News

We are pleased to announce our launch of the Pro2Pro Listserv – a collaborative mental health initiative from the Saks Institute and the Burton Blatt Institute

Today, far too many professionals with mental illness are forced to live “in the shadows.” This is often because they are, quite understandably, unwilling or afraid to disclose their conditions and challenges to coworkers and friends, for fear of losing their jobs and place in the community.

As a result, professionals with mental health challenges often lack a resource others take for granted: peer support.  Professionals in every field are taught to consult with their peers to discuss issues like work goals, client and coworker relations, and stress management. Continue Reading

BBI Chairman, Peter Blanck presents Universal Design principles with Mike Perry at SRAPPA conference

Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) Chairman and University Professor Peter Blanck alongside fellow speaker, Progressive AE Executive Vice President and Universal Design Consultant, Mike Perry spoke at the 2019 SRAPPA Conference hosted by Northern Kentucky University on October 8, 2019, in Covington, KY, at the Northern Kentucky Conference Center. Blanck and Perry led a breakout session on Impacting Your University Mission with Universal Design. Their presentation featured the principles and methods that the Global Universal Design Commission (GUDC) has made regarding accessibility and inclusion through universal design followed by a Q&A session. Continue Reading

BBI’s Diane R. Wiener to present at Geek/Art CONfluence

Diane R. Wiener, Research Professor and Associate Director of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach at the Burton Blatt Institute, will be presenting on “(Dis)ability in Comics and Cosplay” as part of at Geek/Art CONfluence, a one-day CON celebrating the artistry in geek culture, organized by Chris Wildrick, Associate Professor of Studio Arts (School of Art, College of Visual and Performing Arts).  The event, which is free and open to the public, features two faculty/professional panels, a student panel, and a variety of other geek-friendly components (information below). Continue Reading

BBI’s Eddie Zaremba, a member of the committee to issue report on SU disability, quoted in the Daily Orange

Eddie Zaremba

The Disability External Review Committee chose HirePotential, a consulting firm that focuses on disability inclusion and compliance, to conduct the review.

By Emma FoltsGillian Follett
Source: THE DAILY ORANGE

An external consulting firm conducting a disabilities service review hired by Syracuse University is expected to deliver its final report before the end of the fall semester.  SU announced the formation of the Disability External Review Committee in April 2018. The committee is comprised of students, faculty and staff. Joanna Masingila, dean of the School of Education, and Michael Schwartz, associate professor in the College of Law, serve as co-chairs. Several updates regarding the external review have been provided to the campus community since the announcement. Continue Reading

BBI’s Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri featured in Syraucse University News “Power for the Greater Good”

Rachael A. Zubal-Ruggieri

Source: SUNews ” Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri: Power for the Greater Good”
Original Date: Monday, September 23, 2019, By Eileen Korey

Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri describes herself as a quiet, timid person. More of an observer and supporter than a do-er. Yet, her favorite superhero is Batman. And she’s passionate about the X-Men. This seeming dichotomy is the driving force behind her extraordinary work spanning more than three decades at Syracuse University, to support its academic reputation in the field of disability studies and advocate for her own child and for those with disabilities. Continue Reading

Burton Blatt Institute Participates in SU College of Law Alumni Weekend

On September 19-21, the College of Law looks forward to welcoming more than 200 alumni back to their alma mater. The Burton Blatt Institute will join this event and keep its doors open during event tours on Thursday and Friday. A table will be set up in the hall with information, handouts and staff to meet and greet guests as well as provide a power point presentation highlighting some of BBI’s projects. Continue Reading

University Professor and BBI Scholar Stephen Kuusisto Travels to Kazakhstan to Support Global Disability Cultural and Arts Diplomacy

Photo of Stephen Kuusisto teaching a poetry workshop in Almaty, Kazakhstan. “It’s not what you see,” he’s saying, “it’s what’s inside you.”
Photo of Stephen Kuusisto teaching a poetry workshop in Almaty, Kazakhstan. “It’s not what you see,” he’s saying, “it’s what’s inside you.”

This past May, Stephen Kuusisto, a University Professor and director of interdisciplinary programs and outreach at the BBI, traveled to Kazakhstan to give poetry workshops as part of an international disability and cultural diplomacy outreach program. Kuusisto has traveled all over the globe, creating opportunities for children with disabilities to demonstrate their talents through inclusive arts workshops, as well as participating in public readings and visits to universities, literary institutions and other venues. Continue Reading

BBI Chairman Peter Blanck Speaks on National Study of Lawyers with Disabilities and who identify as LGBTQ+ at American Bar Association Annual Meeting

Dr. Peter Blanck, University Professor at Syracuse University and Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI), will speak at the Annual American Bar Association On August 10, 2019.

The ABA Annual Meeting will be held August 8, 2019 – August 13, 2019 in San Francisco, CA at the Marriot Marquis. Dr. Blanck will speak on “Interrupting Bias: The Keys to Doing Diversity Right in the Workplace.” Blanck will discuss the recent American Bar Association nationwide study, conducted by the Burton Blatt Institute to identify the biases encountered by LGBT and/or disabled lawyers in the legal profession and to help develop and implement strategies to ameliorate such biases.  Preliminary results will be discussed from the national online surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Continue Reading