Bloomington Celebrates Disability and Accessibility Awareness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2009

For more information, contact:
Byron Smith, Chair, Council for Community Accessibility, 339-5400
Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator, Community and Family Resources, 349-3471
Danny Lopez, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-CITY, [email protected]





Bloomington, IN - Mayor Mark Kruzan announced today that the months of March and April have been officially designated as Disability Awareness Month and Accessibility Awareness Month by the City of Bloomington.

To help acknowledge the March and April themes, which encourage increased awareness of disability-related issues and challenges, the City of Bloomington's Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) has assembled the following calendar of activities. Individuals with disabilities and their family members, service providers and fellow community members are encouraged to participate.

March 3 - Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Legal Webinar: "Disparate Treatment vs. Disparate Impact" cases decided under these concepts; free at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Building L from 2 - 3:30 p.m. For information, contact Matt Norris or Vicki Pappas at [email protected] or 855-6508.

The presentation will review legal concepts of disparate treatment and disparate impact and discuss ADA

March 3 - Stone Belt Employer Recognition Ceremony
Stone Belt will recognize 10 businesses that have made outstanding contributions to the employment of people with disabilities. The event will take place in the Olcott Young Room at the Bloomington Convention Center from 2 - 3:30 p.m. For information, contact Elizabeth Hall at [email protected] or 335-3507.

March 9 - Accessible Technology Webinar: "Captioning Video for the Internet"
This online presentation will identify common captioning terms and guidelines, review conventions and captions, and highlight the provision of accessible video for online customers; free at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Building L from 2 - 3:30 p.m. For information, contact Matt Norris or Vicki Pappas at [email protected] or 855-6508.

March 11 - "The Music Within"
This is a screening of a film that features multiple disability awareness themes, sponsored by IU Disability Services for Students (DSS). The film will be shown at 8 p.m. in Woodburn Hall, Room 100, on the Indiana University (IU) campus; free and open to the public. For information, contact Dorothy Lenard Wells at [email protected] or 855-7578.

March 16 - City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility Meeting
The regular monthly meeting of the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) will be held on at 4 p.m. in the McCloskey Conference Room at City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street; open to the public. For information, contact Craig Brenner at [email protected].

March 17 - ADA Audio Conference: "Virtual Communication: Implications for Employers under the ADA"
This free conference will highlight facts about hiring discrimination related to characteristics of the charging parties, employers and outcomes, based on an EEOC study of 20,000 allegations of workplace discrimination. The conference will take place at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Building L from 2 - 3:30 p.m. For information, contact Matt Norris or Vicki Pappas at [email protected] or 855-6508.

March 21 - Info Fair and Concert
An Info Fair and Concert will be held from 9:30 a.m. until noon at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, 2700 East Rogers Road, with the family-friendly concert beginning at 10:30 a.m. This event will feature booths of organizations which provide services to people with disabilities and families; free and open to the public. Attendees are invited to bring nonperishable food items for the Hoosier Hills Food Bank. For information, contact Cyndi Johnson [email protected].

March 25 - Accessible University: "Student Perspectives on Accessibility"
This is a monthly presentation hosted by IU's Disability Roundtable in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union from noon until 1 p.m., featuring students with disabilities discussing academic and social life on the IU campus. For information, contact Vicki Pappas at [email protected] or 855-6508.

March 26 - Indiana University Disability Awareness Fair
Various IU programs offering disability information and resources will have displays in the lobby of the Wells Library from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is coordinated by the Office of Disability Services for Students (DSS). Students' artwork, writing and personal statements also will be on display. For information, contact Elly Romer at [email protected] or 855-7578.

March 27 through April 2 - Ivy Tech Community College "Disable the Label - Listen in Silence"
Activities will take place in the second floor rotunda of Ivy Tech Community College's main campus from March 27 through April 2, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Activities will focus on discovering what it is like not to hear in a world full of sounds; free to the public. For information, contact Sue Gauck at [email protected] or 330-6046.

March 28 - Spring Fling Dance
This is a new program of the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Inclusive Recreation Services for people with disabilities aged 18 years and up. The Spring Fling Dance will be held at the Allison-Jukebox Community Center, 351 S. Washington Street, from 6 - 10 p.m.; registration is $15, and the deadline to register is March 20. Onsite registration will not be available. For information, contact Amy Shrake at [email protected] or 349-3747.

April 4 and April 11 - MOSAIC, A Diversity Film Festival
The City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department invites the public to celebrate Diversity Theatre's 25th anniversary with screenings of a selection of short films for adults and children addressing issues of disability, aging, race and ethnicity. MOSAIC takes place on two Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., at City Hall. The events are free and open to the public. For a list of films, visit [www.bloomington.in.gov/cfrd] or contact Craig Brenner at [email protected] or 349-3471.

On April 4 at 8 p.m., there also will be a showing of the feature film "The Cats of Mirikitani" at the Cinemat; $3.00 admission charge for this event only.

April 9 - Ivy Tech Community College Career Expo 2009
This inclusive, networking event at Ivy Tech Community College from 1:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. is for students, graduates, employers and friends. Please bring resumes. Business attire is recommended. For more information, contact Katie Anderson at [email protected].

April 20 - City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility Meeting
The regular monthly meeting of the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) will be take place at a local restaurant at 4 p.m. followed by dinner; the meeting is open to all. For information, contact Craig Brenner at [email protected].

April 21 - ADA Audio Conference: "Understanding Mental Illness: What an Employer Needs to Know"
Join this session to learn about mental illness, the impact it can have on the lives of employees, and learn strategies for creating a workplace environment supportive of all employees; free at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Building L from 2 - 3:30 p.m. For more information, contact Matt Norris or Vicki Pappas at [email protected] or 855-6508.

April 23 - Bloomington Business EXPO
Several community disability service providers will exhibit at Business EXPO from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. at the Bloomington Convention Center: visit the booths of the City of Bloomington, DiversityWorks, Stone Belt and Abilities Unlimited; free and open to the public.

April 28 - ADA Legal Webinar: "Legal Update on Major Life Activities"
This webinar will highlight litigation regarding major life activities, including a review of the ADA, its regulations and recent case law decisions interpreting major life activities; free at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Building L from 2 - 3:30 p.m. For more information, contact Matt Norris or Vicki Pappas at [email protected] or 855-6508.

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