Idaho State University Disabilities Awareness Week set Oct. 25-29; assistive lab dedication set Oct. 25

The dedication of a new access laboratory and a "Experience College Day" for high school students are among the highlights of the Idaho State University ADA and Disability Resource Center’s third annual Disabilities Awareness Week Oct. 25-29.

The events are designed to help build awareness of the contributions people with disabilities bring to the university, the workplace and the community, and to showcase facilities and programs ISU has that benefit those people.

"We hope everyone in the ISU community will become involved with Disability Awareness Week and take this opportunity to learn more about and support people with disabilities," said Dennis Toney, director of the ISU ADA and Disabilities Resource Center.

Events for Disability Awareness Week are as follows:           

• Monday, Oct. 25  – Grand opening of the Dorothy and Neal Broyles Assistive Technology Laboratory, 1-3 p.m. in Albion Hall, Instructional Materials Center Room 2. A ribbon-cutting ceremony with light refreshments will be held that showcases the lab’s technology to help students who have difficulty reading.

• Tuesday, Oct. 26 – Showing of the film "The Horse Boy," 5:30-7 p.m., Pond Student Union Bengal Theater. The film is about a Texas couple who, when their son is diagnosed with autism, seeks the best medical treatment. Nothing works until they discover their son’s connection to horses, and they take a spiritual journey to Mongolia for “an epic quest for healing.”

• Wednesday, Oct. 27 – "Cool Tech Demo," noon-2 p.m. in the Rendezvous Complex, Suite C. The demonstration will be an exploration of the innovative ways – including screen enlargers, smart pens, computer reading system and iPads – that students are using to access the environment. Students will show what they use and how they use it.

• Thursday, Oct. 28 – "Experience College Day," 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Pond Student Union Wood River Room. This event is an opportunity for high school student with disabilities to meet individuals willing to share their experiences and skills that can minimize struggles while better insuring long-term success. Representatives from the Pocatello and Blackfoot school districts, the Idaho Department of Labor and the Idaho Department of Education are joining together to hold ISU's first-ever Experience College Day. About 100 high school students are expected to attend.

• Friday, Oct. 29 – "Universal Design in Learning," noon to 2 p.m., in the Pond Student Union Heritage Room. This presentation will be on the ways universal design principles are used to teach every student effectively.

For more information on these events, call 282-3599 or visit www.isu.edu/ada4isu.