Learn more about
understanding and dealing with mental illness and enjoy a special troupe of
dancers who are deaf at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point this month as
students, staff and the community mark “Celebrate All Abilities” month.
·
The
Sign Song Dancers will perform from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the
Dreyfus University Center Theater. This dance troupe is from the Wisconsin
School for the Deaf in Delevan. They perform contemporary music, combining
dance with American sign-Language. A narrator talks about the deaf culture and
language as they travel around the state. They educate audiences about their
school and the deaf community to help promote understanding.
·
Randye
Kaye, a noted speaker and radio personality, will present “Beyond the Voices:
From Chaos to Hope” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, in the Laird Room of the
Dreyfus University Center. Kaye wrote the book “Ben, Behind His Voices: One Family’s Journey from the Chaos of
Schizophrenia to Hope.” The page-turning
narrative describes her family's experience when their firstborn is gradually
struck down by schizophrenia - and how they learned to love and support him throughout
his eventual steps to recovery. She inspires and educates families to understand and deal with mental
illness.
Her talk is sponsored by several community partners: Coalition of
Portage County, Ministry Health Care, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health
Awareness and UW-Stevens Point Disability Advisory Council.
Both events are free and open to
the public.
Nearly one in five people have a
disability, which can range from physical challenges to learning disabilities
to mental illness. The Disability and Assistive Technology Center at UW-Stevens
Point served 534 students with disabilities last year, providing accommodations
to ensure equal access to their educational pursuits.
“It is so important to people
with disabilities that barriers to understanding and stereotypes about
disabilities be eliminated through disability awareness. Our disability
awareness program, held each October, is one of the ways the UW-Stevens Point
Disability Advisory Council seeks to increase understanding,” said Jim Joque, director,
Disability and Assistive Technology Center.
Skip to main content
