Public Invited to Awards Ceremony and Workshop

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
October 3, 2011

For more information, please contact:
Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator, Community and Family Resources, City of Bloomington, 812.349.3471, brennerc@bloomington.in.gov
Jared Schlemmer, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 812.349.3406, schlemmj@bloomington.in.gov


City Council for Community Accessibility Invites Public Invited to Awards Ceremony and Workshop

Bloomington, IN -- Mayor Mark Kruzan and the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) is sponsoring an awards ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011, from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 100 N. State Road 46 Bypass. The ceremony, which is open to the public, recognizes individuals and groups in Bloomington who make our community a better place for people with disabilities.

The program includes light desserts, live music, and keynote and annual awards presentations. Sally Conway, director of Americans with Disabilities Act Technical Assistance with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, will give the keynote address. The awards ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. and will include the Mayor's Award presented by Kruzan and sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College.

Those planning to attend or needing accessibility accommodations should RSVP to Craig Brenner by Friday, Oct. 28 by calling 812-349-3471 or e-mailing brennerc@bloomington.in.gov.

In addition to the awards ceremony, the CCA is sponsoring a free workshop on Thursday, Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. Mark's United Methodist Church. Conway will give a talk entitled, "The ADA: How the New Accessibility Regulations Affect You!" and she will highlight recent and upcoming changes in ADA regulations regarding governmental organizations and public accommodations. People who have disabilities or who advocate for those with disabilities, people who work for governmental organizations, and business owners and employees should all be familiar with the new regulations.

Workshop participants will learn about the new definition of service animal, new requirements for accessible seating and ticketing, new definitions of wheelchairs and powered mobility devices, and how the ADA applies to new communications technologies. Barbara McKinney, director of the City of Bloomington Human Rights Commission, will talk about local accessibility issues. The workshop will include a continental breakfast.

Major underwriters for the ceremony and workshop include Ivy Tech Community College and Cook, Inc. Sponsors include Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, IU Health, Options, Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living and Stone Belt Arc, Inc, and the IU Credit Union.

For more information and to RSVP or to request accessibility accommodations, contact Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator, Community and Family Resources, at 812.349.3471 or brennerc@bloomington.in.gov.