UVM Deaf & Disability Awareness Month (October)

Opening Event: October 2, 5:30-7:30 P.M., Living Learning Gallery
Kick-Off and Art Show Opening Reception - "Do You See What I See?" Photography by Heidi Pfau
"Do You See What I See?" offers a glimpse into the world of ability by sharing snapshots of an individual journey. Through the use of photography, Heidi Pfau invites viewers to consider the lens through which they see the world perhaps bringing into focus previously unexamined assumptions. The show will be held at the Living & Learning Gallery from October 2-26. An opening is scheduled for Oct. 2 from 5:30-7:30 pm. The photographs are audio described for people who are blind or visually impaired.

October 3rd Noon-1:30pm Grace Coolidge, Waterman 501
A Video Guide to (Dis)Ability Awareness
Former President Bill Clinton opens and concludes this informative, 26 minute video on (Dis)Ability Awareness. It is an excellent orientation to the human side of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
This event is being sponsored by Center for Cultural Pluralism and is part of their Fall 2006 Film Series. It is being advertised by Deaf and Disability Awareness Month.

October 3rd, 6:00pm-7:30pm, Memorial Lounge, Waterman
FILM: The Collector of Bedford Street
The Collector of Bedford Street is a short documentary, nominated for an Academy Award, that follows Larry Selman, the filmmaker's 60 year-old neighbor. A community activist and fundraiser with developmental disabilities, Larry raises thousands of dollars for charity every year while he lives at the poverty level. Because of Larry's 20 years of service to his neighborhood, the community created a supplemental need adult trust fund for him. This was the first time that a group, rather than an individual's family did this. The film humanizes the story behind the abstract statistics of mental retardation, revealing how a community builds tolerance and understanding. http://www.newday.com/films/CollectorofBedfordSt.html
34 minutes, captioned

October 5th and 19th , 4-6pm, 3 Needs, College Street, Burlington
Deaf Happy Hour
Deaf Happy Hour (DHH) is a group of deaf people that come together at '3 Needs' bar on College Street in Burlington to socialize. Our core focus for Deaf Happy Hour is to bring the deaf community together for the purpose of networking, socializing and most importantly, having fun. We encourage people from all walks of life, whether you're deaf, hard-of-hearing or hearing, to come and join our next DHH event which fall on the first and third Thursday of every month. The soda is free and the beer is $1 from 4-6pm. Our events are purely for entertainment value, so just come out to DHH and have yourself a grand time.
Note: Must be 21 years old or older.
This event is being sponsored by an independent group . It is being advertised by Deaf and Disability Awareness Month.

October 5th , ASL Interpreted; October 6th , Voice Described; Royall Tyler Theatre, 116 University Place
The Underpants
You have been asking for Steve Martin and we oblige opening our 2006-2007 Season with his much requested adaptation of The Underpants directed by Sarah E. Carleton. Over time society's standards of decency may have "mellowed" and tolerance of exposed skin has unquestionably increased but one particular line is still drawn: It is just bad taste to let one's knickers fall down in public! A young house wife at the turn of the century Germany is waving to the king during a parade when she becomes a victim of a wayward undergarment. Although the offending underpants rest at her ankles for only a few seconds it witnessed by many including her priggish husband predicting the ruin of his political career as well as a gentleman poet and a nebbish barber hoping to become her tenant. An adaptation of the 1910 comedy "Die Hose" by satirist Carl Sternheim "Underpants" fortifies its scenes with commentary on the working class, gender roles, the power of fame and anti-Semitism.

October 9th, 3pm, Apse, Billings
The Cure
Our culture is deeply invested in "curing" persons with disabilities. Examples of this are the annual Jerry Lewis Telathon seeking a cure for Muscular Dystrophy and the tremendous popularity of cochlear implants for infants born with hearing loss. For years we have seen dramatic descriptions of spinal cord injury recovery in mice and we have seen reports on bionic eye procedures bringing sight to _persons with visual impairment. The desire to mold every human being into a perfect specimen is considered a natural goal. __Implicit in this search for cures is a larger sense in our cultures that persons with disabilities are imperfect, or that they are somehow defective. The assumption is that of course all persons with disabilities desire a cure. In fact, the issue is far more complex. Many persons with disabilities consider the passion for finding a cure as a form of eugenics or at least as a signal that they are not complete human beings just as they are. For a person with a disability, engineering human beings towards an ideal standard can feel more like oppression by the dominant culture than liberation from a disability. __The goal of this event is to lay out the varying perspectives on this issue and to challenge and explore cultural assumptions. No preparation is expected, however, persons wishing to consider some of the issues previous to the event may wish to watch the video Birds of a Feather and to read or listen to the transcript of the National Public Radio program The Infinite Mind which aired on December 9, 2005. Birds of a Feather is an ancient folk tale describing efforts to make a child conform to expectations. In this version it is told in American Sign Language. The Infinite Mind program describes a brain implant that allows a man who is quadriplegic to move his arms.

October 9th, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Memorial Lounge, Waterman
FILM: Murderball
Join disabled athlete and activist Patrick Standen to watch the award-winning documentary about Quad rugby, MURDERBALL. The film follows the U.S. National team in their quest for gold at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. After the film, Mr. Standen will lead a discussion about disabled sports. Patrick Standen is the President of the Northeast Disabled Athletic Association, NDAA, a not-for profit organization that provides people with physical disabilities the opportunity to pursue competitive sports. He is a US Sailing Coach/Instructor, Marathon participant, triathlete and sled hockey player with nearly 30 years of experience as a disabled athlete.

October 13th, 12:00pm, 427A Waterman Building
The Americans with Disabilities Act: A Noontime Opportunity for Information and Discussion
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects qualified individuals with disabilities as they seek employment and while they are working. Lucy Singer, Senior Associate General Counsel at UVM, and Leslie Parr, ADA Liaison, will take a look at this law focusing especially on the responsibilities supervisors have in interviewing, hiring, interactive discussion and reasonable accommodation. Bring your questions and concerns _for this noontime discussion .

October 14th, 1-5pm, CC Theatre, Billings
Deaf Film Festival
We are honored to present Vermont's very first Deaf Film Festival at the University of Vermont on Saturday, October 14 th at 1pm at the Campus Center Theatre. As part of Deaf and Disability Awareness Month, the Deaf Film Festival will present full length features, student films, documentaries and animation shorts, which address the Deaf experience and/or visual aesthetics of Deaf filmmakers. A short discussion will follow. Voice interpreters will be provided so that this event is accessible to everyone. Admission is free.

This 1 _ hour workshop will examine how to successfully manage being an adult with a "hidden" disability. We will focus on three hidden disabilities: Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyslexia, and Non-Verbal Learning Disability. Workshop participants will leave this workshop with knowledge of the tools necessary for adults with "hidden disabilities" to successfully advocate for and receive accommodations in their life pursuits. __Participants should come to this workshop prepared to discuss how the knowledge and strategies that are successful in educational settings can be applied to adult systems (such as employment and relationships). In addition, we will look at the needs of adults with hidden disabilities to inform how educational settings could better prepare adolescents and young adults for their experiences in adulthood. __The workshop presenters include a clinical psychologist, and two professional educators. The presenters bring their experiences as parents of, teachers of, friends of, and adults who have learned to successfully manage "hidden" disabilities.
The first half (45 minutes) of this workshop will consist of short presentations from each speaker. These presentations will present the current issues for adults with hidden disabilities and how these impact success in adulthood. Each speaker will pose a set of questions to be discussed in the workshop. The second half of the workshop will be a facilitated discussion focusing on the successes seen in the educational system and how these lessons can be applied to adult life challenges.

October 18th, 9am - 12pm, Memorial Lounge, Waterman
Disability Mentoring Day
http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/programs/vtapse/dmd/index.html
Disability Mentoring Day is a large-scale, broad-based effort designed to promote career development for students and other job seekers with disabilities (mentees) through hands-on career exploration, job shadowing, and internship or employment opportunities, and matching of mentee/mentor relationships. Disability Mentoring Day: Career Development for the 21st Century, will be commemorated on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 as the official kick-off for a year-round effort. Join us for breakfast, welcoming remarks, and an opportunity to be a vocational mentor. Included in the program is a performance of "Bill's Bill."
VSA-Arts: Awareness Theater Company performance of "Bill's Bill" October 18, 2006

Memorial Lounge, Waterman, 10:00-11:00
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?s=5116748
VSA Arts of Vermont presents the Awareness Theater Company in "Bill's Bill And Other Stories of How We Got Here: Our History of Special Education in Vermont." Awareness Theater Company performances, showcasing the buoyant talents of adults with developmental disabilities, are known throughout Vermont for lively humor, bright sets featuring artwork by the performers, and spirited live music and dance. Central to this performance is the real life tale of how a boy named Bill showed up at the Vermont legislature to help change the way special education works today. "Bill's Bill" includes scenes from the lives of Bill, played by himself, a brave mother who said no to institutionalization, a beloved teacher from the beginnings of special ed in Vermont, a nun who answered her students' pleas, and a determined woman who ran for the state legislature and went on to champion "Bill's Bill."

October 19th, 7-9pm, L/L Fireplace Lounge
ASL Open Mic Night @ Rhythm and Brews
Join us in an evening of ASL poetry and storytelling at the Fireplace Lounge of Living/Learning Center at the University of Vermont. ASL students, interpreters, ASL pros, die-hards, and anyone who can sign are encouraged to come on stage and give it a try! Those who do not know ASL or are not comfortable with signing in front of an audience can join us by being our audience members to witness ASL storytelling and Poetry in Motion. Guests are asked to bring their own mug in order to partake in Rhythm and Brews' FREE coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Voice interpreters will be provided so that this event is accessible to everyone. Admission is free. __-Spoken language travels at the speed of sound; sign language travels at the speed of light. Robert W. Arnold

October 27, 8pm, Flynn Center for the Performing Arts ASL-interpreted Performance
METAMORPHOSES
Mary Zimmerman's Tony-winning adaptation of Greek and Roman myths, set in and around an on-stage pool is visually enthralling , deeply moving and unexpectedly funny . In this production by the acclaimed Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, characters like Midas, Orpheus, Eurydice, Apollo, and Aphrodite come alive in present-day contexts, illustrating the power of love and the many forms it can take.
"A gift from the gods!" Wall Street Journal
Interpreters are Christopher Robinson , Aimee Schiffman and Tom Bourque . Tom is Deaf and a student at Boston University; Aimee and Chris are experienced interpreters who specialize in theatre. All three have interpreted a number of shows for the Weston Playhouse.
A special _ price group rate is available to Deaf patrons (and a companion) for this performance. Please note that this rate is solely for Deaf patrons and their companions for this ASL-interpreted performance of METAMORPHOSES. A block of tickets is being held for Deaf patrons, however tickets must be purchased by Friday, October 20 th . After that date, those tickets will be released for sale to the general public.
An informal reception hosted by the Greater Burlington Deaf Club will follow the show.
This event is being sponsored by The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts and is part of their 2006-2007 Performances. It is being advertised by Deaf and Disability Awareness Month.

October 28 th 10am - 9pm, Brattleboro
Vermont Expo for the Deaf, HoH, Late-Deafened and Deaf-Blind __Come enjoy booths, workshops, dinner and a performance by Alexander, King of Jesters (www.alexthejester.com) at the upcoming VT Expo for the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, Late-Deafened and Deaf-Blind. __The Expo will be happening on Saturday, October 28 from 10am until 9pm. If you are interested in going and want a registration flyer, please contact Will at [log in to unmask] or Missy Boothroyd at [log in to unmask] . We will gladly mail you a registration flyer. __This event is being sponsored by an independent group . It is being advertised by Deaf and Disability Awareness Month.