June, 2007
AT Seminar is Successful Community Event
On June 12, 2007, Rolling Start held its 2nd Annual Assistive Technology Education Seminar at Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) in San Bernardino. Over 100 people representing various agencies and organizations serving individuals with disabilities attended the event, which is in its second year. Also in attendance were parents of children with disabilities and individuals with disabilities.
The goal of the seminar series is to promote awareness and education in the Inland Empire about the role assistive technology plays in the lives of people with disabilities and provide continuing assistive technology education for those serving individuals with disabilities. Plans for next year’s seminar are already under way!
Seminar participants gathered at Inland Empire Health Plan for a day
of assistive technology education, guest speakers and networking.
Mayor Morris gives Welcome Address at AT Seminar
This year’s AT seminar featured a Welcome Address given by Patrick J. Morris, Mayor of San Bernardino. The Mayor delivered a poignant speech, which emphasized the importance of assistive technology community education and the need for more of these events throughout the year.
The Mayor brought a genuine touch to his speech when he gave a personal testimony of how assistive technology was a positive factor during a time of health and aging issues his mother was experiencing. Mayor Morris set the tone for a very successful day!
Rolling Start is very thankful that Mayor Morris cleared his busy schedule to be an integral part of this very important community event.
Olegario Canto, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Fran Bates, E.D. Rolling Start, and Patrick Morris, Mayor of San Bernardino
Ollie Cantos is Keynote Speaker at AT Seminar
This year’s Keynote Speaker for Rolling Start’s 2nd Annual Assistive Technology Education Seminar was Olegario “Ollie” D. Cantos VII, Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
Mr. Cantos recently returned to this post after serving two consecutive Detail terms as Associate Director for Domestic Policy at the White House, where he lead the implementation of the President’s New Freedom Initiative, the agenda for advancing the equality of opportunity for people with all types of disabilities in information and assistive technology, education, employment, and every aspect of community living.
Mr. Cantos’ highly motivating address featured inspiring words, which touched upon his own personal life as a person with a disability and his professional work at the White House and U.S. Department of Justice.
One of the highest-placed persons with a disability in the federal government today, Mr. Cantos emphasized the importance of opportunity and civil rights in removing barriers for people with disabilities.
Mr. Cantos concluded his address with a challenge, “No matter what we think about disability, whether this is our first experience...or whether we have been in the field for decades...we must continue to push the proverbial envelope and ask, ’What else can people with disabilities do?’ And if we ourselves are people with disabilities, the next question for us to ask ourselves is ’What else can we do with and without the use of low—and high-tech devices, with and without assistance, and with and without support. What is it that we can do?”
Rolling Start thanks Olegario D. Cantos for traveling from Washington D.C. and bringing his expertise and insightful words to our seminar and the community of San Bernardino.
Newsletter by Mark Gomez. Additional article information
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