Disability Awareness Month at IU kicks off with event at IMU today

Many students have trouble finding enough time between homework and a job, but those with disabilities have even more obstacles in their way than the average student.\nAn event designed to educate students and faculty and to commemorate the beginning of Disability Awareness Month will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in the Georgian Room of the Indiana Memorial Union.\nStudents and faculty will learn about the obstacles facing students with disabilities, interact with state-of-the-art technology and learn about the ways that people can help support those with disabilities while enjoying refreshments and music.\n"When they think of people with disabilities, most people automatically think of people in wheelchairs ... we want to raise awareness and education," said Jody Ferguson, IU coordinator of Learning Disability Services.\nThe event will include quotes students with disabilities have submitted about what they would like students and faculty to know.\n"Looking at what they have to say is going to be real important," Ferguson said. \nAlong with the quotes, students with disabilities will have their artwork displayed.\nThere will also be information about the common myths involved with disabilities, said Elly Romer, the test coordinator for Learning Disability Services.\n"Students will be able to interact with software with all the bells and whistles that can be built into computers these days," said Martha Jacques, the director of IU Disability Services for Students.\nThe software is designed to help people with disabilities use computers.\nOne program is a word processor that can be operated solely with voice commands. To do this, the computer must learn people's speech patterns.\n"If a student comes in with a cold and a hoarse voice, the computer won't understand him," Jacques said.\nThere will also be someone to speak with about the vans used to transport students with disabilities around campus. The vans are used by both the visually impaired and the temporarily disabled. A large number of people who use the vans are students who normally don't have a disability but have an accident and can't walk properly for a short period. All people must establish is they have no other mode of transportation and can't effectively walk to class, Jacques said.\n"(The event) is a good way to learn that people who have disabilities are out there and just like all other students," Jacques said.\nThe event hopes to give people a new perspective on students with disabilities.\n"It's all part of the diversity of our campus," Ferguson said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Ben Woodson at bwoodson@indiana.edu.