2008 Woodie Awards
Speech looks at disability rights
Lecture series remembers former Miami U. student Kate Welling
Laura Bryant
Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: Campus
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"I encourage you, and I think I speak for the university in saying, 'Let's be the eyes and ears for those with disabilities and get involved,'" said Jeanne M. Kincaid, a nationally known disability attorney and consultant from the New England law firm of Drummond, Woodsum and MacMahon.
Kincaid spoke at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday in Shideler Hall. Her lecture, titled "The Changing Face of Disability," was the first in the recently established lecture series honoring Kate Welling, one of the three Miami students who died in an off-campus fire in April 2005.
Welling was passionate for disability education and awareness, and the annual lecture series will focus on disabilities.
Karen Murray, the director of health education at Miami, and Michael Kumler, the director of development for student affairs, helped to organize the event. According to Murray, Welling's family had been working with the university in order to set up the lecture series for over a year and a half.
"(Welling's family) wanted to see some of the work Kate would have liked to have done," Murray said.
According to Murray, Welling's passion for helping those with
disabilities came from her former professor at Miami, Jennifer Profitt, who was recognized at the lecture.
"Kate took a class from Jennifer Profitt that just opened her eyes to disabilities," Murray said.
Tuesday's lecture centered on the changing path of discrimination against disabilities in America.
Kincaid opened with Miami's mission statement on diversity, which summarizes what Miami will and will not accept in regards to the treatment of others, listing the consequences if such a standard is not met.
"Miami University's mission statement is very much in keep with Kate's view," Kincaid said.
Kincaid began her lecture outlining where America was a few decades ago and concluded with where it currently stands. She highlighted key dates for such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which opened the doors to ending discrimination in the public school system.
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