Disability Awareness Week Events at UC Berkeley, March 11-16

The Disabled Student’s Union with Axis Dance Company and Special Guest Speakers
Present:
Disability Awareness Week 2012
ASUC and DSP Sponsored
ADA Accessible

Five Events, One Week

1. Roll N'Shoot
Location: RSF
Time: Sunday, March 11th 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
The campus tradition continues for another year. Come and give wheelchair basketball a try! It's fun, impressively challenging, and is a great way to learn about wheelchair athletics. E-mail rollnshoot@gmail.com to form a team. Prices are $250 for a 4-person team, tax deductible. All proceeds will go to Bay Area Outreach Program (BORP, http://www.borp.org/).

2. Are Cripples Screwed (ACS) Panel
Location: Room 24 Wheeler
Time: Monday, March 12th 7:00-8:30 PM
Guest speakers: Alva Gardener, Alex Ghenis, Ben Pérez, and Dax.
A disability does not limit or prevent a person with a disability from having a meaningful relationship or expressing their sexuality. This will be a great exploration into the misperceptions and roles of disability and sexuality. 

3. Philosophy of Disability Panel
Location: Room 174 Barrows
Time: Tuesday, March 13th 7:00-8:30 PM 
Guest Speakers: Georgina Kleege, Susan Schweik, Victor Pineda, and Marsha Saxton.
What role does society play in the social construction of disability? This informative panel discusses the idea of disability as a social construct and explains how the notion originated. Participate along with the panelists as they explore how disability can be deconstructed when truths are revealed through experiences.

4. Axis Dance
Location: East Pauley Ballroom
Time: Thursday, March 15th 7:00-8:00 PM
The legendary wheelchair dance company is coming to Berkeley to put on a one-time exclusive performance! AXIS is a dance company that has been working to promote performance art since 1987 and have been featured across the world. AXIS has also appeared on the popular TV program, "So You Think you Can Dance?". Join us at the East Pauley Ballroom as we bring disability and dance performances together on this spectacular night! Admission is FREE and food will be served.

5. Disability, Why Should We Care?
Location: Room 100 Wheeler
Time: Friday, March 16th 7:00-8:30 PM 
Guest Speakers: Zona Roberts (mother of Ed Roberts), Katlin Kimmel, and Yomi Rong.
This is the "mother" of all panels! Berkeley has had a history as the forefront of disability rights. It's time to examine the past and look toward the future for individuals with disabilities. This panel will provide an introductory discussion regarding the history of the disability rights movement and the present day challenges of people with disabilities. Join us as we explore the past, present, and future of disability matters.

Go here to RSVP on Facebook!

For Disability Accommodation Requests & Information, please contact Danny Kodmur at (510)643-6456 (voice) or (510)642-6376 (TTY) PLEASE MAKE YOUR SERVICE REQUEST ASAP Disability Access Services: http://access.berkeley.edu

Disability Pride Parade

As a CIL intern and a woman activist I identify myself with a disability, I really enjoyed being a part of the 2nd annual west coast disability pride parade.  This parade celebrated the 21st birthday anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act and collaborated as one disability unit to fight the consistent and ongoing budget cuts and issues facing our community at large. 

Hundreds of participants walked and rolled down a mile-long stretch of North First Street in San Jose on Saturday morning, July 23rd chanting together during the Disability Pride Parade and a Festival following the parade festival held at Silicon Valley Independent Living Center headquarters.  During the festival, there were performances, poetry readings, speeches made by the three grand marshals and other disabled activists, and information booths that consists of different disability oriented organizations.

During the route of the parade, we said the following: "We're here, we're loud, we're disabled and we're proud," marchers chanted as they celebrated the 21st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act's signing. For participants of all ages and disabilities, the parade was a chance to share a sense of community and raise awareness especially in these storming economic times where the disabled; people need to know we're a large group of people that are horribly affected by budget cuts here in California and across the country.  Many disabled people and their friends, marched for disability rights, and many walked by the banner for Communities United in Defense of Olmstead, pushing for continued adherence to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1999 that said people with disabilities have the right to live in a community instead of being relegated to nursing homes.

"We're fighting for equal access 95 percent of the time," said Sarah Triano, executive director of the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center. "This is our 5 percent time to celebrate."  As a disabled activist myself, I feel like that I am always fighting for my rights daily.  It was nice to just sit back, be myself, and do nothing for once with my extended disabled family.  The highlight of that day was that I got featured as a photograph in the San Jose Mercury News along with other disability activists as well as being visibly recognized on several nightly televised news channels.