Associate UCEDD Director in Kansas Helps Peru Improve Independence for People with Disabilities
April 10, 2009
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| Glen White, front row center, and a group of colleagues visit the Huaca Huallamarca, a pre-Incan monument in the heart of Lima, Peru. |
KU researcher helps Peru improve independence for people with disabilities
People in the United States with disabilities have found it easier to go where they want, do the things they love and find meaningful employment since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990. Now, a KU researcher is leading a group of Americans who are sharing what they've learned about independent living with disability advocates in Peru.
Glen White, director of the Research and Training Center on Independent Living and professor of applied behavioral science, organized the U.S.-Peru Independent Living Working Summit, held in January in Lima. Eight other Americans attended the summit. Also participating were KU master's student Chiaki Gonda and KU visiting scholar Toshiyuki Chiba.
White has made 14 visits to Peru since 1998. As a person who uses a wheelchair, he knows firsthand that the physical and cultural environment for people with disabilities in Peru could be much improved. Yet that has not stopped him from visiting Machu Picchu and other places in Peru that can be challenging to navigate even for the nondisabled. White and his colleagues bring the same determination to improving the quality of life for Peruvians with disabilities.
