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Distinguished alum talks about disability and health

Oct. 15, 2008

KALAMAZOO--A disability expert and alumnus of Western Michigan University returns to his alma mater to make a presentation on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

Dr. John E. Crews will give a 45-minute talk beginning at 11 a.m. on "Disability and Health Matters: The Intersection of Public Health and Disability." Crews' presentation, in 1010 Health and Human Services Building, is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.

Crews is the lead scientist for the Disability and Health Team at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He earned a master's degree in blindness and low vision studies and a doctoral degree in public administration from WMU and was recently honored with the College of Arts and Sciences 2007 Alumni Achievement Award.

Crews will discuss the public health model as it applies to disability, the conceptual frameworks that portray disability and the health status and demographic trends of people with disabilities. He will give special attention to the health of people with vision loss and the effects of multiple health conditions on function and social roles. The presentation will include suggestions for future directions in disability and public health research and a question-and-answer period.

For more information, contact Dr. Richard Long, associate dean of the WMU College of Health and Human Services, at (269) 387-2540 or richard.long@wmich.edu.

Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu

WMU News
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