disABILITY Awareness Day
Truman’s disABILITY Awareness Day and Conference will take place Oct. 6 in the Student Union Building, and will feature keynote speaker Colleen Kelly Starkloff as well as a variety of breakout sessions.
Starkloff co-founded the Starkloff Disability Institute with her husband, Max Starkloff, and has served as the co-director since his death in 2010. Together the couple also co-founded Paraquad in St. Louis in the 1970s.
As vice president of Paraquad, Starkloff oversaw widespread education for issues related to independent living, developing new program initiatives and coordinating activities that promoted implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She served two terms as the U.S. organizer of the Japan/USA Conference of Persons with Disabilities, and was also the founding chair of the Affordable Housing Commission in St. Louis. In this role, Starkloff initiated and organized the Universal Design Summits, which trains architects, designers and builders on the uses and benefits of Universal Design in home and community design.
By establishing the Max Starkloff Speaker Series in 2011, she is able to educate the public on the need to create a world that welcomes all people with disabilities. Since 2013, Starkloff has been consulting and training on issues related to employment of people with disabilities in mainstream, competitive jobs. Having received several awards in the disability field, she often speaks on a variety of subjects related to disability rights.
Starkloff will give her presentation over lunch, taking place from 11:50 a.m.-2:20 p.m. The lunch is free of charge.
As part of the Global Issues Colloquiums, Starkloff will give another presentation later that day entitled, “Where in the World Are We Going with Disability Rights?” This event will take place at 7 p.m. in Violette Hall 1010 and is free of charge.
Schedule of Events
The events of the conference will take place in the Student Union Building with the specific room location indicated below.
Registration and View Exhibitors Booths
8-10 a.m.
Breakout Session I
10-10:50 a.m.
Health Living and the Benefits of Fitness
Alumni Room
The Winning Team (Developing and Maintaining a Successful Support Network)
Georgian Room A
Charting Your Life Course (workshop)
Georgian Room B
Break
10:50-11 a.m.
Breakout Session II
11-11:50 a.m.
Turning the Tables with Tiered Supports
Alumni Room
Alternatives to Guardianship
Georgian Room A
Lives in Bloom
Georgian Room B
FREE Lunch featuring the Keynote Speaker
11:50 a.m.-2:20 p.m.
Breakout Session III
1:30-2:20 p.m.
Solving the Employment Problem
Alumni Room
Integration of Behavioral Health and Employment Service
Georgian Room A
Assistive Technology
Georgian Room B
