The American Voices Series, sponsored by the Ozarka College Diversity and Cultural Events Committee, will host its third annual event featuring the voices of Americans with Disabilities. This event is free of charge and will take place in the lecture hall of the John E. Miller Education Complex in Melbourne, Arkansas on April 7, 2015 from 10:30 AM until 1:45 PM. Plans are also underway to live stream presentations to Ozarka College campus locations in Ash Flat, Mammoth Spring, and Mountain View.

Supported in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities, American Voices - Americans with Disabilities will include three morning speakers, an information fair during the lunch break, and a five-person discussion panel in the afternoon. This is an excellent opportunity for all students, but particularly those majoring in nursing, criminal justice, teaching, and other public services, as they will gain valuable information on interacting with persons with disabilities.

Leonard A. Boyle, Sr., Executive Director of the Arkansas Governor's Commission on People with Disabilities, will present on the topic, "The Disabled Community in Arkansas. " After acquiring his own disability in 1992, Boyle experienced numerous forms of discrimination, various obstacles and barriers that led him to becoming an advocate for people with disabilities.

Rodney Farley, Parent/Family Consultant with DDS Children Services, will present, "Interacting with the Disabled. " Farley has twenty years experience serving on councils and coalitions that are disability related, and he was appointed by Governor Mike Beebe to serve as a commissioner on the Governor's Commission on People with Disabilities in 2010.

Luke Kramer, Director of Training and Development at Birth Tree Communities, Inc. will share a presentation about, "Emotional Disabilities. " Kramer began his career at Birch Tree, Inc. over sixteen years ago and is responsible for training and certifying over 550 professional, paraprofessional and support staff members.

Tina Long Hunter and Wanda Horton, along with Boyle, Farley and Kramer, will serve on the panel discussion. Hunter is the Director of Programs and Services for the Alzheimer's Association, Arkansas Chapter. She has been in community and public health and public policy for the past seventeen years.

Horton is the Executive Director of the Arkansas Disability Coalition (ADC) and has been employed with ADC for over twenty-five years. In addition to her role at ADC, Horton also serves on numerous councils and boards that are disability related, and she has a son with a disability.

This event is sure to be great for professional development, but will also be beneficial to the community at large to enhance successful communication with individuals who have a disability. Private sectors, state agencies, and the public are all encouraged to attend.

 

For more information or to reserve seats, please contact Joan Stirling, Ozarka College Vice President of Planning and Institutional Research, at 870.368.2007 or email: jstirling@ozarka. edu.