Disability Awareness Month, 2007

Dr. Robert Oxnam Lecture

4 p.m., Room 180 Bevier Hall

The University of Illinois Chancellor's Committee on Access and Accommodations has invited Dr. Robert Oxnam to campus on April 10th and 11th. Dr. Oxnam is a distinguished scholar whose expertise is in the history and cultures of China, both ancient and modern. In 1990, Dr. Oxnam learned that he had Multiple Personality Disorder (now known as Dissociative Identity Disorder). He recently published his autobiography, A Fractured Mind: My Life with Multiple Personality Disorder (2005: Hyperion). Dr. Oxnam will be speaking about his experiences living with this disorder.
Interview: 1:06pm on WILL
Tuesday April 10, 2007

Lecture: A Fractured Mind
4:00pm Tuesday April 10, 2007
room 180 Bevier Hall
This event will be followed immediately at

5:00pm by a reception at Bevier Hall.

Author's Corner and Book Signing
12:00-1:30pm Wednesday April 11, 2007
Illini Union Bookstore

These events are free and open to the public.

Co-Sponsors:

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access
Department of Psychology
University of Illinois Counseling Center
Office of the Dean of Students
Department of Educational Psychology
Department of Special Education
McKinley Health Center


For further information, contact the Chancellor's Committee on Access and Accommodations at access@uiuc.edu or Karin Brockelman at brockelm@uiuc.edu

The Ultimate Basketball Challenge

7:05pm, Huff Hall

The University of Illinois will be hosting the second annual Ultimate Basketball Challenge. This event will be a fundraising wheelchair basketball game between the Fighting Illini Men’s and Women’s able-bodied and wheelchair basketball teams. All the proceeds from the game will be donated to Coaches vs. Cancer and the University of Illinois Wheelchair Basketball Teams. Tickets for the event are $5.00 and are available for purchase at the U of I Ticket Office.

Alan Muir / Sarah Helm Presentation

10:00 AM-1:30 PM, 132 Rehabilitation Education Center

Alan Muir / Sarah Helm Presentation – Thursday, April 12, 2007 from 10:00 AM-1:30 PM in room 132 Rehab Education Center (next door to Testing Center).

10:00 AM-11:30 AM = Campus Session
11:30 AM-12:30 PM = Open Dialog, Roundtable Discussion
12:30 PM-1:30 PM = Student Session

THERE WILL BE LUNCH PROVIDED for the Student Session! If you require meal assistance, you are welcomed to bring them along as well, they will definitely learn something along w/ you at this presentation! Alan and Sarah are from the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK). Alan is the Executive Director of Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD), a national consortium for connecting qualified students with disabilities w/ major corporations for employment. Sarah is the Disability Career Services Coordinator at UTK. They will both be presenting about the topic of Career Transition and Students with Disabilities. I encourage ALL to attend this event, as it’s an opportunity to make additional career connections, as well as learn from one of the most premiere presenters on the topic of disability and career transition. This workshop is opened to ALL Majors, Disabilities, and Enrollment years!! If you can’t make the 12:30-1:30 PM student session, you are WELCOMED to attend the 10:00-11:30 AM Campus Session , and/or the 11:30 AM-12:30 PM Roundtable session.

**Please RSVP with Susann by emailing at sheft@uiuc.edu by April 10, 2007 if you wish to attend so that an accurate number of handouts and lunches are accounted for. If you require accommodations for participation, please let her know of her needs ASAP.

Mock Interview Opportunity with Recruiters Familiar w/ Disability

11:00 AM-6:00 PM, Room 132 of DRES

Pat Maher and Janet Licitra from SPR will be available to conduct mock interviews on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 in Room 132 Rehab Education Center(Next door to the Testing Center). You will need to sign up for an interviewing time by emailing me at sheft@uiuc.edu. You will also need to send a copy of your updated resume and cover letter to both Pat and Janet at their email address, pmaher@sprinc.com and jlicitra@sprinc.com. Interview slots are an hour, and will begin at 11 AM, and end at approximately 6 PM. As stated before, this opportunity is opened to ALL majors and enrollment years. This is a great way to practice your interviewing skills!

**Keep in mind that a representative from The Career Center is available to critique resumes at the DRES Career Corner from 3-5 PM on Tuesdays.

Independent and Assistive Living Technology Interactive Display

10 AM - 6PM, Illini Union South Lounge

An educational event featuring exhibits, vendors, and former Beckwith resident retrospectives.

Michael J. Ellis Distinguished Lecture on Disability Science and Practice

3:00 PM, Room 112 Huff Hall

Reception to follow from 5:00 - 6:00 pm at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center.

Celebrating Excellence Banquet

6:00 PM, Alice Campbell Alumni Center

Come join Beckwith Hall's 25th Anniversary & DRES Awards Ceremony. This banquet will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Beckwith; Annual Delta Sigma Omicron (DSO) Disability Resources & Educational Services (DRES) Awards Banquet; and the 2006-2007 Adapted Sports Awards Banquet.

Combined Ellis Lecture and Banquet Reception to take place from 5 - 6 pm. before the banquet. There is no cost to attend the reception.

Independent and Assistive Living Technology Interactive Display

9AM - 2PM, Illini Union South Lounge

An educational event featuring exhibits, vendors, and former Beckwith resident retrospectives.

Beckwith Alumni and Friends Informal Social Gathering

8 p.m., White Horse Inn

This is an opportunity for Beckwith alumni and friends to meet in the evening. Detarils will be provided at the Brunch and Open House at Beckwith Hall.

Beckwith Residence Hall Brunch and Open House

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM, Beckwith Residence Hall

Join us for brunch, reminiscing and learning about the future plans for the new residence hall for Beckwith residents.

Advanced Powered Wheelchair Systems

12:00pm-1:00pm, Deere Pavilion (second floor of annex of MEL building)

Dr. Jay Martin, a mechanical engineer from the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
is presenting the session below on Tuesday, April 24, from 12-1 pm at the
Deere Pavilion (second floor of annex of MEL building). He will also be available
until 4 pm for discussion. The presentation is bring videotaped by WILL.

Abstract - Powered wheelchairs have had a remarkably positive effect on the
lives of the people who require them. For example, a recent study performed in
Denmark, which has progressive systems for supporting people with disabilities,
showed that of the 111 users participating in the study, 99 (89%)"thought that
the wheelchair gave them freedom to get about without support from
others." [1]*
Estimates performed in 2001 from the Disability Statistics Center indicate that
155,000 Americans use powered wheelchairs, with another 145,000 using
scooters. [2] The rate of growth of use of wheelchairs is very high, with a greater
than 90% increase in the number of users in the last decade. It is normally
assumed that the high growth rate in the number of users is a result of aging of
the population, which does result in a higher percentage of the population
needing personal mobility assistance. It is likely, however, that there is another
important factor. Specifically, improvements in wheelchair technology, from
seating to control systems to chair geometry, in fact, to all aspects of wheelchair
design, have resulted in wheelchairs that are acceptable to a larger percentage
of the population needing this assistance.
Current Powered Wheelchair Systems - Even with the improvements that have
been implemented, and the growing need for powered wheelchairs, there
remain many problems with powered wheelchair systems. [3] For example, a
trade-off exists in current powered wheelchair design between ensuring stability
(or resistance to turning or rolling over) and the weight of the chair. Stability is
addressed in current designs by designing the chairs to be very heavy (typically
between 250 to 650 lbs.) and placing as much of the weight as possible below
the rider. The drive system is made up of lead-acid batteries and electric
motors. Together, these design characteristics result in performance
compromises that greatly limit the user of the chair. The weight means that
transportation of the chair is always a challenge, requiring special vehicles, and
elevators, lifts and ramps with capacities that exceed normal anthropometric
requirements. Travel via commercial airline is particularly demanding because
loading and unloading of such a heavy piece of equipment into and out of the
baggage area of the airplane taxes the available equipment and staff. In fact,
damage to powered wheelchairs is a common consequence, and one of the
largest sources of liability for the airlines. [4]

What Makes A Difference

8:00am-10:00am, Education Room 4F

Dr. Gregory Stefanich, a professor emeritus from the University of Northern
Iowa, is presenting the session below on Wednesday, April 25 from 8 to 10 am
in Room 4F in the Education Building, to CI450. [We hope to have additional
sessions scheduled for him.] The presentation is being videotaped by WILL.


Title: What Makes a Difference?


The presenter will share current research on successful practice with a
focus on disability and diversity. Within the workshop the presenter will model
instructional practices that increase the level of student engagement and
produce higher learning outcomes than comparable classrooms reflecting
traditional instruction. Supplies, equipment and software resources that improve
accessibility for all students will be utilized by participants or demonstrated.
Instructional strategies, internet locations, suppliers of adaptive materials, and
reference materials that will enhance the knowledge and understanding of
educators about teaching students with disabilities will be shared.


Greg Stefanich is a Regents Professor at the University of Northern Iowa. For the
past two decades the emphasis of his scholarship has been to improve
accessibility and performance of students with disabilities in science. He has
been active in outreach and service, and has conducted professional staff
development programs for over 150 school districts. Recent awards include the
Lifetime Service Award from the Association of Science Education for Students
with Disabilities (2006), election as a fellow in the American Association for the
Advancement of Science (2005), and the Hubbard Outstanding Educator Award
(2004) from the University of Northern Iowa.

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Illini Classic Wheelchair Basketball Tournament

8:00am, ARC gym 1

8:00am U of I-m vs RIC
9:45am Chicago Bulls vs Rockford
11:30am U of I-w vs Chicago Sky
1:15pm Milwaukee vs U of I-m
3:00pm Rockford vs RIC
4:45pm U of I-w vs Chicago Sky
6:30pm U of I-m vs Chicago Bulls
8:15pm Rockford vs Milwaukee