Third annual "Views from Our Shoes" panel spreads awareness
Marie Torto
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: Feature
On Monday, January 25, 2010, Assumption students, faculty and friends flocked to the Hagan Campus Center, filling the room to capacity. It wasn't to play Bingo or dance at a soiree, but rather to listen, learn and hopefully take away something significant, whether it was a touching story or an inspirational experience.
The popular event, "Views from Our Shoes" is an important, informative and inspiring occasion sponsored by the Assumption Disability Awareness Promotion Team (ADAPT) as well as the Disabilities Awareness Committee. It gives Assumption students who have disabilities the opportunity to discuss their lives in an open forum, free of prejudices, judgments and biases.
Nancy Crimmin, the Dean of Campus Life, introduced the event with a touching story about her son who has autism. She stressed the importance of correct language when speaking about disabilities and those who have them. She explained that autism is only a part of who her son is which is why she describes him as one who "has autism" rather than saying he is her "autistic son." Crimmin continued on to say that honesty and patience are keys to living and coping with disabilities and spoke highly of the program that the two committees have worked vigorously on.
The presentation consisted of two moderators and six panelists. The moderators and former panelists from past "Views from Our Shoes," senior Dan Anastas and junior Bryanna Yazbak, each gave brief reflections of their own experiences with disabilities before introducing this event's panel. The members included seniors Brandon Pare and Victoria Duke, juniors Brian Ake and Danielle Iozzo, sophomore Alexandra Nassimos and first year student Sarah Lovas.
Each panelist then introduced themselves and explained their individual disabilities. Pare, Iozzo and Nassimos spoke of their separate learning disabilities, Duke talked about her daily struggle with celiac disease (a severe allergy to gluten), Ake told the audience of his cleft pallet, leaving him with a facial deformity and hearing loss and Lovas spoke of her life dealing with cerebral palsy.
The popular event, "Views from Our Shoes" is an important, informative and inspiring occasion sponsored by the Assumption Disability Awareness Promotion Team (ADAPT) as well as the Disabilities Awareness Committee. It gives Assumption students who have disabilities the opportunity to discuss their lives in an open forum, free of prejudices, judgments and biases.
Nancy Crimmin, the Dean of Campus Life, introduced the event with a touching story about her son who has autism. She stressed the importance of correct language when speaking about disabilities and those who have them. She explained that autism is only a part of who her son is which is why she describes him as one who "has autism" rather than saying he is her "autistic son." Crimmin continued on to say that honesty and patience are keys to living and coping with disabilities and spoke highly of the program that the two committees have worked vigorously on.
The presentation consisted of two moderators and six panelists. The moderators and former panelists from past "Views from Our Shoes," senior Dan Anastas and junior Bryanna Yazbak, each gave brief reflections of their own experiences with disabilities before introducing this event's panel. The members included seniors Brandon Pare and Victoria Duke, juniors Brian Ake and Danielle Iozzo, sophomore Alexandra Nassimos and first year student Sarah Lovas.
Each panelist then introduced themselves and explained their individual disabilities. Pare, Iozzo and Nassimos spoke of their separate learning disabilities, Duke talked about her daily struggle with celiac disease (a severe allergy to gluten), Ake told the audience of his cleft pallet, leaving him with a facial deformity and hearing loss and Lovas spoke of her life dealing with cerebral palsy.
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