In celebration of Disabilities Awareness Month Lassen College is inviting the community to join them for a day full of information, inspiration and awareness featuring special activities and an afternoon talk by guest speaker, E. Tony Williams.
From 9:30 to 1:00p.m. on Tuesday the Special Athletes Activity Club will host six activities designed to give you an idea of what it means to be disabled.
“When you have completed all six of  the activities,” explains S.A.A.C Faculty Advisor Carrie Nyman, “you will pledge to ‘spread the word to end the word’ and ‘pledge to show respect to everyone’ which will be on a cougar paw.”
The word referred to by Nyman is ‘retard,’ an appellation that hurts millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends. This year’s Disabilities Awareness Month theme is to replace the ‘R-word’ with a new one – respect.
Participants will receive a wristband and t-shirt that will promote the pledge once they have completed the activities.
Nationally known guest speaker
The afternoon program, which begins at 1:00p.m. features guest speaker, E. Tony Williams, who suffered a spinal injury after being shot by a gang member on Chicago’s west side in 1973. Williams dealt with adversity and disability to become a nationally known motivational speaker, musician and poet.
Traveling across the country Williams speaks to young people and encourages a dialog to help keep youth out of harm’s way and in school.
Williams will speak at two sessions, at 1:00 and 3:00p.m., in Middleton Hall on the college campus.
For more information contact Dr. Marlon Hall at 251-8820 or Carrie Nyman at 249-5904.
