Yellow Springs resident Debra Williamson, here with her son Alex Oliver, is organizing a conference on the issues facing those with mental and physical disabilities. (Submitted photo)
A day of disability awareness at AUM
- Published: December 3, 2014
This Friday a local conference on disability will seek to raise awareness of issues faced by the disabled and open dialogue about the discrimination they face.
Aimed at social workers, educators, parents, caregivers, counselors and others, the event is being organized by Yellow Springs residents Debra Williamson and Adriane Miller and sponsored by the Yellow Springs Human Relations Commission, Antioch University Midwest and the National Conference for Community and Justice of Greater Dayton, or NCCJ.
“Valuing Diversity: A Day of Disability Awareness and Education” is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at Antioch University Midwest, 900 Dayton St.
“It’s not just prejudice — it’s something that limits someone’s access based upon stereotype or physical appearance,” said Williamson, whose 16-year-old son, Alex, a Yellow Springs High School student, has physical and cognitive impairments.
Topics at the conference include parenting strategies, addressing “invisible” mental and physical impairments, disability in education and community activism.
Dara Crosby, also a licensed counselor, will speak on the difficulties of dating in a wheelchair in a talk on “sexuality and disability.” Williamson will help parents understand IEPs, 504 plans and other aspects of special education in schools. The keynote speaker, Dr. Julie Williams, of Wright State University’s School of Professional Psychology, who is a dwarf, will talk on abuse in the community of people with disabilities. Barb Greiwe of Yellow Springs Schools will focus on conflict resolution. Other speakers will address mental disability and resilience, fathering children with special needs, autism in higher education and more.
To register, contact Miller at 937-222-6225 or amiller@nccjgreaterdayton.org or for questions, contact Williamson at 937-767-0239 or dwilliamson@edisonohio.edu.
Read the Nov. 27 issue of the News for the full story.
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