Oscar-winning actress and activist Marlee Matlin is guest for the March Disability Awareness Cultural Dinner at 5 p.m. March 24, in the Brown Ballroom of Illinois State University's Braden Auditorium.
Matlin, who won an Academy Award in her 1986 turn in Children of a Lesser God, is an advocate for American Sign Language and co-author of non-fiction and juvenile fiction. The former Chicagoan lost her hearing at eighteen months of age, and faced addiction challenges in her early teens.
On July 26, 2010, Matlin signed a speech at an event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. She is actively involved in Easter Seals (where she was appointed an honorary board member), the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet.
Her semi-autobiographical series of young adult books focus on Megan and her challenges and accomplishments as a deaf girl. Her biography is I'll Scream Later. Matlin teaches sign language through her iPhone/iPad app Marlee Signs, available through the iTunes App Store.
As a means to celebrate and educate on diversity, ISU University Housing Services began coordinating Cultural Dinners in the early 1980’s. The tradition of these dinners continues today and is meant to expose students to "the rich cultural diversity of our society as well as expand their knowledge of the world in which we live."
Originally held in residence hall conference rooms, they are now held in larger university banquet rooms to accommodate the increasing interest in our programs. The interest has been sparked by greater access offered over the years to national opinion leaders and performers at the top of their craft.
Cultural Dinners are open to the ISU community (student, faculty, and staff) as well as the Bloomington-Normal community. They generally draw up to 600 people. Cultural Dinners take place once or twice a semester and include an address from a keynote speaker, a meal, and entertainment specific to the culture being celebrated.
The planning and execution for these events is done, not only by University Housing Services professional staff, but also by students in order to encourage the development of leadership skills.
Ticket information for the March 24 dinner will be available soon at http://www.housing.ilstu.edu/current-residents/cultural-dinners/tickets.shtml.