For more information, contact
Gigi Yanez-Hamberger, 203-373-9094.
TOTAL ACCESS CLUB TO HOST CONFERENCE
ON DISABILITIES AND EMPLOYMENT
BRIDGEPORT- In celebration of Disability Awareness Month, Housatonic
Community College's Total Access Club will hold a conference on "People
with Disabilities and Employment" Thursday, March 21,
The focus of the conference will be on issues of disabilities in the
workplace and will feature five speakers from various agencies in the
State of Connecticut. There will be discussions and a question and answer
period for each speaker. Speakers will include:
- Mike Simko, an attorney with the Simko Law Firm, who will speak
about the Americans with Disabilities Act and employment.
- Michael White, senior vocational counselor with the State of Connecticut
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, who will speak on the subject of
helping people with disabilities find employment.
- Robert Rodriguez, representative of the Social Security Administration,
who will address social security benefits and employment.
- Alfonse Delucia, President of the Southern Connecticut chapter
of the National Federation of the Blind, who will discuss the benefits
of Jobline and telephone access for the blind.
- John Esteves, peer-mentoring coordinator with the Disability Resource
Center in Stratford, who will discuss his personal experiences in
dealing with disabilities in the workplace.
Vision Dynamics, a company specializing in visual aids and HCC's
Occupational Therapy Assistant Club will also be on hand displaying
various aids for people with disabilities.
The event, which will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the
Performing Arts Center, is open to the public and refreshments will
be served. For more information, contact Gigi Yanez-Hamberger, president
of the Total Access Club, at 373-9094.
With a five- year old campus in the heart of Connecticut's largest
city, Housatonic is one of the country's fastest-growing public
community colleges. Since it moved to the new downtown campus in 1997,HCC's
enrollment has increased 60 percent. According to the most recent statistics,
released by the Washington D.C- based American Association of Community
Colleges, HCC was ranked among the nations 34 fastest-growing public
community colleges and was third in the Northeast.
In response to increased enrollments and changing workplace needs both
regionally and nationally, HCC has increased the number of programs
offered from 43 to 65 since moving to its new campus.
