International conference on disability and diversity fortifies innovation
University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaLink to video and interviews: http://bit.ly/2kBP5QA
The goal of bolstering quality of life, dignity and justice for people with diverse needs brings together nearly a thousand prominent leaders and advocates from civil society, indigenous backgrounds, academia, government, business and other areas at the 33rd Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity at the Modern Honolulu and Hilton Hawaiian Village. Presented by UH Mānoaʻs Center on Disability Studies (CDS), about 20 percent of those attending are from UH Mānoa.
Held October 9-11, this year’s conference encourages creating inclusion and commitment to taking transformative steps, urgently needed to shift the world onto a resilient path. It seeks to eliminate poverty, oppression and marginalization that disproportionately burden persons with disability, who make up 15 percent of the population worldwide. The conference interweaves the expertise of many to build a knowledge base in order to advance opportunity and equality for people with disabilities.
The conference offers more than 200 seminars, workshops and professional development opportunities and cutting-edge research. Session topics cover: K-12 educational justice and reform, transition to adulthood, employment and disability, self-care and living well, aging with dignity, the power of art, advocacy and reform, accessibility in the built environment, assistive technology and breaking stigma. Highlights include an aging with dignity forum, film festival and first-ever book pavilion featuring Oscar winning directors and best selling authors.
For more information, visit: www.pacrim.hawaii.edu.
B-ROLL (1:30 seconds):
- Conference opening ceremony (3 shots)
- Film discussion group (3 shots)
- Book pavilion (7 shots)
SOUNDBITES:
Patricia Morrissey - UH Mānoa Center on Disability Studies director and Pac Rim co-chair (8 seconds)
“The purpose of the conference is to connect people, share what we consider cutting edge information, practical suggestions.”
Vania Simmons – UH graduate student in the CDS certificate program for disability studies (10 seconds)
“This conference is unbelievable, I mean all the diversity thatʻs here, we can find not just research but we find the services that are available.”