Group items tagged

Since 1984, the VSA International Young Soloists Program has been seeking to identify talented musicians who have a disability. The VSA International Young Soloists Award is given annually to four outstanding musicians, two from the United States and two from the international arena. The award provides an opportunity for these emerging musicians to each earn a $5,000 award and a performance in Washington, D.C.

Some of this year's workshops include: Writing, Bollywod Dancing, Understanding Money, Dance NIA, DIY Fashion, International Culture, Intro to College, Japanese Drumming, Taekwondo, Personality Exploration, Sustainable Energy, Cooking and more!What:Keynote speaker and President of Montana State University, Dr. Waded Cruzado is the first woman and first minority to serve as a university president in the state of Montana. Her commitment to teaching and volunteer service is certain to be an inspiration for all Montana girls. History of GFAC:Girls for a Change is a grass-roots initiative designed to empower girls to embrace their future--confident in their individuality, supported by friends, parents and mentors, and secure in their ability to lead and achieve self-sufficiency, fulfillment, balance and success. Founded in 1997 by sixteen girls and their female mentors, Girls for a Change (GFAC) is a signature program of Thrive devoted to supporting and encouraging the successful development of girls.GFAC Activities:Each year GFAC plans an annual conference, does one local and one international community service project, participates and facilitates workshops and attends a retreat. GFAC participants also meet and facilitate activities with international visitors resulting in an ongoing dialogue about girls' and womens' issues in different cultures. Outcomes of GFAC:Girls feel confident about themselves and their ability to succeed--Girls gain public speaking skills--Girls are empowered to accomplish their goals and dreams--Girls learn what strengths they already possess and how to build on those strengths--Girls learn that there are all different kinds of beauty--Girls gain exposure to other girls from different social, cultural and international backgrounds--Girls learn to work together as a team. When:Saturday, February 25, 2012 Where:MSU Strand Union BuildingBozeman, MTContact:Email: gfac@allthrive.orgPhone: (406)587-3840Website: allthrive.org

VSA, renowned artist Simon Mckeown, and 17 countries around the world are celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with screenings of the groundbreaking video installation Motion Disabled to raise awareness of disability rights. Mckeown uses motion capture, a technique used in feature films and video games, and 3D animation to explore digitally the movements of 15 people with disabilities performing activities from kickboxing to riding a bicycle. This mesmerizing installation challenges conventional ideas of motion. Watch the video online or find a screening near you. The 650 million people worldwide who live with disabilities deserve inclusion and access to equal opportunities. Because disability knows no borders.

BILLINGS - Wednesday is officially recognized as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year's focus is on technology. The Baldry family is one of thousands of Montana families that are directly impacted by the technology that's available to people with disabilities. Isaac and his mother, Theresa Baldry, stopped by Montana this Morning to talk about the role technology has played in their lives.

Anna Biegel knew since she was in kindergarten that something was wrong.“I remember crying as a little child because I couldn’t read some of what the other kids could, and I would get so frustrated with the sounds,” the Billings native said.Biegel went on to graduate with honors in piano performance from Montana State University Billings. While she was in college she finally was able to put a name to her problem: dyslexia.

On Thursday, February 17, 2011, USICD Executive Director David Morrissey joined Judith Heumann, Special Advisor for International Disability Rights for the U.S. State Department a "Conversation with America," on International Disability Rights.  The discussion was moderated by Cheryl Benton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Public Affairs and streamed live on DipNote, the Department of State's official blog.  You can view video of the discussion at: http://www.state.gov/video/?videoid=795316932001 And read a transcript of the conversation at: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/plrmo/cwa/156916.htm

One of the most popular intervention therapies for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) lacks scientific support according to a literature review published by University of Texas at Austin professor Mark O’Reilly and an international team of scientists.

At the CSUN International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference this week, Google announced that it has added a number of accessibility features to Chrome, Chrome OS, Gmail and Google Drive that should make using Google suites of web apps a bit easier to use for blind and low-vision users. In addition, Google also launched a new sign language interpreter app and keyboard shortcuts for Hangouts for the deaf and hard of hearing, as well as those who can’t or don’t want to use a mouse while using Hangouts.

IMFAR is the top science conference for autism. It is big and it is where a lot of new work is presented. The meeting will be held in May and the abstracts will be available May 1st. But the program, meaning the titles of the talks, are available now. I’ve just done a little browsing and found some talks which are likely to spark conversations.

What:The National Medicare Training Program is pleased to announce the next Understanding Medicare webinar will be held on March 6 and 7, 2012.   This webinar, which is designed for people who are new to Medicare, and for people wanting a refresher, will provide current, accurate, consistent information on Medicare, including hospital (Part A) coverage, medical (Part B) coverage, Medicare Advantage plans (Part C), and prescription drug (Part D) coverage.  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is authorized by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) to offer 0.4 Continuing Education Units (CEU) for this program.   To receive CEU credit participants must: Complete the pre-assessment Attend all four hours of the training Complete the course registration and evaluation Complete the post-test with an aggregate score of at least 70%. When:March 6-7, 201211:00 am - 1:00 pm MTContact:Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Phone: (410) 786-5473Website: Medicare.govRegistration:Click this link to register! Please complete the registration form and select a password that is 8 characters long and contains one capital letter and a numeric digit. If you have previously attended a webinar with us please select “click here” at the top of the page. You will be redirected and asked to enter your login (your email address) and password. If you do not remember you password, please click “Forgot your password?” You will receive an e-mail confirming your registration and providing the link to the webinar pre-assessment. Space is limited, and only approved participants will receive instructions on how to register. The pre-assessment must be completed prior to the start of the webinar. You will not be able to participate in the webinar if you have not completed the pre-assessment.

As President Obama has so often said, change in America happens from the bottom up.  It happens when people organize, speak out, and have a seat at the table.  Recently, President Obama met with some youth with disabilities. He wanted to hear their thoughts about the future of disability policy. So, he sat down with participants from the American Association of People with Disabilities internship program. These future leaders spent their summer in DC, interning with various organizations.