Luke Adams, a deaf contestant who finished third on the CBS reality show "The Amazing Race," will speak on Tuesday, Jan. 12, kicking off the second annual Disability Awareness Month.
Disability Awareness Month features a panel discussion, wheelchair basketball game, movie night and more. The events will promote this year's theme, Breaking Barriers, designed to help people gain understanding about those with disabilities.
"Luke Adams represented the concept of breaking barriers while on the show," says Chad Bowman, president of the Access & Disability Alliance, which is sponsoring the events. "He had to effectively communicate not only with his mom, but others who were not fluent in sign language to compete in the game."
Adams, who graduated from a university for the deaf, communicates primarily through sign language. He will speak about his upbringing, belonging to both the gay and deaf community, and his experience on the show from noon to 1 p.m. in the Bronco Student Center's Ursa Major Suite.
"Breaking barriers is important because people with disabilities are more than the labels that are given to them," Bowman says. "All of us can identify with experiencing challenges, not only the disabled, and how we get past them can be inspirational."
The events will be held Jan. 12-21. For more information, contact the Disability Resource Center at (909) 869-3333 or visit https://dsa.cpp.edu/drc/AdA.asp.
Winter Quarter
"Breaking Barriers" Art Exhibit
BSC Atrium (upper level by the business services office)
Create your own artistic interpretation of disABILITY Awareness Month. Come by the Bronco Student Center atrium at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays and contribute a poem, story, note, illustration or picture. Artwork will be on display in the atrium throughout the winter quarter.
Tuesday, Jan. 12
Keynote Address: Luke Adams, "Amazing Race" contestant
Noon to 1 p.m., BSC Ursa Major
Most contestants on "The Amazing Race" tackle language barriers during their trek around the world. As the reality series' first deaf contestant, Adams had double the trouble. Traveling more than 40,000 miles across nine countries, Adams, 23, and his mom, Margie, fell just shy of winning the million-dollar grand prize, finishing third among 11 teams.
Thursday, Jan. 14
"My Life as a Person With a Disability" Panel Discussion and Experiential Workshop
Noon to 1 p.m. for discussion and 1 to 3 p.m. for simulation exercises, Ursa Minor
Panelists with varying disabilities will share their stories about overcoming obstacles. After the discussion, participants will have the opportunity to experience, via simulation exercises, what it is like to be disabled. Participants who attend the workshop and complete all simulation exercises will receive a "Disability Aware" certificate.
Saturday, Jan. 16
Wheelchair Basketball Exhibition Games
5:30 and 7:30 p.m., Kellogg Gym
Watch the Cypress College Chargers wheelchair basketball team perform during halftime of the Bronco women's basketball game, which begins at 5:30 p.m. The Chargers will take on the Cal Poly Pomona Greeks during halftime of the men's basketball game, which begins at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 19
Movie Night: "Adam"
5 p.m., BSC Centaurus
When beautiful teacher Beth (Rose Byrne) moves into a nearby apartment, strangely awkward Adam (Hugh Dancy), who suffers from Asperger's disorder, breaks through his limited social abilities in this moving romance. A panel discussion on the issues affecting someone with Asperger's or other disabilities will follow.
Thursday, Jan. 21
Classroom Experiences as Seen Through the Eyes of Learning-Disabled Students
Noon to 1 p.m., Faculty Center Conference Room, 1-228
Students think in different ways and may need to use different means to function in a typical classroom setting. This session explores the influences that shape the lives of learning-disabled students and discusses how to make classroom learning accessible for everyone.