I remember years back one course I was on was called "Disability
Equality Training", though I would say the activities were the
awareness type. I have been on (many) others, though tend to applaud
(or at least nod sagely) when students say things like, "I don't want
people's sympathy or awareness, I want a laptop that works."
I particularly like Mike Oliver's hilarious and virulent 1999
expression of the (forgotten?) controversy surrounding "awareness":
Mrs Hodge, the new Minister for Disabled People, offers no more
hope. In her new regular column for Disability Now, the
disability newspaper that passes for the disabled version of
the Sun, she makes no promises to provide fully comprehensive
and fully enforceable civil rights legislation but instead
promises to permanently change the climate of opinion towards
disabled people by fully involving a combination of newspaper
moguls, business, the Royal Institutes, one legged models and
fading television personalities, many of whom most of us
thought were dead. Haven't we heard all this for the last 50
years and hasn't it proved to be an abject failure?
Available: http://www.independentliving.org/docs4/oliver.html
Not that I necessarily endorse Professor Oliver's opinions, you'll
understand.
Iain
On Thu, 2 Oct 2003 16:30:37 +0100 "Claire Wickham, Centre for Access
and Communication Studies" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Yes, but I'd go with your student....let's have equality......time to
move > on from simply being aware and DO something to achieve equality!
They are > not the same flower but 2 different species. > > I sometimes
wonder about "weeks" to raise awareness of issues...no offence > to the
proposer of the idea, but would the time and money and effort be >
better spent in developing more long-term and/or sustainable
initiatives > that would contribute to equality for disabled students?
Or, when planning > your week, give considerable thought and emphasis
to how the awareness you > raise can be capitalised on to produce
medium and long-term benefits. For > example, would funding for BSL
courses increase understanding of the issues > for Deaf students more
effectively than a once-off event? > > ATB > > Claire > > --On
Thursday, October 02, 2003 12:18 PM +0100 Liz Thompson >
<[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Whatever term you use will
offend someone. I think that you cannot expect > > people to understand
equality issues until they are aware of them. A rose > > by any other
name..... > > > > Oh that everyone was aware! > > > > Regards > > > >
Liz > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: A. Pryor
[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > >> Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2003 11:23
AM > >> To: [log in to unmask] > >> Subject: Re:
disability awareness week > >> > >> As a disabled student I would like
to suggest you move away from raising > >> awareness and focus on
issues of equality and perhaps start by renaming > >> it a > >>
'disability equality week'. > >> > >> Karen Beauchamp-Pryor > >>
University of Wales, Swansea > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- >
>> From: "Clare Hughes" <[log in to unmask]> > >> To:
<[log in to unmask]> > >> Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2003 10:56
AM > >> Subject: FW: disability awareness week > >> > >> > >> >
-----Original Message----- > >> > From: Clare Hughes > >> > Sent: 02
October 2003 10:55 > >> > To: [log in to unmask] > >> >
Subject: disability awareness week > >> > > >> > > >> > We are thinking
of holding a disability awareness week at our college > >> > in > >>
the > >> > Spring term > >> > > >> > any ides of activities that have
worked well at other colleges would be > >> very > >> > gratefully
received > >> > > >> > thanks > >> > > >> > Clare > >
> > > > ---------------------- > Claire Wickham, > Director: Centre for
Access and Communication Studies > University of Bristol > Union
Building > Queen's Road > Clifton > Bristol BS8 1LN > > Tel: 0117 954
5710/5705 > Textphone: 0117 954 5715 > Fax: 0117 954 5714 > >
[log in to unmask]
----------------------
Iain Hood Senior Student Adviser, Learning Support
[log in to unmask]
Student Support Services
Anglia Polytechnic University
East Road
Cambridge
CB1 1PT
01223 363271 ex 2316
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