City Hall Will Display Blue Lights for Autism Awareness Month

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington will display blue lights on the City Hall Showers Building April 2 in commemoration of the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day.  The lights will coincide with national organization Autism Speaks’ “Light It Up Blue” ceremony held throughout the international autism community.

Preceding the event on April 1,The City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department is sponsoring an autism program from 4 to 6 p.m. in Council Chambers of City Hall, 401 N. Morton St. A panel of experts on autism, including a person with autism, will provide valuable information on autism diagnosis, education and treatment. This event is open to the public and free of charge. Light refreshments will be served.

“Light It Up Blue” is a unique, global initiative that kicks off Autism Awareness Month and helps raise awareness about autism. In honor of this historic day, many iconic landmarks, hotels, sporting venues, concert halls, museums, bridges and retail stores are among the hundreds of thousands of homes and communities that take part to “Light It Up Blue”.  More information on this event can be found at http://liub.autismspeaks.org/home.do.

Additionally, World Autism Awareness Day celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe. Autism is one of only three health issues to be recognized by the United Nations with its own day.  More information on this day can be found at http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/world-autism-awareness-day.

For more information regarding the lighting or the autism program, please contact Health Projects Manager Nancy Woolery at 812.349.3851. To find out more about the organization Autism Speaks, visit the website at http://www.autismspeaks.org/. 

Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility: Meeting Tonight!

The regular monthly meeting of the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) will be held today from 4:00 – 5:30 pm at City Hall in the McCloskey Conference Room (#135). The CCA is a volunteer group made up of persons with disabilities, family members, or other local citizens, that advocates for the interests of people with disabilities. The group promotes awareness of the challenges faced by people with disabilities, and works to develop solutions to problems of accessibility in the community.

The meeting is open to all who are interested in making Bloomington a more accessible city. For more information, contact Craig Brenner at brennerc@bloomington.in.gov. For more information about the CCA and their objectives, visit their webpage at http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=4246.

Disability Roundtable: Student Perspectives on Accessibility

IU’s Monthly Disability Roundtable session for March will feature the voices of students with disabilities discussing life on campus, both academically and socially. Members of the student panel will highlight IU’s successes in creating a more welcoming environment on campus (such as the approval of the new student group, Hoosiers For Autism Speaks), as well as bring to light continuing concerns about accommodations and accessibility.

The presentation will be held in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union next Wednesday, March 24th, from Noon – 1:00 pm.

For more information, contact Vicki Pappas at adainfo@indiana.edu or call 812-855-6508.

All Star Saturdays

Kerasotes ShowPlace Theaters, in collaboration with the IRCA, announce the first “All Star Saturday” sensory friendly film event in Bloomington, IN on October 31, 2009. Future All-Star Saturdays will be held on the last Saturday of the month (providing there is an appropriate movie available).

This sensory friendly environment allows families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy family films in a safe and accepting environment. Join us for a “Sensory Friendly” showing of Astro Boy.

• Cost is $6.00/adults and $5.75/children
• Doors open at 9:00 a.m./Movie time at 9:30 a.m.
• All children/students must be accompanied by an adult
• Location: Kerasotes Theater - East 11, Bloomington, IN (1351 South College Mall Road)
• Lights will be up and sounds will be down
• Families can bring gluten-free, casein-free snacks
• Snack bar will be open
• No previews

For more information, contact Pam Anderson at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail pamander@indiana.edu.

Adopt-A-Dog Month

The mayor of Bloomington has dubbed October Adopt-A-Dog Month, and the local shelter is following through by offering 1/2-priced adoptions. Adoption fees, which cover "a first round of vaccinations, a free visit to a local veterinary office, heartworm testing, microchip identification and spay/neuter surgery, will be $37.50 for dogs younger than 5 years old and $27.50 for those 5 years and up."

Though the shelter is not a resource for service dogs, companion animals have been shown to be beneficial to children and adults with disabilities. Pets aid in teaching children nurturing behaviors and nonverbal communication (Beck&Myers 1996). Furthermore, the use of animals in therapy "strengthens...contact with reality" in children with autism and "[decreases] agitated and aggressive behavior" in children with ADHD (Barker 1999).

The Bloomington animal shelter is located on South Walnut, next to the Recycling Center. Its hours are:

Mondays 12-5pm
Tuesdays 12-7pm
Wednesdays 12-5pm
Thursdays 12-5pm
Fridays 12-7pm
Saturdays 12-5pm
Sundays 1-4pm

The shelter can be contacted at 812-349-3492.