News

From ‘Justice for Jenny’ to Justice for All: Burton Blatt Institute Redefines ‘Supported Decision Making’

Syracuse University News Original Story

Think about all the decisions you make in your life. From where you work, to what you eat, to whom you associate with, to where you live, to politicians you vote for—human lives are ruled by myriad decisions that people, for the most part, make for themselves. Now, imagine someone else making those important life decisions for you. How would it feel to not be in the driver’s seat of your own life? Would it make you feel out of control, anxious or even helpless? Continue Reading

BBI Chairman Blanck to give Keynote Address at International Conference on Building an Inclusive Society through Accessibility at Maynooth University in Ireland

Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) Chairman and University Professor Peter Blanck will speak at the Symposium hosted by the Assisted Living & Learning (ALL) Institute and the Department of Law on November 21, 2019. The event will take place at National University of Ireland Maynooth’s North Campus in the Phoenix Boardroom. Blanck will deliver the keynote presentation on Building an Inclusive Society through Accessibility.

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Vote for BBI’s Jason Harris for the Unicorn Children’s Foundation Community Inclusion Awards

Jason Harris Program Coordinator at the Burton Blatt Institute has been nominated as Media Influencer and Community Choice Award from the Unicorn Children’s Foundation Community Inclusion Awards. Harris started Jason’s Connection an online platform and Facebook page that looks at disability as an identity and part of the fabric of humanity. The Facebook page reaches around 300,000. Vote for Jason in the Community Choice Award daily until November 15th

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Book Reviews of Heavy Laden: Union Veterans, Psychological Illness, and Suicide (2018), by BBI colleagues Larry Logue & Peter Blanck

October 29, 2019

“Veterans of the Civil War were perhaps the first to draw attention to the possible psychological consequences of combat. At the time, veterans with psychological problems, including criminality, alcoholism and addiction, violent behavior, and suicide were attributed to “nervous trouble”, “nostalgia”, “soldier’s heart”, and other vaguely defined conditions which are now known as post-traumatic stress disorder.”

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BBI welcomes Dr. Fatma Altunkol Wise as postdoctoral researcher

Fatma Wise
Fatma Wise

Dr. Fatma Altunkol Wise is a recent immigrant to the US. She is originally from Adana, Turkey, where she received her Ph.D. in Psychological Counseling and Guidance from Cukurova University.

She began her career as a guidance counselor in public schools in southeastern Turkey working with highly marginalized populations. She then worked as a lecturer and Research Associate at Gaziantep University, delivering courses on subjects such as Personality Theories, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Measurement and Evaluation in Education and supervised undergraduate and graduate students. Continue Reading

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