The students of the Oregon Think Trust (OTT) invite the campus community to attend:
The Blind Community
Tuesday, November 10, 7:00 to 8:30pm
Bean West Conference Room of the Bean Residence Hall Complex.
[The Bean West Conference Room is located along the north side of 15th Avenue directly across from the Museum of Natural & Cultural History. Please proceed through the exterior green iron gate and enter the first door to your right.]
Our panel of experts will explore questions of education, research, adaptive technology, and community identity and culture, as well as a critically assess both dominant culture norms, and the rich and complex culture of the Blind Community. They will also share their personal and professional experiences with the audience.
Introduction to Our Guest Speakers:
James Edwards.
James Edwards, President, American Council of the Blind of Oregon (ACBO). The ACBO is comprised of about 250 concerned Oregonians dedicated to helping Visually Impaired and Blind people in Oregon. The ACB of Oregon is the Blind of Oregon helping the Blind of Oregon. http://www.acboforegon.org
James Bailey.
James Bailey has been the Adaptive Tech Access Adviser for the University of Oregon since 1995. He manages the university’s assistive technology and provides training and assessment for students with both physical and learning disabilities. He is the author of the book _Managing the Assistive Technology Process: The Nontech Guide for Disability Service Providers_ published by LRP press. He presents frequently at the AHEAD national conference and at the CSUN’s "Technology and Persons with Disabilities" Conference. He has a master's degree from the University of Oregon’s graduate program in Special Education.
Heidi von Ravensburg.
Heidi von Ravensburg is the Outreach Liaison for Educational and Community Supports in the College of Education, University of Oregon. She received her Juris Doctor in 1994 and her Masters of Business Administration in 1995 from the University of Oregon. Von Ravensburg currently serves as Community Outreach Liaison for two school-based functional behavioral assessment research projects. Her contributions include developing and presenting community resource guides to educators and parents; researching and contacting community organizations; and developing and maintaining a web page.
John Dashney.
John Dashney is the past president of the American Council of the Blind of Oregon, and a former commissioner with the Oregon Commission for the Blind. “John’s ability to spin yarns and weave tales has taken him to venues in seven countries on four continents (so far). In addition to two appearances on the Regional Showcase at the National Storytelling Conference, John has performed at five major international storytelling festivals, plus several more in the U.S. He is a veteran of well over a thousand appearances in more than 700 different schools, ranging all the way from Northern Scotland to Southern Australia. John holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oregon. He has also won a fellowship from the Oregon Arts Commission, a major grant from Arts International and the American Council of the Blind’s Ned Freeman Literary Award.” John is the author of several books and CDs, including _Faces in the Frames_ (2008); _Walter & Mishka_ (2005); _Great Galloping Catfish_ (2004) and _The Ballad of Big Ben’s Boots & Other Tales_ (1994). www.wickelwoodbooks.com
Erin Rumer.
Erin Rumer is a Training Class Specialist at Guide Dogs for the Blind. Erin became a graduate of Guide Dogs for the Blind in 1998 with her first guide Sparkle. While obtaining her Bachelor’s of Education (B.Ed.) in Family and Human Services from the University of Oregon, Erin was selected as a Ford Family Scholar to be one of only a few to be part in a summer internship at a non-profit organization. That ten week internship gave Erin just the sampler she needed to fulfill her desire to work in the blindness field and train dogs. Since January of 2007, Erin has been the Training Class Specialist at Guide Dogs for the Blind both aiding in the training of dogs to help ready them for class and mentoring/educating clients every month who come in for their new guides. In addition to working both in class and in training with the dogs, Erin also is enthusiastically involved in outreach to educate the public on the topics of blindness and Guide Dogs.
Erin Lives in Gresham with her husband David who is an Orientation and Mobility Specialist for the Portland Veterans Administration. Outside of work, Erin sits on the board, chairs the outreach committee for and is a member of the Oral Hull Foundation, (a non-profit park for the blind facilitating educational and extracurricular activities) in Sandy Oregon. Another volunteer activity Erin’s involved in includes sitting on the board of AER, (Association for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind and Visually Impaired). In addition, Erin is currently working on her Masters in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy through Western Michigan University. Some of her favorite past times include, volunteering at her church, down hill skiing, hiking, and involvement in local professional theater. http://www.guidedogs.com
For more information about Living Learning Communities in Residence Life please visit the Living Learning Initiatives Website in University Housing: http://housing.uoregon.edu/reshalls/academic_programs.php
Please visit the University of Oregon Libraries' Community Conversations Website for further reading and content: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/partners/cc/index.html
You can also view past Community Conversations panels on-demand and on-line in streaming media at the UO Channel. Formats include Quicktime, Windows Media, and MP3 for podcasts. Please visit: http://media.uoregon.edu/channel/index.php?cat=31
Community Conversations are produced by the Oregon Think Tank and the Oregon Brain Trust, student academic groups of University Housing, Residence Life, in collaboration with the Robert D. Clark Honors College, Undergraduate Studies, and the Oregon Humanities Center.
