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Cerro Coso Campus

"Not Just Ramps" Theatrical Documentary at Cerro Coso Community College

September 28, 2010

In recognition of Disabilities Awareness month, the Associated Students of Cerro Coso Community College have joined with the College' Special Services Program to host a performance of "Not Just Ramps" on Wednesday, October 6, 2010 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. in the College Lecture Center.

"Not Just Ramps" is a theatrical documentary about physical, emotional, and societal access issues for a diverse group of people with disabilities. The actor/playwrights portray people as they tell vivid stories about themselves and their experiences in the workplace and their communities. The stories are interspersed with comic scenarios on how to deal with people who are "abled". These humorous reversals allow us to laugh at some of our own fears and the stereotyping that has long been associated with people who are different. The audience will meet people throughout the play who will elicit a wide variety of emotional responses and thoughts designed to create an awareness, empathy, and new ways to respond to people with disabilities. The disabilities of those interviewed include blindness, spinal cord injury, deafness, and hearing loss, A.L.S. (Lou Gerhig's Disease), cerebral palsy, breathing and vocal impairment, dyslexia, mental illness, and developmental disabilities.

Seeing "Not Just Ramps" and participating in the program can be a very effective way for all to explore inclusion and fight bias and bigotry in the workplace and in our lives. An interactive discussion will follow the production to explore access in the workplace and community. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of dignity through the humor and pathos of real people's experiences and they will be encouraged to connect their reactions and questions related to disabilities to the many other dimensions of diversity,

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and this year's theme "Talent has no boundaries: Workforce diversity includes people with disabilities" spotlights the significant contribution people with disabilities bring to the workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was enacted to end disability-based discrimination, and to promote inclusion, full participation, economic self–sufficiency, and equality of opportunity for all people with disabilities. The ASCC and Special Services Programs are offering this FREE production to increase campus and community awareness and promote positive attitudes that create a culture of mutual respect, understanding, and equal opportunities for all.

For more information on the production of "Not Just Ramps" at Cerro Coso Community College contact the ASCC Office at 760-384-6353.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Natalie Dorrell, Public Information (760) 384-6260