Past Event

Beyond the Ramp: A Conversation about Access to Power with Disability Activists

A free lunch will be served courtesy of A La Carte, Inc.

Join the Public Square at the IHC and Access Living for an exciting and important conversation about disability issues. How can we as a society move “beyond the ramp” and envision a more socially just and inclusive world where accessibility includes jobs, housing, transportation, public places, decent healthcare and ACCESS TO POWER?

Please come to help raise awareness anddispel common misconceptions about people living with disabilities.

The Empowered Fe Fes is a diverse group of 12 young female Chicagoans with disabilities. Recently the group produced a documentary called Beyond Disability: The Fe Fe Stories. This 26 minute film explores their lives with gusto, humor and attitude. Director Salome Chasnoff keeps the pace as lively as her engaging young women subjects. Beyond Disability: the Fe Fe Stories, fresh, fun and empowering, is also the recipient of the Spirit Award and the Award of Excellence, presented by SUPERFEST, an international disabilities film festival. Click here to read more about the award winning documentary and the Fe Fes.

Bob Lujano, one of the Rugby athletes featured in Murderball, was born in Wichita, Kansas and graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington (B.A. in Pre-Law). He holds a M.S. in Sports Management from the University of Tennessee. He’s also a quadruple amputee. On January 7, 1979, he lost limbs below the elbow and above the knee, due to a rare blood disease called Meningococcemia, which is a rare form of meningitis. In the 10 years of playing quad rugby he was won 5 US Quad Rugby National Championships with the Lakeshore Demolition of Birmingham, AL and won 3 medals playing rugby for Team USA. A Gold (’99 World Wheelchair Games), one Sliver (World Championships), and one Bronze (2004 Paralympics). For 7 years he has worked at the Lakeshore Foundation, an official US Olympic and Paralympics Training Site, as Coordinator of Athletics. One of Bob’s mottos is, “No arms, no legs, no problem!” Click here for an article about Bob.Click here to go to the Murderball website.

About our co-sponsor, Access Living: a cross-disability organization governed and staffed by a majority of people with disabilities. Access Living fosters the dignity, pride, and self-esteem of people with disabilities and enhances the options available to them so they may choose and maintain individualized and satisfying lifestyles. Access Living recognizes the innate rights, abilities, needs and diversity of people with disabilities, works toward their integration into community life and serves as an agent of social change.

The Ramp Entrance for the Chicago Cultural Center is located at 77 E Randolph St.

**Pending response, room may change. Please check the website for updates.**

Note: A free lunch will be served courtesy of A La Carte, Inc.

Reservations are required and can be made at 312.422.5580, on-line, or at info@thepublicsquare.org. Please provide your email address when you register so that we can inform you of a possible room change.