Norman Kunc to Give Disability Rights Talk

Posted: October 27, 2009

Norman Kunc will deliver a presentation titled “A Life Beyond Compare: Disability, Normalcy, and Transformation” on Wednesday, November 4, at 7:30 pm in Gamble Auditorium.

In a humorous, fast-paced, thought-provoking presentation, Norman Kunc (pronounced Koonz) will use his own personal experiences to explore society’s habitual ways of perceiving people with disabilities. He puts forward four “narratives of disability” and suggests that people with disabilities will only be seen as valued, contributing members of society when we move beyond seeing disability as a deficiency and, instead, see it simply as a part of human diversity.

Kunc is a renowned speaker and has delivered keynote addresses on inclusive education and other disability rights issues throughout the world. Born with cerebral palsy, he attended a segregated school until grade seven. He was integrated into a regular high school and went on to university where he received a master’s degree in family therapy.

This event is supported by the Office of the Dean of Students/Disability Services, the Multicultural Community and College Life-Inclusiveness Initiatives Fund, the Weissman Center for Leadership and the Liberal Arts, Best Buddies, the Program in Critical Social Thought, and the Department of Psychology and Education.

This event is free, accessible, and open to the public with a sign language interpreter.

For more information, contact Elisabeth Hogan, associate dean of students/disability services, at x2550.

Related Link:

Disability Services at MHC