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News Release

Last modified: Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Josh Bleill talk part of IU Disability Awareness Week, other activities planned

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2011

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Marine veteran Josh Bleill on March 22 will share with a Bloomington audience his experiences and insights as an enlisted soldier in Iraq, a double-amputee undergoing rehabilitation, and most recently as the community spokesman for the Indianapolis Colts.

Bleill's talk, sponsored by the Indiana University Disability Roundtable as part of IU Disability Awareness Week, will take place from 6-8 p.m. in the State Room of the Indiana Memorial Union, 900 E. Seventh St., in Bloomington. The talk is free and open to the public. Afterward, Bleill will sign copies of his book One Step at a Time.

Bleill's talk is part of a full schedule of activities on the IU campus and throughout the Bloomington community commemorating Disability Awareness Month in March and Community Accessibility Month in April.

A schedule of activities can be found here, https://www.indiana.edu/~disround/. The events are geared toward individuals with disabilities, family members, service providers, faculty and other community members.

Bleill's inspirational talks discuss his "one bad day," when on Oct. 15, 2006, an improvised explosive device (IED) struck his vehicle while he and other Marines were on combat patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. Bleill awoke five days later to learn that two of his friends had been killed and that both of his legs had been amputated. With humor and keen insights, he discusses his journey through two years of rehab to his current job with the Indianapolis Colts.

Activities during March and April include a variety of webinars addressing accessibility topics, training sessions, information fairs and other activities held on campus, at Ivy Tech Community College and throughout the Bloomington community.

For more information about Bleill's talk, contact Jennifer Skulski at 812-856-4428 and jskulski@indiana.edu. For more information about campus events in March and April, contact Vicki Pappas or Alice Voigt of the IU Disability Roundtable at disround@indiana.edu. For more information about city events in March and April, contact Craig Brenner, City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility, at brennerc@bloomington.in.gov.

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