The State University of New York at Buffalo and the Museum of disABILITY History celebrate the establishment of new Center

What: The State University of New York at Buffalo and the Museum of disABILITY History are hosting event to celebrate the establishment of the Center for Disability Studies.

When: Thursday, April 30, 2009; 6:00pm to 9:00pm 
            6 pm - 7 pm          Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres 
            7 pm - 8:30 pm      Program

Where: Jacobs Executive Management Center (Butler Mansion) 672 Delaware Avenue (corner of Delaware and North), Buffalo, New York

Why: The purpose of the Center will be to encourage the study, teaching and accurate representation of disability history and of individuals with disabilities. With collaborative efforts, The State University of New York at Buffalo and The Museum of disABILITY History will sponsor a visiting scholar for one semester each academic year beginning in the spring semester of the year 2010. The scholar will not only teach and promote the study of disability history, but also develop new exhibits for the ever expanding collections at the Museum of disABILITY History.

Who: Speakers for the evening's program include:
NYS Assemblymember Mark J. F. Schroeder
Dr. Bruce McCombe, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, University at Buffalo
Dr. Francisco M. Vasquez, Board Vice President, Museum of disABILITY History
Dr. David Gerber, UB Distinguished Professor, Department of History, University at Buffalo
Dr. Catherine Kudlick Keynote: When Blind People March for Dr. King

Catherine Kudlick is the president of the Disability History Association, an international scholarly organization that promotes the academic study of disabilities. She received her BA from UC Santa Cruz in 1980, and her MA and PhD from UC Berkeley in 1988. Dr. Kudlick has been a professor in the history department of The University of California Davis since 1989. She has also studied and taught in France. Dr. Kudlick has published a number of works on disability and on the history of medicine, within the context of her specialty, French social and cultural history.

Event Sponsor: The event is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York. A division Of HealthNow New York Inc. An Independent Licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association.

A flagship institution in the State University of New York system, the University at Buffalo is the largest and most comprehensive campus in the 64-campus SUNY system. UB is a premier, research-intensive public university dedicated to academic excellence. For more information, visit www.buffalo.edu

The Museum of disABILITY History is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs, and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society's reactions. For more information, visit www.museumofdisability.org.