City Celebrates Be Accessible Bloomington Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2007

For more information, contact:
Byron Smith, Chair, City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility, 339-5400
Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator, Community and Family Resources Department, City of Bloomington, 349-3471
Maria K. Heslin, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-3569

[image:1770]Bloomington, IN - To help us all better understand and be aware of disability-related issues, the state of Indiana has declared March as Disability Awareness Month. Locally, the City of Bloomington encourages such increased awareness by declaring the month "Be Accessible Bloomington" month, the latest addition to the [Be Bloomington |/sections/viewSection.php?section_id=215]community character campaign.

"The Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees and protects the rights of people with disabilities and makes discrimination based on a person's disability illegal," Kruzan said. "At the City, we work hard to ensure equality among all our employees and all Bloomington's citizens. This month not only draws attention to the ADA but also encourages businesses to become aware of accessible opportunities and hindrances and to remove those hindrances in order to create a better environment for everyone."

Kruzan added that Bloomington businesses can follow a few simple steps to ensure they create a welcoming atmosphere for employees and customers with and without disabilities:

• Encourage supervisors to share information on disability issues during staff meetings.
• Invite a guest speak to present a disability-related topic to staff.
• Display Disability Awareness posters around the office.
• Include an article about Disability Awareness Month in an internal newsletter.

The City through its [Council for Community Accessibility (CCA)|/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=176] is helping organize and publicize accessible activities during March and April, which the CCA has designated as Community Accessibility Month. People with disabilities, family members, service providers and the general public are encouraged to participate in the following activities during March and April:

March 19 - [City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility|/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=176] Meeting The monthly meeting of the Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) will begin at 4 p.m. in the McCloskey Conference Room 135 at City Hall, 401 N Morton Street.

March 20 - Audio Conference: "National EEOC ADA Research Report: Title I Complaints and Resolutions"
The EEOC has entered into an agreement with researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University to extract data collected by the EEOC since the implementation of the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The free audio conference will address questions related to this agreement and will be held at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Building L, beginning at 2 p.m. Contact Matt Norris for information at 812-855-6508 or e-mail [adainfo@indiana.edu|mailto:adainfo@indiana.edu].

March 22 - Be Accessible Bloomington Booster Event

The City of Bloomington is collaborating with this month's booster, Hire Potential Indiana, to host the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours program. This month's theme is "Room for Everyone," which focuses on hiring and supporting people with disabilities. Please note that this event is for Chamber members and their guests; nonmembers should contact the Chamber at 336-6381 to learn about how they too can attend. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood.

March 26 - Workshop: "Thinking About You - Thinking About Me"
This workshop about autism will be held in the Great Room at the Bloomington Convention Center, 302 S. College, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The guest speaker is Michelle Winner, speech language pathologist and social interaction specialist from San Jose, Calif. Workshop cost is $140. For information contact Diane Stille at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, 855-6508.

March 27 - Story time at Monroe County Public Library
Monroe County Public Library will offer readings by and about people with disabilities. Story time begins at 10 a.m. The library is located at 303 E Kirkwood Ave. For additional information contact the library at 349-3050 or visit [www.mcpl.info|http://www.mcpl.info].

April 13 - "Dynamic Differences" Family Night
Indiana University's Student Recreational Sports Center will host Family Night in conjunction with the City's Council for Community Accessibility and other groups beginning at 7 p.m. Family Night will celebrate differences and enable participants to engage in inclusive games. A variety of hands-on activities will be available to all community members, families and children. For information call 855-7772. Admission is free.

April 16 - [City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility |/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=176]Meeting
The monthly meeting of the Council for Community Accessibility will begin at 4 pm in the McCloskey Conference Room 135 at City Hall, 401 North Morton St.

April 17 - Audio Conference: "ADA Restoration Act: Legislative Update"
This session will cover the history and intent of the ADA Restoration Act and the future of legislation that may affect the civil rights of individuals with disabilities. Andrew J. Imparato, President of the American Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD), is the featured speaker. The free audio conference will be held at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Building L, beginning at 2 pm. Contact Matt Norris for further information at 812-855-6508 or e-mail [adainfo@indiana.edu|mailto:adainfo@indiana.edu].

April 19 - Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce Business Expo
Several of Bloomington's disability service providers will exhibit at Business Expo, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Bloomington Convention Center, 302 S. College. Visit booths of the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility, Stone Belt and Abilities Unlimited. Admission is free.

For additional information about City of Bloomington accessible programs and services, call the City's Human Rights Commission at 349-3429 (TDD 812-349-3458), e-mail [human.rights@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:human.rights@bloomington.in.gov] or visit [www.bloomington.in.gov/accessible|/sections/viewSection.php?section_id=75].