Disability Awareness Month, 2002

24th Annual Delta Sigma Omicron Wheel-a-thon

10am-5pm, University of Illinois Quad

Be a part of this annual charity fund-raiser held on the University of Illinois Quadrangle. Money raised by participants who collect pledges for the number of laps they will push in a wheelchair around the Quad. The proceeds are donated to two national and one local organization that focus on services for persons with disabilities. Pledge sheets are available in room 136 Rehabilitation Education Center, 1207 S. Oak St. Registrations will also be taken at the event. For additional information please contact Delta Sigma Omicron at 333-4607 or by email dso@uiuc.edu. Rain site is the Armory

Wheels for the World Wheelchair Drive (All Week Long)

8:30am-5 pm, Rehabilitation Education Center

Wheels for the world takes donations of old and used wheelchairs and issues them to children and persons with disabilities in third world countries. Volunteers of this organization restore chairs to good condition and take them overseas. The Champaign-Urbana community can join Delta Sigma Omicron by donating wheelchairs no longer in use. Wheelchairs can be dropped off at the DRES Center during regular business hours.

Disability Awareness Week Goes to School

various times, community schools

In this effort to celebrate Dsability Awareness Week, students for Delta Sigma Omicron are offering an opportunity for community-wide schools to benefit. These opportunities may include: a lecture of the student experience, performed by a DSO member; a wheelchair basketball exhibition featuring University of Illinois Mens' and Womens' Wheelchair Basketball Team players; a puppet performance featuring The Kids On the Block Puppet Program. For information, call 333-4607.

FREE Bowling!

6:15-7:45, Illini Union Bowling and Billiards, Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St Urbana

Bowling Lanes will be available for bowling enthousiasts. Ramps will be available for accessibility. Limited to the first 20 people.

Free Ice Sports Clinic

2:30-5:00pm, UI Ice Arena

Interested in ice sports? Come try the specially designed sleds for ice hockey, racing and skating. Bring your friends and put together a team for a game of broomball. Everybody is welcome to the experience...don't forget your gloves!

Inner Voices Social Issues Theatre

8pm, Illini Room B, Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St., Urbana

Inner Voices Social Issues Theatre will present "My Body, My sickness, Our Secrets and Love," and "This Fine Line." These two scenes explore some of the issues that arise for people with hidden disabilities. A discussion will follow the performance.

Poetry Reading Event

Noon to 1 pm, Author's Corner, 2nd Floor, Illini Union Bookstore, corner of Wright and Daniels, Champaign

Could you be the next poet laureate? Do you write, read or enjoy listening to poetry? If you do, this event is for you. Come share your talent or simply sit back and relax while others share their writings or favorite poetry during this open mic event. Feel free to bring your lunch.

Student Affairs Staff Coffee

8:30am, Illini Room 314, Ilini Union, 1401 W. Green St, Urbana

A panel of students with disabilities will answer questions and share their experiences with staff and students from the Office of Student Affairs.

McKinley Health Center Special Populations Health Fair

10am-3:30pm, Illini Rooms A,B and C, Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St. Urbana

Please join Mckinley's Special Populations Ninth Annual Health and Wellness Fair in "Celebrating Human wellness" honoring Maya Angelou. Participate in free blood pressure checks, free sugar screening, free cholesterol screening, spinal checks, and bone density, or give blood. Explore the many exhibitions from campus and community organizations and enjoy performances, a live DJ, prizes, games and free food!

Inner Voices Social Issues Theatre

8pm, Illini Room B, Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St., Urbana

Inner Voices Social Issues Theatre will present "My Body, My sickness, Our Secrets and Love," and "This Fine Line." These two scenes explore some of the issues that arise for people with hidden disabilities. A discussion will follow the performance.

Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival, "Paperhouse"

1pm, Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park St., Champaign

This free matinee is a film for all ages. Directed by Bernard Rose, it is a visually stunning fable about a sick girl who imagines a friend. Mr. Rose will be in attendance to answer questions at the end of the film. A section for wheelchair seating will be reserved at this free matinee, but has a limit of 10 wheelchair accessible seats. Those interested in attending this viewing should contact Maureen Gilbert, 333-4607 to reserve a seat by Friday, April 19.

Boccia Ball and Power Soccer Demonstration

11am-4 pm, Kenney Gym, corner of Wright and Springfield, Urbana

Those interested in learning the sports of Boccia Ball and Power Soccer are encouraged to participate in this afternoon of activity. Played primarily by those individuals who use power chairs. Power soccer isone of the fastest growing wheelchair sports in the country. Equipment essential to playing the game (ramps, cages, balls) for both sports will be available and participants will be introduced to the rules, play of the game and a small competition.

NSF/NIH Supplemental Funding for Students with Disabilities

3:30 p.m., Room 107 Rehabilitation Education Center

The Midwest Alliance in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) seeks to promote access to these STEM fields for students with disabilities. One way to do this is through the variety of funding programs available through the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Funding opportunities may be in the form of research internships, externships, student research projects, teacher/faculty research projects, institutional research projects, or grant supplements.

Dr. Stumbo will provide an overview of the requirements of these grant programs. For example, in some instances a faculty researcher with a current NSF or NIH parent grant may qualify for an additional supplement for high school, undergraduate or graduate students with disabilities. Also, researchers who acquire a disability during a grant period may receive additional monies. Some applications for supplements are written by the faculty investigator, and some are written by and for the student.

Faculty, researchers, grant writers, and undergraduate and graduate students are invited to attend. Contact information for each funding source will be provided, and questions are encouraged.

The Midwest Alliance is a NSF-funded project based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and also includes the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Collegiate Conference Tournament

, University of Texas-Arlington

DSO Holiday Party for Children with Disabilities

2:00pm, Leonhard Recreation Center