CenterPoint: The Newsletter of The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies presented the 2004-2005 Daring to Dream Awards at the annual luncheon meeting of the Community Advisory
Committee, May 19, 2005 at Buchanan Alumni House, in Orono. Richard Aronson, MD, MPH, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) medical director, Maine Bureau of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Augusta, was recognized for vision and leadership that promotes public policy change to advance the civil rights of people with disabilities. According to Toni Wall, director of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Maine Children with Special Health Needs Program, “Dr. Aronson recognizes that communities, families, and individuals are the experts. He honors all voices in the design of public health policies, to advance the civil rights of all people.”

René Jahiel, MD, Ph.D., lecturer at the Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Hartford, CT, Health Services, Policy, and Planning Research; and Member, American Public Health Association (APHA) Governing Council, was recognized for his vision and leadership in scholarship that informs Disability Studies policy and practice. Dr. Jahiel’s progressive work has been actualized through scholarly study group activities in three arenas: the International Health Policy Research Group (IHPR), L’École Libre des Hautes Études (ELDHE), and The DisAbility Special Interest Group and Forum of APHA. As a basis for informed social action, these groups devote their time to the examination and critical analysis of health, health services, and public health related to the needs of underserved and
disadvantaged individuals, with focused study on individuals with disabilities and their families.

Mary McElroy, M.Ed., special education teacher, Lawrence High School, Fairfield, was recognized for vision and leadership that promotes social change to advance the rights of people with disabilities. McElroy was recognized for her steadfast commitment to making the inclusion of students with multiple disabilities an integral part of the culture of Lawrence High School. McElroy’s efforts enable many students to have a full high school experience, including academics, extra curricular activities, and graduation ceremonies, while providing a model for other Maine schools to emulate.

The annual Daring to Dream Awards provide an opportunity for The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies to recognize individuals whose vision and leadership contribute to making the dream of inclusive communities a reality for individuals with disabilities and their families. The award was initiated in 2002 as part of the Center’s 10th Anniversary celebration.

— Kimberly Sawtelle
Stephen Gilson

In This Issue

Three Leaders Honored for Daring to Dream


In This Issue Spring 2005 • Volume 1 • Issue 1 Early Learning Opportunities Support Quality and Access Director’s Corner Daring to Dream Awards New EC Resource In memoriam: Marcia Lovell LEARNS: Work Keeps Team Hopping IDS Curriculum Changes Dissemination Team Leads Web Accessibility Collaboration Brings Speaker to Maine Center Sponsors Exhibit Venue for VSA arts Center Hosts Visiting Fulbright Scholar UMaine Students Lead EC Conference 10 Students Graduate TOP Program Healthy & Ready to Work: Engaging Youth in Their Future Standards for All Model: Personalizing Elementary Education Selected Presentations & Publications CenterPoint Home	Center Home \| UMaine Home \| CenterPoint Home Three Leaders Honored for Daring to Dream René Jahiel, Richard Aronson, and Mary McElroy (left to right), were honored at the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies 2004-2005 Daring to Dream awards luncheon and ceremony, March 2005. (Alan Parks, photo). The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies presented the 2004-2005 Daring to Dream Awards at the annual luncheon meeting of the Community Advisory Committee, May 19, 2005 at Buchanan Alumni House, in Orono. Richard Aronson, MD, MPH, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) medical director, Maine Bureau of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Augusta, was recognized for vision and leadership that promotes public policy change to advance the civil rights of people with disabilities. According to Toni Wall, director of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Maine Children with Special Health Needs Program, “Dr. Aronson recognizes that communities, families, and individuals are the experts. He honors all voices in the design of public health policies, to advance the civil rights of all people.” René Jahiel, MD, Ph.D., lecturer at the Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Hartford, CT, Health Services, Policy, and Planning Research; and Member, American Public Health Association (APHA) Governing Council, was recognized for his vision and leadership in scholarship that informs Disability Studies policy and practice. Dr. Jahiel’s progressive work has been actualized through scholarly study group activities in three arenas: the International Health Policy Research Group (IHPR), L’École Libre des Hautes Études (ELDHE), and The DisAbility Special Interest Group and Forum of APHA. As a basis for informed social action, these groups devote their time to the examination and critical analysis of health, health services, and public health related to the needs of underserved and disadvantaged individuals, with focused study on individuals with disabilities and their families. Mary McElroy, M.Ed., special education teacher, Lawrence High School, Fairfield, was recognized for vision and leadership that promotes social change to advance the rights of people with disabilities. McElroy was recognized for her steadfast commitment to making the inclusion of students with multiple disabilities an integral part of the culture of Lawrence High School. McElroy’s efforts enable many students to have a full high school experience, including academics, extra curricular activities, and graduation ceremonies, while providing a model for other Maine schools to emulate. The annual Daring to Dream Awards provide an opportunity for The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies to recognize individuals whose vision and leadership contribute to making the dream of inclusive communities a reality for individuals with disabilities and their families. The award was initiated in 2002 as part of the Center’s 10th Anniversary celebration. — Kimberly Sawtelle Stephen Gilson

CENTERPOINT: The Newsletter of The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, Maine’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service