City Celebrates Accessibility Awareness Month

City Celebrates Accessibility Awareness Month

Date of Record: March 7, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2006

For more information, contact:
David Carter, Chair, Council for Community Accessibility, 829-3700
Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator, Community and Family Resources, 349-3471
Maria Heslin, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-3569

Bloomington, IN -- The City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility announced today a series of upcoming events will celebrate Accessibility Awareness Month. The specially designated month exists to raise awareness and provide information about accessibility issues in the Bloomington community.

People with disabilities, family members, service providers and other community members are encouraged to participate in the following activities:

March 7 - Stone Belt Business Recognition Ceremony
Stone Belt will recognize 10 area businesses that have made outstanding contributions to the employment of people with disabilities. The event will occur at the Bloomington Convention Center from 2 - 3:30 p.m. in the Cook Group Room.

March 7 - Interchange on WFHB
Susan Rinne, Director of Options for Better Living, and Leslie Green, Director of Stone Belt, will be guests on "Interchange" at 6 p.m. on WFHB 91.3 and 98.1 FM discussing "The Status of Individuals with Disabilities in the Community and the Transition Phase from School to Work."

March 8 - Meeting of South Central Human Resources Association
Barbara McKinney, Director of the City of Bloomington Human Rights Commission, will present recent developments in Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act. One Recertification Credit toward PHR and SPHR certification will be available. The event takes place at Terry's Banquet and Catering from 11:15 a.m. - 1 p.m. Contact Katie Anderson at 330-6018 or e-mail [kanderso@ivytech.edu|mailto:kanderso@ivytech.edu] for information. The cost is $15 and guest tickets are available.

March 10 - Dynamic Differences Night
Indiana University's Student Recreational Sports Center will host a free Recreational Sports Family Night in conjunction with the City of Bloomington's Council for Community Accessibility. From 6:30 - 9 p.m. on March 10 the Council and Stone Belt will offer hands-on activities and First Steps will provide Denver Screenings for children ages 0 - 3. For additional information call 855-7772.

March 21 - Audio Conference: "Emergency Planning in the Workplace: Inclusion of People with Disabilities"
The free audio conference will explore key issues in emergency planning and provide information about available resources to assist employers and their employees as they address the value and importance of emergency planning. The audio conference will be held at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Building L from 2 - 3:30 p.m.

March 22 - American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Workshop
The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. - noon in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street for design engineers, developers, contractors and anyone who would like to improve their knowledge of ADA requirements. The primary presenters include Great Lakes ADA and Accessible IT Center and the US Access Board.

March 25 - Children's Story Hour at the Library
The Monroe County Public Library is hosting a Children's Story Hour from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. at the Library. The hour is targeted to students in kindergarten through fourth grade. 

March 26 and 27 - Movies at the Cinemat
Join Bloomington community members for a special showing of "Murderball" (rated R, 88 minutes) a documentary about a rugby team composed of men using wheelchairs. There will be two showings: Sunday, March 26 at 3:30 p.m., and Monday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m., at the Cinemat, 123 S Walnut St. Admission will be charged and a discussion will follow the film.

April 8 and 13 - IU Art Museum Verbal Description and Touch Tour Training
The IU Art Museum will conduct training for docents about ways to increase the accessibility of museum exhibits for people with vision impairments. Docent training will occur on April 8 and a "touch tour" will be conducted on April 13. For more information, contact Marie Clapot at [mclapot@indiana.edu|mailto:mclapot@indiana.edu].

April 18 - Audio Conference: "Survey of Employer Resources Regarding the ADA"
The audio conference will investigate ways to decipher good information within the extensive online and print resources available regarding ADA requirements. This free audio conference will be held at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Building L from 2 - 3:30 p.m.

April 20 - Business Expo
Bloomington disability service providers will exhibit at Business Expo, which will be held on April 20 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Bloomington Convention Center. Visit the booths for the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility, Stone Belt and Options for Better Living. The event is free and open to the public.

April 23 - Walk in Peace
PARTNERS will host "Walk in Peace," a labyrinth dedication ceremony and fundraising event at First United Church on Sun., April 23 from noon - 1 p.m. Guests can enjoy a carry-in brunch for $5 and a craft sale and cake walk. The craft sale will feature T-shirts, hand-held labyrinths and greeting cards created by program participants. For information contact Julie Hill at 340-1283.

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