The Veterans Ability and Achievement Conference will feature panels and discussions focusing on challenges faced by veterans with disabilities and how these former soldiers can ultimately rise above any physical or emotional obstacles.
The conference begins at 9 a.m. and will run through 2 p.m. It will be conducted in the University Center’s (UC) Houston Room.
Among the conference’s highlights is a parachute landing in the UC’s north patio by keynote speaker Dana Bowman at 10:30 a.m.. Bowman is a double amputee, who previously served with the Army’s elite parachute team, the Golden Knights. After touching down on campus, he will deliver the presentation “It’s Not the Disability, It’s the Ability” at 11 a.m. in the Houston Room.
The conference will also serve as a showcase for “The Texas Fallen Heroes Memorial,” a tiled wall containing names and photos of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The complete list of events is as follows:
- 9 a.m.: Bob Boudreaux, veteran and former television anchor, will deliver opening remarks and emcee the program.
- 9:10 a.m.: Dave Lemak, representative of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, will address his organization’s service to wounded veterans.
- 10 a.m.: Toni Brown of the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center will discuss services and programs available to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan
- 10:30 a.m.: Paratrooper jump at UC’s North Patio featuring Dana Bowman
- 11 a.m.: Bowman presents the conference’s keynote address
- Noon: Outstanding Veterans awards luncheon
- 1 p.m.: Panel discussion featuring UH faculty, staff and student veterans
| WHAT: | Veterans Ability and Achievement Conference |
| WHEN: | Nov. 12, 2008 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. |
| WHERE: | University of Houston – University Center Houston Room Houston, TX 77204 |
| WHO: | UH Veterans Services Office, Justin Dart Center for Students with DisABILITIES, University Career Services, Disabled Students Association, Veterans Collegiate Society, SAHFE Laboratories |