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The �鶹ӰԺ Museum will offer a fresh, design-focused survey of assistive and adaptive devices in an upcoming exhibition. “(dis)ABLED BEAUTY: The Evolution of Beauty, Disability and Ability” runs July 29, 2016, to March 12, 2017, in the museum’s Stager and Blum Galleries. The exhibit is co-curated by Tameka Ellington, Ph.D., assistant professor of fashion design at �鶹ӰԺ State, and Stacey Lim, Au.D., Ph.D., CCC-A, assistant professor of audiology at Central Michigan University.

There also will be a free reception on Thursday, Sept. 29, from 5-7 p.m., including remarks by �鶹ӰԺ State’s Amy Quillin, Ph.D., �鶹ӰԺ State’s director of Student Accessibility Services, at 6 p.m. Please call 330-672-0300 to RSVP. The reception 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.”

�鶹ӰԺ the Curators
Learn more about co-curators Tameka Ellington, Ph.D., and , Au.D., Ph.D., CCC-A.

�鶹ӰԺ the �鶹ӰԺ Museum
The �鶹ӰԺ Museum is located at 515 Hilltop Drive, at the corner of East Main Street and South Lincoln Street in �鶹ӰԺ, Ohio. The museum 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. The museum is free with a �鶹ӰԺ State 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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Photo Caption:
The pictured moto jacket, legging and T-shirt by IZ Collection in Canada can be seen in “(dis)ABLED BEAUTY: The Evolution of Beauty, Disability and Ability,” a new exhibition at the �鶹ӰԺ Museum.

Media Contacts:
Alex Parrott, cparrot1@kent.edu, 330-672-2714
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595