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����Ӱҵ����Ӱҵ University Museum will offer a fresh, design-focused survey of assistive and adaptive devices in an upcoming exhibition. “(dis)ABLED BEAUTY: ����ӰҵEvolution of Beauty, Disability and Ability” will run July 29, 2016, to March 12, 2017, in the museum’s Stager and Blum Galleries. ����Ӱҵexhibit is co-curated by Dr. Tameka Ellington, assistant professor of fashion design at ����Ӱҵ, and Dr. Stacey Lim, assistant professor of audiology at Central Michigan University.

There will also be a free reception on Thursday, September 29, from 5 to 7 p.m., including remarks by ����Ӱҵ’s Dr. Amy Quillin (director, Student Accessibility Services) at 6 p.m. RSVP by September 23 by calling 330-672-3450. ����Ӱҵreception precedes the start of the university’s disAbility Awareness Month in October.

“(dis)ABLED BEAUTY” examines the aesthetic results of a historical reversal. In the past, assistive technologies were designed to be inconspicuous, a byproduct of the intense stigma attached to disability. Franklin D. Roosevelt famously shielded his use of a wheelchair and other devices from the public eye. However, in recent decades, fashionable and highly visible assistive technologies have been used to stand out, make a statement and challenge stigma.

“(dis)ABLED BEAUTY” traces the rich intersections between design, technology and adaptation, supporting the case advanced by actor-playwright and advocate Neil Marcus: “Disability is not a brave struggle or ‘courage in the face of adversity.’ Disability is an art. It's an ingenious way to live.”

����Ӱҵ the Curators

Learn more about co-curators Tameka Ellington, Ph.D., and .

����Ӱҵ the Museum

����Ӱҵ����Ӱҵ University Museum is located at 515 Hilltop Drive, at the corner of E. Main St. and S. Lincoln St. in Kent, Ohio. ����Ӱҵmuseum is open to the public on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. - 8:45 p.m.; and Sunday from noon - 4:45 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children under 18. ����Ӱҵmuseum is free with a ����Ӱҵ ID and free to the public on Sunday. Parking is free. For more information, call 330-672-3450 or visit www.kent.edu/museum.

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Contact: Alex Parrott, marketing associate, cparrot1@kent.edu, 330-672-2714 (office)