October is Disability Awareness Month and as one of the most diverse institutions in the Big Ten, disabilities play a vital role in making our community vibrant and inclusive. See how Rutgers plans to come together to celebrate, learn and keep the conversation going with resources and actions throughout the year.
New Brunswick
October 7, 9 a.m. Join us for the 3rd Annual RU Neurodiversity Summit and (New) Resource Fair This year, in addition to exceptional workshop presenters, attendees can visit the VIP Exhibitor Showcase of 20+ tables in the LSC-Livingston Hall. Livingston Student Center, 84 Joyce Kilmer Road, Piscataway.
October 8, 2:30 p.m. Join the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights Director Sundeep Lyer, the Disability Rights of New Jersey Executive Director Gwen Orlowski and renowned disability advocate Colleen Roche for Empowering People: Disability Rights, Power, and Lived Experience, an engaging workshop to advance disability rights in the Garden State. Alexander Library, 169 College Ave, New Brunswick.
October 10, 10:30 a.m. Join us for an informative webinar with NJTIP travel instructors Jeffrey Dennis and Jackie Ng who will share how individuals with disabilities can confidently and safely navigate public transportation to reach their destinations. Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services, 100 Dudley Road, Piscataway.
October 10, 5 p.m. Join us for SparkNight on Thursday, Oct. 10 to celebrate Disability Awareness Month. Experience an inclusive evening featuring a performance, an interactive workshop, inspiring speakers, pop-up tours and a food truck. Zimmerli Art Museum, 71 Hamilton St., New Brunswick.
October 11, 10 a.m. Presented by Andy Arias, National Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Policy and Subject Matter Expert, this session of The Boggs Center’s Developmental Disabilities Lecture Series, Cultivating Change through an Intersectional Lens: Revolutionizing Systems of Care and Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities, will delve into the power of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) to strengthen care systems and employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. This is a virtual event, registration is required.
October 11, 1 p.m. Adaptive Sports, Health and Wellness Day is to showcase abilities, opportunities and awareness of sports for individuals with disabilities. Attendees can participate in multiple adaptive sports activities through hands-on demonstrations and attend health and wellness workshops. This event is open to all members of Rutgers University and surrounding communities. No registration necessary. Cook/Douglass Recreation Center, 50 Biel Road, New Brunswick.
October 12, 1 p.m. This dance class is designed specifically for adults who are neurodivergent or autistic and is offered as an open house to showcase classes currently offered at Rutgers University. No dance training is required, and support guardians or teachers are allowed to participate. Mortensen Hall (next to Nicholas Music Center) Goetz Studio (2nd Floor), 85 George Street, New Brunswick.
October 15, 11 a.m. Join us for an informative webinar with NJTIP travel instructors Jeffrey Dennis and Jackie Ng who will share how individuals with disabilities can confidently and safely navigate public transportation to reach their destinations. This is a virtual event, registration is required.
October 15, 12 p.m. Join us for an insightful panel where we will explore the journey of seeing-eye dogs, from their intensive training to their critical role in supporting their human partners. Alexander Library, Teleconference Lecture Hall, 4th Floor, 169 College Ave, New Brunswick.
October 15, 3 p.m. Students with disabilities see, hear and experience the classroom differently. As educators, it is our responsibility to ensure every student has equal access to course materials and the learning environment. In leading the classroom, how are we addressing the sensory needs of students and creating an accessible experience? Join the conversation to learn about tips for working with different disabilities. This is a virtual event, registration is required.
October 16, 10 a.m. Explore the harrowing history of Willowbrook State School in our in-depth workshop, Disability, Race, Class, and Gender: How Willowbrook School Failed Us. This is a virtual event, registration is required.
October 16, 10:30 a.m. Join us for an engaging and informative panel discussion on the transformative impact of service dogs for individuals with disabilities and facilities. This workshop will explore the work of service dogs from Canine Companions a national nonprofit organization that provides service dogs to people with disabilities and facilities throughout the United States. Alexander Library, Teleconference Lecture Hall, 4th Floor, 169 College Ave, New Brunswick.
October 16, 4 p.m. Join us for the Trauma of Invisible Disabilities: PTSD Edition lecture, where we will explore post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in trauma survivors, students and colleagues after COVID and now in the general community. This is a virtual event, registration is required.
October 17, 7 p.m. Have you ever been interested in Chair Yoga and its benefits? Online Chair Yoga is for you. This class showcases how yoga can be done in an accessible format and describes the benefits of breathing, meditation and stretching while mostly in a non-weight bearing position when seated in a chair. This is a virtual event via Zoom.
October 18, 8 a.m. Sponsored by The Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development & NJAPSE, the Facing the Future annual conference highlights best practices in supporting people with disabilities in career planning, supported and customized employment, and transition from school to work. The 2024 conference features 18 workshops on transition, support strategies, job coaching and job development, and a keynote presentation by Delaina Parrish. Hyatt Regency New Brunswick, 2 Albany Street, New Brunswick. Registration is required.
October 19, 11 a.m. Join us for MOVING FORWARD, the 9th Annual Dance and Parkinson's Symposium. This is a hybrid event. Attend in-person or via Zoom.
October 23, 3:30 p.m. Please come and join our swing dance class designed for blind or visually impaired adults. This class will be taught by Maya Robles and sponsored by the Integrated Dance Collaboratory through Mason Gross Dance Department. The class is free and open to students, faculty, staff and the community. Nicholas Music Center, Room 110, 85 George Street, New Brunswick.
October 23, 5 p.m. Have you wondered about what an accommodation might be and what constitutes a disability? Might you be nervous about seeking accommodations, identifying as a person with a disability or implementing accommodations? Students share their perspective on accommodations, attitudes, and awareness on campus. This is a virtual event, registration is required.
October 23, 6 p.m. Interested in learning more about animals on campus? Join Residence Life–Student Support for an opportunity to de-stress with therapy dogs and learn more about the types of assistance animals that live in on-campus housing. Spots are limited, so attendees must RSVP.
October 23, 9 p.m. At this general club meeting for the Rutgers Seeing Eye Puppy Raising Club (RUSEPRC), we will be setting up a sighted guide course for our club members to do. Club members will pair up, one will be blindfolded and the other sighted. The sighted student will help the blindfolded student navigate through the course. Open to all students. George H. Cook Room, Cook Student Center, 59 Biel Road, New Brunswick.
October 24, 1 p.m. Trying to improve accessibility in your organization? Learn from the mistakes of a CEO who re-engineered his company to build more accessible software, but figured out that the real opportunity lies in building accessible workplaces. Open to all faculty/staff, students and community members via Zoom.
October 24, 6 p.m. Join us for a discussion focusing on what parents and students can do to prepare for transitioning from secondary schooling to university services. South Brunswick High School, 750 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction.
October 25, 10 a.m. Join us for this session of the Developmental Disabilities Lecture Series, Living a Good Life with Supported Decision Making, an alternative to guardianship that promotes independence and the ability feel a sense of autonomy and control of one’s own life. This is a virtual event, registration is required.
October 29, 4 p.m. Take a pictorial tour of the newly constructed Rutgers EcoPreserve Accessible Trail. This talk will show photos, video and maps describing this packed gravel path that extends 1/3 of a mile through the woods of the EcoPreserve adjacent to Livingston Campus. Join via Zoom.
October 30, 12 p.m. The Community Living Education Project at Rutgers School of Public Health is partnering with Disability Rights NJ's Richard West Assistive Technology Advocacy Center to share how assistive technology is changing the lives of people with various needs. This is a virtual event, registration is required.
Newark
October 23, 11:30 a.m. Join us for Liberating Disability: Stories From Our Past, Present and Future, a series of workshops, speakers and performances to explore the role of disability in movements for justice and liberation. The event is free and open to the public. Express Newark, 50 Halsey Street, Newark.
Camden
October 6, noon. Come check out the Celebrating the Anniversary of the American With Disabilities Act exhibit, which highlights the journey toward accessibility and inclusion leading up to the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. It will also feature key passages from the groundbreaking legislation and explain what the various titles and subtitles of the law entail. On display at Paul Robeson Library, 300 N. 4th St., through November 16.
