Staff research associate Bill Biasi spends half his work time managing a professor's lab and the other half managing the Post-Harvest Lab in the Department of Plant Sciences.

He has worked at UC Davis for 19 years — starting the year after he lost the use of his legs, the result of a spinal cord injury sustained in an all-terrain vehicle accident.

"Disabled people can do anything they want to do," said Biasi, chairman of the campus's Disability Issues Administrative Advisory Committee. He and Jennifer Gibson, program director of the Student Disability Center, are co-chairs of this year's Disability Awareness Week, Oct. 15-19.

The campus stands ready to make accommodations for disabled employees and students. For example, Biasi said, lab benches can be lowered to make them accessible to people in wheelchairs. Doorways can be widened and computer stations modified.

Computers can be set up to help people who are visually impaired, and Braille signs can be installed. For hearing impaired people, the campus is putting in visual alarms — which are flashing lights.

"The campus has done a lot to correct any accessibility issues that have come up," Biasi said.

Managers and supervisors who have been particularly helpful in this regard are due to be honored at the Disability Awareness Recognition Luncheon set for Oct. 11 at the University Club.

Then, the next week, the campus community is invited to attend Disability Awareness Week activities:

Oct. 15 — Dance for All Bodies and Abilities, noon-1 p.m., Main Theatre. Dandelion Dancetheater, a new program at California State University, East Bay, featuring disabled people who tell their stores through movement, dance and monologue.

Oct. 16 — Accessible Technology Faire, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., MU II and Garrison Room, Memorial Union. Learn about tools that can translate information between the senses (such as text to speech, or touch and speech to text), and alternative input and output devices. "But most of all this is a chance to meet people with solutions," organizers said.

Oct. 17 — Reasonable Accommodation in the Workplace, noon-1 p.m., Moss Room, Memorial Union. Fredna Karneges, manager, Disability Management Services, is scheduled to provide an overview of the legal requirements to provide reasonable accommodation and the process to request an accommodation. "We will discuss how ingenuity, creativity, technology and flexibility are the essential keys to developing effective accommodations," organizers said.

Oct. 18 — Guest speaker Catherine Campisi, former director of the California Department of Rehabilitation, noon-1 p.m. Mee Room, Memorial Union. Organizers said Campisi will give her perspective on the state of disability consumerism, the need for continued disability advocacy, and, the challenges to employment of disabled people in California. Sponsored by the Forum on Disability Issues, a UC Davis community interest group.

Oct. 19 — Disability Faire, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Silo Courtyard. Service dog demonstrations, showing how the animals are trained to assist disabled people. Also, various groups are due to set up tables offering information on services and activities for disabled people.

Organizers said all facilities are wheelchair accessible. Disabled students requiring other accommodations should contact the Student Disability Center, (530) 752-3184. All others should contact Leah Thiel at Disability Management Services, (530) 752-6019.