This is an archived press release. Some links may no longer function. For assistance, please contact newsroom@depaul.edu.

May 05, 2005

Program At DePaul University Gathers Experts To Explore Ways To Make Higher Education Accessible To Chronically Ill People

Education experts and advocates for people with chronic illnesses will meet at DePaul University to take an in-depth look at the needs of chronically ill college students and how to make higher education more accessible for such individuals. The event, which is co-sponsored by the School for New Learning (SNL) at DePaul and the Lupus Foundation of Illinois, will be held at 2 p.m. May 17 in the DePaul Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

“This symposium will mark one of the first times that educators and advocates will gather to discuss higher education for chronically ill people,” said Lynn Royster, a visiting professor in SNL and advisor for the Chronic Illness Initiative, a program offered through SNL.

Maureen Pratt, the author of “Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Illnesses,” will provide the keynote address. She will discuss her experience of living with lupus, a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder, during her college career.

The program will address such topics as accommodations that are necessary for chronically ill students, methods for helping chronically ill students transition from high school to college, and financial aid options.

Panelists will include:

  • Darby Tio, executive director of the Lupus Foundation of Illinois;

  • Kathleen Gale, a registered nurse and the parent of a college student with a chronic illness;

  • Lenny Jason, a DePaul professor and nationally recognized expert on chronic fatigue syndrome;

  • Pam Capraro, a counselor at the Rehabilitation Institute;

  • Corey Williams, a financial aid counselor at DePaul.

    The Chronic Illness Initiative was established by SNL in 2004 to give chronically ill students an opportunity to pursue higher education. The program, which is the first of its kind in the nation, allows chronically ill students to earn degrees at their own pace, provides the option of earning a degree completely online, and offers informed faculty who are trained to understand and respond effectively to the needs of students who have a chronic illness.

    Established in 1972, SNL is one of the first programs in the nation created to serve the specific needs of adult learners. It has earned a national reputation as a leader in designing programs for adult students and serves as a global model for adult curriculums.

    To register for the program, contact Lynn Royster at 312/362-5079 or lroyster@depaul.edu, or register online at https://secure.campagne-online.com/registrant/startup.aspx?eventid=2543.