 Jan Nisbet Receives UNH Alumni Association’s Highest HonorIn the early 1980s, the state of New Hampshire was faced with a crisis about the service it was providing for people with disabilities. The state issued a challenge to the University of New Hampshire: could it establish a center that would be a source of innovation in the field of disability, a model for the best practices, and an advocate for change? In 1987, UNH hired Dr. Jan Nisbet, then a professor of rehabilitation and disability policy at Syracuse University, to run the newly-founded Institute on Disability. No one could have predicted that a short twenty years later, New Hampshire would become a leader in the field of disability services.
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Presidential Candidates Address Disabilities ForumOn Friday, November 2, 2007, the IOD served as co-host to Granite State Independent Living’s 2007 Presidential Candidates’ Forum: A National Forum on Equality, Opportunity and Access. Over 600 voters, many of whom experience some kind of disability, filled the Armory at Manchester’s Radisson Hotel to listen to seven presidential candidates outline their plans to improve support systems for individuals with disabilities if elected. The forum was moderated by Ted Kennedy, Jr., and featured several guest presenters, including Andrew Imparato, President & CEO of the American Association of People with (AAPD), civil rights activist Keith Jones, and NH State Senator Lou D’Allesandro. The day-long forum allotted each candidate 30 minutes to present his or her vision for the future of national disability policy that will promote equality and opportunity for people with disabilities. |