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October is Kent State Student Accessibility Service’s disAbility Awareness Month. This year’s keynote speaker is award-winning actor, author and deaf advocate Marlee Matlin. Matlin will be speaking at 5X���� on Tuesday,, at 7 p.m. at the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.

Matlin has starred in such shows as ABC Family’s Switched at Birth, The Apprentice and Dancing with the Stars. 

“We thought Ms. Matlin embodies the spirit of what this celebration month is all about,” says Senior Associate Director of Student Accessibility Services Amy Quillin.

Matlin’s keynote address is titled, “Nobody’s Perfect: Achieving Inclusion, Diversity and Access.”

“Matlin will focus her address around some of the common misconceptions and attitudinal barriers that she has had to face and how she overcame them,” says Quillin.

Matlin also will share with the audience how she would like the university and community to recognize and honor people’s ability, rather than focusing on their disabilities.

“I think Ms. Matlin's presence at Kent State honors the deaf community, in particular, in recognizing and giving a voice to the myriad challenges that this population has endured and overcome,” says Quillin.

Past disAbility Awareness Month entertainers and speakers have included Bruce Jenner, Josh Sundquist, Travis Roy, Anita Hollander and Josh Blue.

“We have not had a deaf actress or speaker of Ms. Matlin’s caliber serve as a keynote speaker for this event,” says Quillin. “We are very excited, and exceptionally privileged, to be able to bring her to campus and have her speak to the university community.”

For more information about the event, please contact Quillin at aquillin@kent.edu or call 330-672-3391.