Events and Activities

During the Fall, 2011 semester SAPA meetings will be on Mondays at 5:00 pm in room 257 Cartwright Center.  Starting in the Spring, 2012 semester, we will be meeting on Mondays at 5:15 pm in room 2140 Centennial Hall.  This is the Student Support Services (SSS) Resource room.  The first meeting of the Spring, 2012 semester will be on Monday, January 23rd.  Everyone is welcome to join us.  If you can't attend our meetings but want to stay informed, we can add you to our email list and send you the minutes to our meetings. 

 

2011 - 2012 SCHOOL YEAR EVENTS

Panel Discussions  -  During the Fall, 2011 semester SAPA was invited to two UW-L 100 classes, two EFN 205 classes, one WGS 499 class and one RTH 493 class.  We were invited to facilitate a discussion and answer questions about disability issues.  The purpose is to educate the students about a wide variety of issues related to disability.  These panel discussions are "free flowing" and most of the panel members are willing to answer almost any question.  Too many people are reluctant to even talk about disabilities so SAPA members feel that these are great opportunities to get the word out about the abilities of people who happen to have a disability.  Thanks to Maggie McHugh, Ka Lia Lo, Jan Wellik, Brenda Leahy, Dena Huisman, Sandra Krajewski, Susan "Boon" Murray,  Will Vanroosenbeek and Amanda Goodenough for inviting us into their classrooms.   I also want to thank those students who participated.  They include Amanda Jones, Ryan Nell, Andrea Frisch, Katie Houle, Aaron Walker, and Carly Cappozzo.  My apologies to anyone I forgot.

 

November 1, 2011  -  Jim Ferris, poet, performance artist, and Disability Studies Scholar, read from his books, Slouching Towards Guantanamo and The Hospital Poems.  SAPA was a co-sponsor with the UW-L English Department, Disability Resource Services, Communication Studies and the College of Liberal Studies.  Thank you to Associate Professor Susan Crutchfield, chair of the English Department, for bringing Mr. Ferris to campus. 

 

Monday, November 7, 2011  -   Sarah Entine, Producer and Director of Read Me Differently, joined us via Skype to discuss her award winning movie about Learning Disabilities.  "Read Me Differently paints a portrait of three women bound by blood, but divided by a lack of understanding. It tells the story of a family whose complicated relationships stem from misunderstanding unidentified learning disabilities."  For more information about Sarah and the movie go to:  http://www.readmedifferently.com/.   Read Me Differently is available in Murphy Library.   This event was FREE and open to the general public.  A reception with refreshments was held in the Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall. 

 

Monday, December 12, 2011  -  SAPA sponsored the 11th annual Accessible Gingerbread competition.   About 55 students participated in this event this year, having lots of fun while relieving the stress of finals, and possibly even learning a little about accessibility.  Once again, people were very creative in designing and building their unique structures.  SAPA wants to thank all of you who took time out of your busy schedules to make the event such a fun time.  We look forward to the 12th annual competition in December, 2012.   Check out the photos below to see some of the creations from the December, 2010 event.  The photos from the Dec., 2011 event will be posted soon.  If you don't see your photo below but want to see it, contact Tom Link via email at tlink@uwlax.edu.  I'll send you any photos you want.

 

Wednesday, February 1, 2012, Cartwright Center (room and time to be determined)  -  Diversity Dialogues  -   Once again, SAPA members will be participating in a panel discussion about disability issues.    Panel members will discuss disability issues from their personal perspective.  We encourage questions from the audience to promote discussion.

 

Saturday, February 4, 2012, 1 to 3 pm  -  Snow Shoveling day  -  Meet at the clocktower at 1pm to help SAPA shovel some campus area crosswalks.  The purpose of this event is to demonstrate the importance of clearing snow out of crosswalks so people with mobility impairments can travel to and around campus.  If you have a shovel, please bring it.  If you don't have a shovel, we will provide one.  Bring your friends to help.  After you're done come back to the clocktower for some hot chocolate!  Hope to see you there.

 

Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 4 to 5 pm,  Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall  -  International Coffee Hour  -  SAPA members will join International Students for a panel discussion.  We will be discussing how people with disabilities are treated in other countries.  

 

Monday, February 27, 2012, 4 pm, Port O' Call, Cartwright Center.  SAPA's 29th annual Most Accessible Awards ceremony.  You can read about the 28th annual award ceremony below.

 

Keep checking this web site for updates and information about other events sponsored or co-sponsored by SAPA during the next school year.

 

2010 - 2011 SCHOOL YEAR EVENTS

starting with the most recent and working back

Spread the Word to End the Word

On March 2, 2011 SAPA sponsored an informational table near Port O' Call, Cartwright Center.   We asked people to pledge to quit using the word "retard" or "retarded."  You can still PLEDGE!!

Spread the Word to End the Word_™ is an ongoing effort by Special Olympics, Best Buddies International and supporters to raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the word “retard(ed)” and encourage people to pledge to stop using the R-word.  The campaign, created by youth, is intended to engage schools, organizations and communities to rally and pledge their support at www.r-word.org with a goal of reaching 100,000 pledges.

                 

Another web site devoted to ending the use of the “R” word is: http://www.selfadvocacy.com/offensetaken/.  You can see a video entitled “Offense Taken” at that web site.     

 

VSA Traveling Art Exhibit

On February 28, 2011, SAPA co-sponsored a reception for the art exhibit in Murphy's Mug.  Jon Wos was the guest speaker.

Murphy Library, the Art Department and SAPA co-sponsored an art exhibit from February 9, 2011 to April 11, 2011.  The exhibit was on display in Murphy's Mug, Murphy Library.  All of the artists are people with a disability.  A reception was held on Monday, February 28th in Murphy's Mug.  Jon Wos, a nationally recognized artist spoke about his art work, his disability and the interaction of the two.  For more information about Jon, please read the next section.

 

 

28th annual Most Accessible

 Awards Ceremony

February 28, 2011  

WE WANT TO THANK ALL WHO ATTENDED AND ALL OF THE NOMINEES.

For the 28th straight year, SAPA proudly sponsored the Most Accessible Awards Ceremony.    59 Faculty, Instructional Academic Staff, non-Instructional Academic Staff, Classified Staff and Administrators were nominated for these awards.  13 Departments and Units were also nominated.  Thank you to Jon Wos for your awesome presentation and Assistant Chancellor/Dean of Students Paula Knudson for welcoming everyone to this event.
SAPA recognized faculty, staff, administrators and departments who have helped to make UW-L accessible to students with a disability.   Everyone who was nominated in 2010 received a certificate and gift as a token of our appreciation.  3 engraved plaques were given to nominees who were voted as "Most Accessible for 2010.  A plaque for "Lifetime Dedication" was given to June Reinert for her 24 years of service to people with a disability on the UW-L campus. 

2010 Most Accessible Faculty award winner:  Cordial Gillette, Senior Lecturer, Exercise & Sport Science

2010 Most Accommodating Staff award winner: Karmin Van Domelen, University Services Associate 2, Career Services

2010 Most Accessible Department award winner:  Campus Child Care Center, Sue Wrobel, Director 

Lifetime Dedication award honoree:  June Reinert, Director (retired), Disability Resource Services (DRS)

Guest Speaker: Jon Wos, nationally recognized artist. Jon Wos was born in Lena, Wisconsin, in 1981 and diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Jon’s childhood was filled with fractures, body casts, surgeries, and hospitals. He spent most of his time in bed drawing or making something with his hands. When Jon was a freshman in high school, he received best of show in a student art contest.  In 2003 he was awarded the grand prize of $10,000 in a national competition for artists with a disability. In 2005 Jon received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in drawing, painting, and sculpture, from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Jon has exhibited his various forms of artwork throughout North America, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.,the Chicago Cultural Center, and the Joseph D. Carrier Gallery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition, Mr. Wos’s work is in many private and public collections, including the UW-Oshkosh, Ripon College and Senator of Wisconsin, Herb Kohl.

Since 1983 students with disabilities and the Disability Resource Services staff have nominated faculty during the Spring and Fall of each calendar year for the Most Accessible Award. The awards have been presented during the Spring semester of the following year. The winners have been selected from the list of nominees by a vote of the Students Advocating Potential Ability (SAPA) and DRS staff. Through the years there have been some changes in the format. From 1994 to 1997 a first runner up was also identified. Starting in 1996 a department was also selected. Then in 1997 a staff member was added to the list of winners. The purpose of the award is to show appreciation to faculty, staff and departments that help make UW-La Crosse a campus that is accessible to all students. Each nominee receives a pen and a certificate as a token of our appreciation. The winners also receive an engraved plaque and the faculty winner has their name engraved on a large plaque.

                             

 

Thanks to all who help make UW-L accessible to everyone!

 

10th Annual Most Accessible

 Gingerbread Competition

 

 

  

  

    

 

Learn Sign Language

SAPA would like to thank the approximately 25 people who took advantage of the opportunity to learn some very basic American Sign Language at our two sessions.  I also want to thank the instructor, Naida Roscovius, for doing a great job.  We would appreciate any feedback you would like to give us. 

KEVIN MICHAEL CONNOLLY

presentation and photo display   October 13, 2010

Students Advocating Potential Ability was one of many co-sponsors responsible for bringing Kevin Connolly to UW-La Crosse.  SAPA members would like to thank Campus Activities Board (CAB), the Campus Climate Office, the Provost's office and all of the other co-sponsors who contributed to bringing Mr. Connolly to UW-L.  We want to express our appreciation to the Common Reading Program and UW-L 100 instructors for helping to bring him to campus and for encouraging students to read Kevin's book Double Take: A Memoir.  Thank you to the UW-L 100 instructors who invited SAPA members to their class to facilitate a discussion about disability awareness.  We want to thank Anita Evans, Director of Murphy Library and Murphy Library staff for providing a space for Kevin's photo display and for help in hanging the photos.  We would also like to thank Kevin for coming to campus to share his view of the world from his perspective.  His presentation was a great success with approximately 900 people attending.  He also spoke to a UW-L 100 class in the afternoon, shared dinner with a few students and signed many books following his presentation.   SAPA's mission is to raise awareness of the rights of people with disabilities and to promote disability culture while contributing to an atmosphere of Inclusive Excellence.  We can't accomplish this mission alone so we are extremely grateful for collaborators who help us reach our goals.  Thanks to all for a very successful event!    For more information about Kevin and his photographs go to:  http://kevinmichaelconnolly.com/  and    http://www.therollingexhibition.com/      

                                               

 

Other events and activities sponsored or co-sponsored by SAPA in the past

Speakers: Sarah Entine, Jon Wos, Kevin Connolly, Mark Zupan, Nelson Lauver, Harriet McBryde Johnson, Henry Holden, Carol Gignoux, Jeff Charlebois, Richard Lubin, Richard Harris, Alvin Law, Stephanie Cunningham, Don Bartlette, Steve Johnson.

Entertainers/Comedians: Peter Leidy, Michael Aronin, Afi-Tiombe Kambon,

Wheelchair Basketball Tournaments

Movies:

• Murderball,
• Million Dollar Baby,
• A Beautiful Mind,
• The Sea Inside
• Offense Taken
• Music Within