Date:
February 2, 2007
Time: Noon to 1:00
Title: Genetics Of Developmental Language Impairment: Pathways To
Cognitive Systems For Language"
Speaker: J.
Bruce Tomblin, PhD
University of Iowa
Where: Waisman
Conference Center
Room T216, Second Floor, North Tower
About Mayor Paul:
Mayor Paul was a graduate of Rutgers University working in the Vista program
teaching history to inner city students when he was involved in an auto
collision in 1974. Mayor suffered severe damage to the brain stem that left him
quadriplegic and unable to talk or swallow. Now called Locked-in syndrome, his
condition was almost unprecedented at that time, since few had survived such
devastating injury. With no established therapies to turn to, Mayor and his
parents had to create a treatment program through their own investigations and
efforts. In 1977 and 1978, Mayor and his family came to the Waisman Center to
work with professionals at the Trace Center and Communication Aids and Systems
Clinic (CASC) to establish an alternative communication modality for him.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the CASC and Trace Center team, Mayor was
able to use a head light to spell out messages on a letter board. His improved
ability to communicate allowed him to live a more independent and fruitful
life. He traveled widely, took continuing education courses at his local
college in southern New Jersey, volunteered at a local elementary school, and
was featured in numerous television and print media stories detailing his
accomplishments and the legal precedents set by his continuing battles with
insurance companies to maintain his independence in his own residence. In 1990,
Mayor received the prestigious Individual Achievement Award for Persons with
Communication Disabilities from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation,
which was presented at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. That year too, he
established a college scholarship for graduates of Vineland High School, his
alma mater. Until his death at the age of 50, Mayor maintained an active life,
wintering in Miami, spoiling his niece and nephews, and continuing his volunteer
work and contributions to his community. This lecture series commemorates his
courage and determination.
For Further Information: Contact Teresa Palumbo at 263-5837 or
palumbo@waisman.wisc.edu
The Waisman Center Seminar
Series is partially funded by the
Friends of the Waisman Center and NIH grant
P30 HD003352.
|
To download an Adobe Acrobat file of the entire seminar series schedule
click here. (pdf schedule coming soon!) |
