The Advocate - Volume 4, Issue 1 Spring 2011

Save The Date: March 31, 2011 is Disability Awareness Month Kick-off

Apply For A Scholarship:

Now is the time to apply for a scholarship, the dead-line for the Cameron Ford Watts and LeRoy Parks Civitan Scholarships is March 1st: http://www.apsu.edu/disability/scholarships

Information Central:

Nashville 9-1-1

Nashville Emergency Communications Center now offers a free, new service to improve 9-1-1 response. Once you're signed up, anytime you dial 9-1-1 the dispatcher will see a description of your disability, special rescue notes and your current location on-screen. Now EMS, police and fire fighters can arrive on the scene 100% prepared to help you. Sign up today at www.Smart911.com

2011 Tennessee Disability MegaConference Announced

The Ninth Annual Tennessee Disability MegaConference will be here before you know it! The conference will take place at the Nashville Airport Marriott from June 2-3, 2011. Come and listen to world-class speakers, participate in interactive workshops, attend educational sessions, visit exhibits of disability products and services, and much, much more! As always, a limited number of stipends are available for people who cannot afford to attend the MegaConference otherwise. For more information: http://www.tndisabilitymegaconference.org/

TBI Conference: Concussion / Mild TBI within Our Schools & Community.

Project BRAIN, a program of the Tennessee Disability Coalition, has exciting news to share with you about an upcoming conference opportunity. On February 22, 2011, the TBI conference will be held in the newly re-opened Gaylord and Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, TN.

The conference committee is committed to making sure this a premier event in Tennessee. To this end, we feel it is important to embrace this chance to invite you as Exhibitors to not only "attend" but to have you join us for the day. The exhibitor tables will be along the perimeter of the room and the classroom style seating arrangement is for everyone to use.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Sarah Sampson at sarah_s@tndisability.org or give us a call at (615) 515-8616.

Important Dates:

Jan 30- Feb 1: Special Olympics Winter Games: Ober Gatlinburg Resort- Gatlinburg,Tn

Feb 1-3: ODS T-shirt Voting: 11:00am-1:00pm APSU

Feb 3: Last day to apply for May 2011 Graduation APSU

Feb 5: Special Olympics Polar Plunge Memphis: Memphis, Tn

Feb 12: 5k Breast Cancer Awareness fun run/walk- meet at Burt Parking Lot  8:30-12:00 APSU

Feb 14: Valentine's Day

Feb 19: Special Olympics Polar Plunge Nashville: Nashville Shores- Nashville, Tn

Feb 21: President's Day- No Classes APSU

Feb 22: TBI Conference Nashville, Tn

Feb 26: Special Olympics Polar Plunge Jackson: Aloha Pools- Jackson, Tn

March 7-11: Spring Break- No classes APSU

March 11-12: Special Olympics State Basketball Tournament: Lipscomb University Nashville, Tn

March17: St Patrick's Day

March 25: Last day to drop before mandatory F period begins APSU

March 26: Family to Family Outreach Conference at the Nashville Library

March 29: Operation Yellow Ribbon - Symposium at Lipscomb University Nashville, Tn

March 31: Disability Awareness Month Kick-off APSU

April 20: STAR access center bus: 9:00am-2:00pm APSU

April 22: Good Friday- No classes APSU

April 24: Easter Sunday

Aprill 30: Country Music Nashville Marathon and ½ Marathon in Nashville, Tn

May 8: Mother's Day

May 20-21: Special Olympics State Summer Games- Vanderbilt University-Nashville, Tn

May 30: Memorial Day

February

"The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life . . . the children; those who are in the twilight of life . . . the elderly; and those who are in the shadow of life . . . the sick . . . the needy . . . and the disabled." - Hubert H. Humphrey

Happy Valentine's Day

Regardless of the extent of one's physical or intellectual impairments, a great deal of people living with disabilities desire companionship. A Google search can turn up hundreds of stories about individuals with disabilities who marry and although dating sites such as match.com are popular there are numerous sites dedicated to people with disabilities looking for love. Such as Dating4Disabled.com, DisabledSinglesConnection, and LoveByrd. Not too long ago, the San Francisco Chronicle recently ran a wonderful story about Kim Bazile and Noah Kessler who met 20 years ago and married in 2004. Both are developmentally disabled. Still, in some countries, there are outdated laws that prohibit disabled people from marrying. For example, in the country of Georgia, there is a law that prohibits some physically and mentally disabled persons to marry. Indeed, such laws should be invalidated because they violate basic human rights. It is hoped that in the future, everyone around the world will have a right to marry if they so choose, regardless of disability.

Jewish Disability Awareness Month

The mission of Jewish Disability Awareness Month is to unite Jewish communities and organizations for the purpose of raising awareness and supporting meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in every aspect of Jewish life.

Black History Month

Spotlighting a Famous African American with disabilities

Ricky Williams has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated but he also lives with Social Anxiety Disorder. After his second year with the National Football League (NFL), Ricky's social anxiety had become so debilitating that he dreaded going to airports, the grocery store or just about anywhere that he might be recognized by a fan. Unaware of Ricky's underlying disorder, the media portrayed the troubled young man as aloof and weird, because he would give interviews while still wearing his helmet and would avoid contact with fans. Unaware that he was suffering from a treatable disorder himself, Ricky felt trapped and isolated from family and friends, because he couldn't explain to them what he was feeling. Urged by a close friend to seek help, Ricky began a treatment consisting mainly of Paxil. He is a Heisman trophy winner, a vegan and a supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). http://socialanxietydisorder.about.com/od/celebritieswithsad/p/rickywilliams.htm

ODS T-shirt Voting

Located in the MUC Lobby- Information Desk

APSU students will vote on the submitted t-shirt designs for Disability Awareness Month in April 2011. The winning design will be announced at the Disability Awareness Month Kick-off.

March

"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." - Vidal Sassoon

Luck o' the Irish

Ronan Tynan of Co. Kilkenny Ireland; has a story that is nothing short of inspirational. Born with lower limb disabilities, Ronan was an active boy who loved to ride horses and race motorcycles. At age 20, following an automobile accident his lower limbs were amputated. Determined not to let this hold him back, he was competing in the Paralympic Games within a year. Between 1981 and 1984 Ronan won eighteen gold medals and set fourteen world records in which he still holds nine. He was the first disabled student at the National College of Education and earned a Doctor of Medicine Degree from Trinity College.

From there he went on to pursue a musical career, both as a soloist and as one of the Irish Tenors. In 2003 he wrote the song "This is the Hour" for the Special Olympics in Ireland. In the summer of 2004, Tynan was personally invited by Nancy Reagan to sing at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan. An international TV audience of more than 35 million heard him sing "Amazing Grace" and Schubert's "Ave Maria" as a consolation to the loss of the President. Ronan is also famous for his performances of "God Bless America" at Yankee Stadium during the seventh-inning stretch, which he says have been nothing short of unforgettable.

Ronan is currently one of the most sought after motivational speakers in the U.S., presenting nearly 50 speeches annually for major international corporations and organizations. His autobiography "Halfway Home" can be found on the shelf in bookstores and his many recording albums can be found online at ronantynan.net.

http://www.ronantynan.net/ronan.aspx

Family to Family Outreach Conference

Join Family Voices of Tennessee for a day of networking, resources, and informative trainings that impact families and children with special health care needs and/or disabilities with a special emphasis on transition. Saturday, March 26, 2011. 9am to 2pm at the Nashville Library, located at 615 Church St.

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily." - Zig Ziglar

Disability Awareness Month Kick off

Join us at the annual event March 31, 11:00am-12:30pm as we kick start disability awareness month at Austin Peay. We will have a keynote speaker and light refreshments for students, faculty, and staff giving everyone a chance to mingle and pick up a calendar of events for the month's activities.

April

Disability Awareness Month

Under the Division of Student Affairs, the Office of Disability Services' (ODS) primary mission is to ensure access for students with disabilities to all curricular and co-curricular opportunities offered by Austin Peay State University. ODS is committed to providing leadership to promote a comprehensive accessible university experience where individuals with disabilities have the same access to programs.

STAR Access Center Bus

Commonly referred to as "the STAR Center on wheels" by many staffers and consumers alike, the Access Express provides computer access evaluation, workplace accommodations, employer orientations and assistive technology evaluations to those in need of the services but who are unable to access them. Located at the MUC Plaza from 9:00am-2:30pm

"I do my best and sometimes I win. I am proud because I tried" - Shirley Givens, Special Olympics Tennessee Athlete

Country Music Nashville Marathon and ½ Marathon:

Do not let your disability prevent you from achieving your goal of crossing the finish line.

Racing Wheelchair Division Rules

- Racing wheelchairs shall be defined as a customized performance chair.

- Due to safety issues on the course, and in accordance with International Paralympic Committee rules, NO hand cycles (hand bikes, hand crank devices or other mechanically gear driven devices) will be permitted in the race.

IPC Athletics Rules will be enforced. For additional rules view: www.ipc-athletics.org.

Furthermore the race will abide by the rules and policies of the recognized governing bodies of the sports of wheelchair racing, which do not allow the use of mechanical gears found on hand bikes. For additional information contact: Wheelchair Sports USA www.wsusa.org and the International Paralympic Committee www.ipc-athletics.org.

For Additional Information: Contact Tracy Sundlun at wheelchair@eliteracing.com or 678-283-4424.

Read more: http://nashville.competitor.com/event-info/guidelines/wheelchair/#ixzz1BV6179sH

May

"Failure defeats losers, failure inspires winners." - Robert T. Kiyosaki

The Invisible Disability: When Mother's Day hurts

"I think of infertility as the invisible disability" -Constance Shapiro, professor of family studies at the University of Illinois.

Infertility affects about 6.1 million Americans or 10% of the reproductive age population. It is usually defined as the inability to get pregnant after trying for one year. Roughly one-third of infertility cases are attributable to female factors and about one-third to male factors. A combination of factors causes most of the remaining cases. The U. S. Supreme Court held in 1998 that infertility is a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

On Mother's day, the child based holiday; it is especially difficult for infertile women to get through the day without thinking of their disability. There are many stages of grief associated with infertility experienced by men, women and couples alike. Be aware this Mother's day that there are many couples who would love to be celebrating whom are not. It is important for family and friends to be open to discuss this disability and remain sensitive to those who are suffering from it.

http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/news/stories/news2309.html

Tech Corner

ODS provides individual, group and open Assistive Technology orientations for AT available on campus. For open orientation dates and times go to the Announcements and Events link on the ODS web site. For individual and group orientations please contact the Adaptive Technology Coordinator at ods.apsu.edu to schedule a date and time.