leadership
experience and community involvement.
Attendees will learn how ABILITY House demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating people
with disabilities as volunteers and making the necessary accommodations for their full
participation. Presenters will discuss the measures that ABILITY recommends to Habitat affiliates to
make their programs accessible. Mr. Chaffin will answer questions about Habitat for Humanity and
give an overview of Habitat volunteer opportunities.
Session C. Remote Infrared Audible Signage: A Quest for Orientation Access. Jeff Moyer,
Vice President, Talking Signs, Inc.
The presenter will discuss his personal quest to see orientation access included as a provision on
par with physical access for people who use wheelchairs for mobility. For the last twelve years,
he has taken every opportunity to advocate, educate, motivate, and teach about how RIAS (Remote
Infrared Audible Signage) can offer new freedom, independence, and barrier removal for individuals
with visual, cognitive, and learning disabilities. In 1981, he visited the Smith-Kettlewell
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center in San Francisco, California. He was there conducting
research of his own on the state of voice output reading technology for those with visual
disabilities. A prototype technology—Remote Infrared Audible Signage (RIAS)--was demonstrated
for him: Small electronic boxes mounted above office doors broadcast repeating human voice messages
over infrared light. A small handheld receiver when pointed at the signs identified room locations
through the announcement of the message carried through the infrared transmission and decoded by
the receiver. The technology was impressive, could obviously be useful, but seemed like an
impossible idea to implement as a broad public access provision. Today, RIAS MAP (Remote Infrared
Audible Signage Model Accessibility Project) is included as Title III Section 3046 of the Federal
Transportation Act of 2005. A city will be selected for this regional implementation of RIAS and
a four year study will ensue to research the impact of this orientation technology on employment,
education, quality of life and community integration for individuals with visual, cognitive and
learning disabilities. The power of advocacy truly is in the hands of individuals and, when
advocacy is engaged, orientation access can result.
Session D: Documenting Workplace Accommodations. C. Larry Watson, Associate Regional
Attorney, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Cleveland Field Office.
When an employee requests an accommodation:
- How much documentation does the employer need?
- When is a “fitness for duty” exam appropriate?
- Where should disability documentation be kept?
- Who should have access to disability related information?
12:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Lunch & Information Exchange with the 3rd Annual ADA Award presentation by ADA-OHIO to Dave Cameron.
The Ohio State University would like to congratulate Dave Cameron, the recipient of the third annual ADA
Award presented by ADA-OHIO and sponsored by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council. The award
is presented to individuals and/or organizations who have made significant contributions in support
of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA Award will be presented at this luncheon.
2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Session A: Drama Discovery: Curtain up on a Solution for Students with Emotional and/or
Behavioral Exceptionalities. Shellie Hipsky, Assistant Professor, Robert Morris
University.
This workshop expresses the powerful stories of impact on self-efficacy regarding reading and their
own exceptionalities on a class of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. The objective
of this study was to evaluate the effect of dramatic arts in combination with bibliotherapy, which
is the use of literary sources to help people solve complex problems and find understanding about
a topic (Sullivan & Strang, 2003). This presentation will engage the audience in a research-based
workshop that will teach the audience member how to engage their classes in theater games in
combination with bibliotherapy to create a positive effect on students’ self-efficacy
regarding their own exceptionality.
Session B: What Is the Process in Order to Build a Universal Design Custom Home?
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D., President, Rosemarie Speaks (Link to website for Rosemarie Rossetti www.RosemarieSpeaks.com),
& Patrick Manley, RA, AIAA, President, Manley Architecture Group.
(Link to handout for Rossetti/Manley presentation -- http://www.UDLL.com.)
The presenters will discuss a case study of a national model universal design home
that is being built in Central Ohio. The program will focus on the process of selecting the lot,
builder, architect, and designers. The various approaches that were explored in space planning
will be presented. A step by step approach will be illustrated in order to show how the rooms
were positioned to take advantage of the site and to offer maximum utility. Selected universal
design features will be highlighted including the kitchen and bath design.
Session C: Lest We Forget: An Oral History Documentary on Ohio's State Institutions.
Jeff Moyer, Oral Historian and Producer, Music From The Heart.
The presenter will discuss his research on the oral histories of individuals who have been
institutionalized in several State institutions within Ohio from the 1960’s to the present.
He also interviewed siblings, parents, workers, and advocates whose pioneering efforts had
established the community alternatives that have become the norm throughout Ohio and beyond.
Although his own life experience had taken him into the locked wards where he witnessed firsthand
the result of beatings, rape, and medical experimentation and neglect, the stories that were
recorded in his interviews left him shocked and numb. Over a period of nearly three years, he
reduced the interviews to a two hour and fifteen minute audio documentary on two CDs
entitled “Lest We Forget.” These CDs are now in use in universities, training programs,
and advocacy efforts throughout the United States and beyond. The stories told remain as gripping
and compelling as any first person tale could be. This history, long untold, is now available and
will be preserved as a tribute and recorded memory of the suffering endured over the century of
the existence of the brutal and shameful legacy of State institutions.
Session D: From Walking Dogs to Righting Wrongs: A Class Project Leads to Broader Advocacy and a Career in Disability Rights Law. L. Irene Bowen, Deputy Chief,
Disability Rights Section, U.S. Department of Justice.
In 1974 three law students, as part of a “legal activism” class project, successfully
petitioned the FCC to require visual information on television when aural emergency warnings were
aired. The students chose this project partly because of one student's experience walking a dog
for a deaf couple. Afterwards, when they had learned some sign language and had an understanding
of the legal problems deaf people faced, they wanted to do more. They applied for and received a
federal grant to establish the National Center for Law and the Deaf, which provided legal
representation and advocacy for 20 years. One of the students, now Deputy Chief of the Disability
Rights Section at the Justice Department overseeing ADA enforcement, will share her recollections
of how youthful exuberance, serendipity, and perseverance led to the long-term success of the center
and lessons learned. She will also sketch an overview of the changed landscape in disability law
during the past three decades; offer ideas about how to use tools such as litigation, rulemaking,
and training to effect change; and suggest effective ways of interacting with legislators, policy
makers, and the press.
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Session A: Panel: Four Takes on Disability: Czech Republic, Canada, and South Korea. Nathan Chan, Facilitator, Ph.D. Student, Disability Studies, University of Illinois
at Chicago; Jihye Jeon, Ph.D. Student, Disability Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Jitka Sinecka, Ph.D. Student,
Disability Studies, Syracuse University.
"But My Mental Disorder Made Me Do It."
Nathan Chan, Ph.D. Student, Disability Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago.
There are many legal cases which involve individuals with mental disabilities committing heinous
crimes. The presenter will examine how the mental element involved during the act of committing
a crime is taken into consideration in dealing with criminal liability in Canada. Fundamental
information to criminal responsibility and the “not criminally responsible on account of
mental disorder” NCRMD defense (which takes into consideration the accused’s mental
disability at the time of the criminal act by coming to as fair of a disposition as possible)
will be presented. Afterwards, several recent Supreme Court cases will be critically analyzed
to reveal some very compelling themes.
The History of Disability Policy in South Korea: From Warfare to Civil Rights in the
Perspective of the Poli-Administrative Model.
Jihye Jeon, Ph.D. Student, Disability Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago.
Disability issues have been marginalized in the field of social policy. While the progress from
social exclusion to social inclusion is being debated in academic fields or places of civil
movement, in South Korea disability issues have been regarded as personal problems to be overcome
by individuals. However, in recent years, disability issues have been rising up the political,
social and cultural agenda.
In this presentation, the history of disability policy in South Korea is explored and analyzed
from the perspective of the poli-administrative model. Three stages analyzed are: the Warfare
period (1950s – 1970s), Welfare period (1980-1996), and Workfare period (after 1997).
Also, this study mentions that although the paradigm shift from welfare to right happens, there
is still tension and conflicts between the welfare approach and civil right approach. However, in
the real society, the people with disabilities are being marginalized in the same way as they have
been excluded throughout Korea’s history.
Revolution in the Czech Disability Law and Policy.
Jitka Sinecka, Ph.D. Student, Disability Studies, Syracuse University, New York.
Although big institutions for people with disabilities labeled with mental retardation still exist
in the Czech Republic, a new revolutionary law has been under consideration in the Czech
Parliamentary Assembly in 2005. This law, which is an amendment to the 1960 Social Services Act,
introduces a new voucher that will enable persons with disabilities to shop for any type of
services according to their own choice. It will also allow them to transit from institutions that
are heavily subsidized by the state to more independent, community-type settings. The amount of the
payment delivered to persons with disabilities on a monthly basis is still being discussed;
however, the recent development in the political arenas promises a figure that could symbolize a
revolution in people’s lives.
This presentation will examine the history, the present state, and the future development in the
institutional care for people with disabilities in the Czech Republic. The presenter will discuss
the impact of the emerging voucher on the lives of people with disabilities and look at what changes
the voucher can bring to the general society.
Session B: Can I Come over to Your House? Margaret H. Teaford, Ph.D., Assistant Clinical
Professor, School of Allied Medical Professions, The Ohio State University, and Kathleen Puening,
Student, Health Sciences Program, The Ohio State University.
A recent study shows that most older homes are not accessible. Come learn what can be done using
universal design to make them more user-friendly
Session C: Foot Rage and the Blind Flaneur. Mark Willis, Research Coordinator,
Office of Research Affairs, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University.
(Link to website for Mark Willis -- http://www.wright.edu/~mark.willis/)
This presentation uses narrative techniques drawn from creative nonfiction and oral performance to
tell a double-barrel personal story about one of the most fundamental activities in human experience:
walking. I expect most of the audience, like most of the U.S. population, to be drivers who use cars
for locomotion whenever they can. I will speak to them as a blind pedestrian with a voice that is
both confessional and satirical. My goal is to nudge drivers to question some social patterns that
they hitherto may have taken for granted.
In my story about walking, foot rage is balanced by the flaneur’s joy. There are two sides
(at least) to every story. Each is as valid as the other. Both are necessary. The same can be said
for understanding disability as a social process. Viewed from one direction, it looks like
limitation and alienation, a problem to be solved. Seen another way, it promises its own solutions,
even more possibilities for knowing the world.
Session D: Two 45 Minute Presentations.
Rehabilitation of Intellectually Challenged Persons with Joyful Sports
Training. Avtar Singh, Regional Trainer Special Olympics & Bharat & Heach Coach in Society
or Technical Assistance & Remedial Teaching, India.
This presentation shall discuss unique and joyful methods to spur the hidden capabilities of
Intellectually Challenged persons through stepwise physical loads. Details of these steps shall
be indicated in the presentation. The impact of such training and the authentic benefits will
also be elaborated. Based on proven facts and techniques, discussion shall be made on how such
methods tend to improve the physical and self-standing capabilities in challenged individuals.
The social, economical, and personal benefits of such methods will be discussed and case studies
of some successfully trained individuals shall be provided. The future scope of such methods shall
be discussed on a National and International basis focusing especially on developing countries
where such persons are isolated or completely shunned from society.
University of Toledo: As Seen from a Wheelchair. Deb Angel, B.Ed. , Independent Filmmaker and Undergrad Student with Degree, University of Toledo.
This was a project for a Disability Studies course, Research and Methodologies at the University of Toledo. I chose to use a heuristic approach to the research. As a student who uses a wheelchair, I am the featured player and you will see some of the obstacles and some things that just do not have logic applied in their planning. Also, I will discuss changes and improvements that have been made as a result of this film bringing to light some attitudinal and structural barriers that some people are unaware they even have.
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Student Perspectives – A Poster Reception and a special guest exhibitor, Candee Basford, artist.
Undergraduate and graduate students will present their posters and research on the broad interdisciplinary aspects of disability. Awards and recognition will be given at the undergraduate and graduate level in four categories:
- Class Projects & Papers
- Independent student research (independent study, thesis, grant sponsored or dissertation)
- Community Service, Outreach, and Applied Problem Solving
- Art & Performance
Visit the Student Poster Competition link for more information about submitting a poster proposal.
Candee Basford, exhibitor and artist, will exhibit "We Dance Together," a visual story expressed in 10 mixed media images that chronicle her 26 years of education with her daughter, Katie, who has Down Syndrome. Basford's perspective on inclusion, access, and society has been shaped and reshaped by their experiences in Katie's progress through the public school system and then as a college student at Southern State Community College. For the rest of the story, Basford will also present her work and experiences in a presentation scheduled for Tuesday, April 18, 2006, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Session D, entitled "We Dance Together: A Painted Essay about My Education with Katie."
Tuesday, April 18 (8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. sign-in)
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
Session A: Justice in Higher Education, Jane Jarrow, President,
Disability Access Information and Support (DAIS) and L. Irene Bowen, Deputy Chief, Disability Rights
Section, U.S. Department of Justice.
Traditionally, disability services personnel working in higher education have looked to the
Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to provide guidance as to how best to implement
the federal mandates for equal access in higher education. But under the ADA, the Department of
Justice also has oversight of private colleges and universities, and responsibility for litigation
with respect to both public and private entities. DOJ also has some responsibilities for reviewing
the actions and activities of entities that have direct impact on the students we serve. From study
abroad issues to architectural access, from state licensing to high stakes testing, this session
will explore areas of interest and overlap in the Department of Justice involvement with student
with disabilities at the postsecondary level.
Session B: Between Two Worlds: The Experience of Hidden Disability. Aimee M. Burke, MSW,
LCSW, School of Social Work, Arizona State University.
Disabilities not “immediately noticed by an observer except under unusual circumstances or
by disclosure from the disabled person or other outside source” (Matthews, p. 405, 2000)
defy the outward social construction of disability. Understanding the process persons with hidden
disabilities go through in their personal identification (or lack thereof) as being
“disabled” has important implications for the persons with hidden disabilities,
their families, the disability community, health care providers, and social service workers.
While a diagnosis itself is an objective measure of bodily or mental pathology, disability is
the human experience of the diagnosis, created by how the disability is perceived, lived with,
and responded to within and through evolving relationships between the person and the social
environment. Thus, the understanding of disability cannot be separated from the individual’s
lived experience. The presenter will discuss the rich and detailed description of the socially,
psychologically, and culturally formed meaning-making process of persons with hidden disabilities.
These stories, drawn from the presenter’s personal experiences as well as those of others
with hidden physical disabilities, can most colorfully and thoroughly be captured through
the personal portrayal of life through their eyes, in their voices, and from their
perspectives.
Session C: Hidden Disabilities in the Workplace. Jessica Skolnikoff, Assistant
Professor, Anthropology, Roger Williams University.
Learning disabilities are a hidden handicap; the “average” person does not know that
someone is learning disabled unless the person volunteers the information or he/she is asked to do a
task that exposes the disability. People with learning disabilities often do not tell others about
their disability and try to hide that information from others. To an outsider, these individuals do
not appear to be out of the ordinary—whatever that means.
The main focus of this presentation will be on the process of revealing. The presenter’s
research objective was to collect life stories from adult individuals with mild to moderate learning
disabilities who have at least a high-school education and live independently. She developed the
term "revealing" to encompass the variation in the disclosure process for individuals
with learning disabilities. This process has important ramifications for how individuals with
learning disabilities construct their identity in different social contexts, thus affecting the
way they make sense of their lives.
Session D: Professionals Teaching Self-Advocacy: Memories Are Stories We Have Told
Ourselves about What Happened in the Past. Anita Schwandt, M.D., Assistant Professor, Case Western
Reserve University and Department of OB/GYN, MetroHealth Hospital and Christine Warner, ACSW, LISW,
MetroHealth Systems.
The presenter will discuss how the way we view our disabilities and our past experiences with our
disability affects our current and future psychological and medical behavior and outcomes. She will
review how our past experiences and personal analysis of them has affected us. She will discuss how
telling our stories helps others to tell their stories and to heal past memories and change present
behaviors. Having a good story can help a person improve their self-advocacy: removing the anger and
the fear, making the interaction active and less passive. Telling our innermost secrets has a
cleansing effect followed by relief and the realization that maybe it was not all that bad.
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Session A: Two 45 Minute Presentations.
My Own Two in One: Reflecting on a Blindness Memoir and Its Impact on the Way I Do
Advocacy. Lisa Yost, Office of Accessibility, The University of Toledo.
The presenter is a long time advocate of people with disabilities and will discuss some of the
lessons she has learned from Rod Michalko’s The Two in One: Walking With Smokie, Walking
with Blindness. Michalko asks you to put aside your preconceived notions that blindness is
a “loss”, and to believe that it could be an alternative and equally valid way of
experiencing the world. She will discuss the ways in which this memoir can change the way she
conducts advocacy work with blind and low vision students. She will show how we can “take
for granted” certain assumptions. For instance, although we both may share an agreement
that educational accommodations are required, many students may come to my office still in a grief
model – still regarding blindness as a loss, and this is precisely the sort of approach to
blindness that Michalko is challenging. As an advocate, the presenter can model behavior that
treats blindness as a form of diversity, an equally valuable way of experiencing the world, and
can direct students in the direction of these sorts of blindness resources, which may lead to new
fields of interest, or perhaps challenge low self-esteem. Memoirs such as The Two in One
provide a fruitful ground for discussion so that students can challenge internalized oppression,
and become empowered self-advocates.
Promoting Self-Advocacy and Oppression: Two Sides of the Same Coin when Telling
Another’s Story: Critical Reflections on A Man Without Words by Susan
Schaller. Terri Stibaner, Coordinator of Service for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, Office of
Accessibility, The University of Toledo.
The presenter will discuss the book, A Man Without Words, along with a brief overview
of the history and accepted ethical standards within the profession of interpreting. She will
explore the ramifications of telling another’s story not only as it impacts the individuals
involved, but also the repercussions to a culture existing as a linguistic minority within the
dominant culture. The connection between language and access to power seems self-evident, but
the implications of telling another’s story are much more obscure. To perform an effective
service, an interpreter must be able to bridge the gap between differing languages and cultures
without altering the meaning or intent of the message. To remain effective, an interpreter must
be able to mediate an imbalance in the access to power. She will discuss not only the concerns
she has for the acceptance of interpreters telling stories which are not their own, but the ways
in which it might be possible for interpreters to work collaboratively with members of the Deaf
community to ensure that people who are without access to language and the power it affords are
enabled to share their own stories.
This presentation does not assume that the audience has experience with people who are Deaf,
deafness or working with an interpreter. It is the presenter’s intent that participants
would begin to question the dynamics of language, power, and oppression; not only as it pertains
to people who are deaf, but also to anyone who may have limited opportunity to tell their own story.
It will hopefully arouse a consciousness of the implications in the audience’s own lives of
telling another’s story.
Session B: Losing Sight Enhances Vision. Eileen C. Long, MBA, Executive Director & Irwin Hott,
Editor, Newsreel,
Ed Eames, Toni Eames, Gail Baldwin, & Jan Blatz. Performers: Donald Haimes, Elmer Fischer, Mike O’Harra.
In Newsreel, a magazine on tape for people who are blind, blind people hear from other blind people:
stories of encouragement, tips for daily living, suggestions for coping with blindness. People ask
questions such as “How good are services for the blind in your city?” “What kinds
of jobs are available for the blind?” “How can I light my gas range
safely?” “Do you have any tips for putting on nail polish?” From the trivial to
the crucial, blind people hear from other blind people articles of particular interest to them.
This presentation will be multifaceted, with pictures of their early days, artists who are blind
will perform and the Editor, Irwin Hott, will tell in detail how Newsreel is produced, and field
any questions. This presentation will be geared to a general audience who perhaps do not yet have
a perspective about blindness or accessibility in the hopes that they will take on a new and
better understanding of how people who are blind function in a sighted world. They will realize
the value of a media that is accessible to the blind, that travels around the world with stories,
questions and answers, encouragement, and support.
Session C: Two 45 Minute Presentations.
An Exploration into the Responsiveness of Private Home Health Care Organizations.
Joshua Johnson, Graduate Student, Stephen F. Austin State University.
The presenter will examine several questions: Is there a lack of responsiveness among home health
care providers working for various private organizations contracted by the state of Texas? What
factors contribute to slow responses to customer needs? What can be done to increase responsiveness?
Span of control, labor shortage, budgetary constraints, legislative constraints, and structures for
filing formal complaints are explored as factors influencing organizational responsiveness to
customer needs. Recommendations to increase responsiveness are offered, but the recommendations
made are not necessarily state-specific and can be applied in many different environments.
Community Life. Brenda Curtiss, Executive Director, Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council.
Description will be available soon. Please check back.
Session D: Two 45 Minute Presentations.
Not Forgotten: Reflections on Jeff Moyer’s Powerful ‘Lest We Forget’ CD
about Abuse in Ohio Institutions as a Lesson for Future Advocacy. Michael Mechlowitz, Disability
Studies Program, University of Toledo.
The presenter will discuss Jeff Moyer’s powerful CD “Lest We Forget: Spoken
Histories”, which chronicles abuse in Ohio State Institutions for people with developmental
disabilities, leading up to the de-institutionalization era. He will discuss the impact of hearing
these stories on his own growth as a disability rights activist and how meeting Jeff Moyer reinforced
the message of a need to be vigilant in defending the rights of vulnerable people. The stories in
the CD touch people very deeply. The CD contains stories of abuse (people telling about how they
were beaten, sexually abused, raped, medically neglected, starved, locked in cages, hosed down, and
dehumanized in countless ways) and it is a rallying cry for all disability rights activists to
ensure that such injustices never happen again. It is a horrific record of the past, but also a
crime of humanity which we must ensure never happens again. It happened here, in Ohio, in our
lifetime; we must bear witness to this. We must say never again!
Autism: Is It an Epidemic or a Culture? Stacy Clifford, Graduate Student,
Ohio University.
This presentation will attempt to bridge the gap between the two faces of autism: one presented
as an “epidemic,” with the opposing view of autism as a culture that is not inherently
tragic. The presenter will explore which method, if either, will improve the present lives
and futures of autistics. To answer such a question, she will rely on her own experience
with a younger autistic sibling in Southeastern Ohio and the insight that it has provided her.
By relying on personal experience, she can show how her brother was consistently excluded from a
full public education, the hardships that he has faced attempting to receive basic medical treatment
and the isolation that he, as well all members of her family, have experienced from larger society.
Today, at the age of twenty, her brother’s freedom is threatened by a deficient number of
options concerning adequate long-term care. Instead, long-term care is assumed to be the sole
responsibility of parents of dependent adult children; otherwise, severely autistic adults may
become institutionalized in settings that are less than optimal.
12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Information Exchange & Lunch.
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Session A: Panel - The Greatest Story Ever Told: Memoir, Testimonio, and
Witnessing. Marian Lupo, J.D., Michael Sasso, and Wendy Chrisman, Ph.D. Students,
The Ohio State University.
This is a panel discussion by Disability Studies activists and scholars addressing the
possibilities and limitations of using memoir, testimony, and witnessing to effect social change.
Session B: The Next Chapter Book Club Tells Our Story. Vicki Graff, Program Manager,
Jillian Ober, M.A., CRC, Program Coordinator, Paula Rabidoux, Ph.D., Coordinator of Speech-Language
Pathology, Nisonger Center, The Ohio State University,
Rhonda Elick, Janice Woods, and Roy Woods.
This is a panel discussion to tell the story of one of the Next Chapter Book Clubs, a unique program
of The Ohio State University Nisonger Center that integrates literacy, lifelong learning, community
inclusion, and social connections for adults with intellectual disabilities.
The program began in 2002 with 2 clubs in Columbus. We now operate more than 25 clubs throughout
Ohio, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in Boise, Idaho. More locations are pending. The Next
Chapter Book Club has four primary objectives:
- To improve literacy skills and social connections for people with intellectual disabilities.
- To increase the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in community settings.
- To improve lifelong learning opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.
- To develop and disseminate a model program for literacy learning, social connectedness, and community inclusion.
Clubs meet weekly for one hour in public spaces such as bookstores and coffee shops, where members can purchase drinks, build social skills, make friends, read books aloud together, and learn to read. Trained volunteers from the community facilitate each club. NCBC members have a wide range of reading abilities, from those who read well to those who do not read at all. In surveys of 97 members from December 2004 through July 2005, 84% stated their reading improved as a result of participation in the book club; 65% said they found new friends in the book club, and 81% said they like or really like being in the café.
Session C: For Cryin' Out Loud!! Can't You Hear ME? William M. Bauer, Ph.D., CRC,
Director, Master's in Education, Marietta College.
The presenter will highlight his life while growing up with a severe hearing disability before and
after EHA, IDEA and ADA. He will provide solutions for modern day educators, business people, and
the community in working with people with disabilities. His humorous stories will have you laughing o
ff of your seat as well as provide a perspective of the historical and cultural impact of
disabilities in general.
Session D: We Dance Together: A Painted Essay about My Education with Katie. Candee Basford,
Exhibitor and Artist.
In 1998 Basford's daughter graduated from high school and enrolled as a college student at
Southern State Community College The road to college was not straight or smooth. Many people
had doubts about whether someone with Down syndrome could attend college, just as some had doubted
that she could succeed in public school.
"The experience of Katie graduating reminded me of what it was like, looking down the long
path of public education when she was starting school. Now it's happening again, facing this
unknown."
Basford's perspective on inclusion, access and society (the story she tells) has been shaped and
reshaped by her education with Katie in the context of social interaction. It is this
perspective that provides the ground for moving forward.
“We Dance Together” is a visual story, expressed in 10 mixed media images that
chronicle her 26 years of education with Katie. From these images evolved a book,
We Dance Together: A Painted Essay About My Education with Katie, which further
explains the lessons learned. Basford received a grant from the Ohio Arts Council to assist in
the publication of a printed booklet from her painted essay. Basford will show and discuss
the lessons learned in collaboration with her daughter and the process used to engage in a visual
study.
3:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Session A: Disability, Autobiography, and the Art of Memory. Stephen Kuusisto,
Associate Professor, Department of English, The Ohio State Unviersity.
What is true memory and what role does the disabled body and the craft of literary writing
play in bringing memory into perspective? Poet and memoirist Stephen Kuusisto will talk about
literary nonfiction and its craft with a focus on contemporary issues in disability studies.
Session B: Bye, Bye Beeptones; Hello AudioPlus®! The Sunset of Analog Tape
at RFB&D. Annemarie Cooke, Sr. External Relations Officer, Recordings for the Blind &
Dyslexic Learning Through Listening.
The exciting world of accessible textbooks in digitally recorded form looms large and bright as
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic prepares to phase out production of analog tape cassettes.
Participants in this workshop will learn the details and the benefits of the extraordinary milestone
as well as plans for collection, development, and addition of new playback equipment and
ramifications for DSS offices.
Audio textbooks from RFB&D have become important tools for accommodation for students who have
dyslexia. Four years ago, RFB&D began production of textbooks recorded in the DAISY format.
By recording digitally, using the DAISY standard, books are created that feature incredible ease
of use for people who have print-related disabilities. RFB&D’s “brand” of
DAISY books, called “AudioPlus®”, provides ease in navigation by page, chapter,
and section as well as “go to page” function and ability to insert as many bookmarks
as desired.
AudioPlus® has remained concurrent with distribution of so-called “Classic
Cassettes” – digital sound files delivered on four-track audiotape cassettes. As
this format has become all but obsolete in the current user arena, RFB&D is planning to
transfer production of audio files in the DAISY format on CD. Classic Cassettes will become a
thing of the past within the next 18 months; thus “bye bye” to the “beeptone”
navigation system that has been the norm for more than 30 years.
Session C: Accessible Web Pages: Principles, Practice, and the Bottom Line. Ken,
Petri, Director, Web Accessibility Center, The Ohio State University.
Accessibility has moved into mainstream web design practice--and for good reasons. One of the
keys in making web pages accessible is using the code intelligently to imbue web pages with
structure and meaning. When we do this, we find that pages are not only more usable for people with
disabilities but also become more usable generally and are more effectively indexed by search
engines. In this session, we will note the shift from accessibility guidelines comprised of
checkpoints toward guidelines that hinge on the application of broad usability principles. We will
demonstrate some of the technologies used by people with disabilities to access web pages and show
how code improvements and streamlined, flexible design practices make for better access by these
technologies while contributing to more elegant and usable interfaces overall.
Session D: Empowering Faculty to Empower Students: Six Years of Lessons on Enhancing
Instructional Access and Outcomes. Margo Izzo, Program Manager, Special Education &
Transition Services, Alexa Murray, Project Coordinator, The Nisonger Center for Disabilities;
Joe Wheaton, Associate Professor, Counselor Education, Rehabilitation Services & School
Psychology; Kathryn Plank, Associate Director, Faculty & TA Development; and L. Scott Lissner,
ADA Coordinator; The Ohio State University.
Over the past six years, Ohio State University in collaboration with local, regional, and
national partners has conducted a climate assessment process on disability awareness,
accommodation practices, and Universal Design for Learning strategies. In response to findings
from the research, OSU and collaborators have developed multimedia materials to improve faculty
and administrators’ ability to provide a quality education to all students, especially
students with disabilities. Learn how these materials, including a customizable curriculum on
accommodations and effective teaching, can enhance the content and delivery of instruction as well
as improve the larger campus environment towards persons with disabilities.
If you have difficulty accessing any portions of this website due to incompatibility with adaptive technology, or you have suggestions on how we can make this site more accessible, or you need the information in an alternative format, please contact us at:
L. Scott Lissner, ADA Coordinator
Address: ADA Coordinator's Office, The Ohio State University,
2054 Drake Center, 1849 Cannon Drive,
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: 614-292-6207 (Voice)
614-688-8605 (TTY)
614-688-3665 (Fax)
E-mail: ada-osu@osu.edu
