Alice Elliott1's photostream

Alice Elliott1's photostream on Flickr.

Alice Elliott1's photostream

Alice Elliott1's photostream on Flickr.

June Update!

More to come within the next week! Diana and I are in DC right now. I will let you know how everything goes!

P.S.- I promise to update the blog more often. I will not abandon it! #disablilityrights

Updates!

Diana is on the road again and will be speaking with Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy at the AAIDD conference (American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) June 9-11 in Rhode Island. This panel discussion will also include Dr. Valerie Karr of the Victor Pineda Foundation and Dr. Hank Bersani and will focus on the specifics of how Diana set up and maintained her independent lifestyle with Kathy. Diana also just participated in the Disability Policy Seminar sponsored by the Association of University Centers on Disability in Washington DC. Go Diana!

Body & Soul also screened at the PacRim Conference on Disabilities in Hawaii last month.

More exciting news! And a new way to use film – Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy is being used by the College of Direct Support to train direct care service providers. A curriculum was developed by CDS based on the film and it just launched this month! It was presented with ANCOR and with Pennsylvania Providers Conference. More information can be found at www.collegeofdirectsupport.com

A Tribute to Kathy Conour (1943-2009)


Kathy Conour grew up as an only child on Bates Avenue in Springfield, Illinois. She attended high school in Chicago. Her first job took her to a sheltered workshop in Ottawa, Illinois. Despite the objections of her parents, she was determined to live independently. To avoid being placed in a nursing home, Kathy had to find a solution. So when she met Diana Braun at the same sheltered workshop in 1970, they teamed up. It was a good match. A friendship began that lasted 42 years.

After trying foster care, Diana and Kathy found their first apartment and began their experiment in interdependent independent living. While living in Kankakee, they became frustrated with the high cost of taking cabs everywhere. With Kathy’s support, Diana took two years to study and eventually learned to drive. With the mobility of a van, they traveled all around the country.

In 1993, Kathy received her Bachelor’s degree in English from Olivet Nazarene College with a minor in business administration. Using a Pathfinder electronic communication device, Kathy wrote articles, responded to email and made speeches.

Kathy was born with cerebral palsy and lost the limited mobility she had following surgery on a spinal cyst in 1990. Diana complimented Kathy’s skills and helped Kathy in and out of her power chair, attended to her personal needs like dressing and eating, and helped her answer email.

Kathy was a leader and an activist for disability rights. Recently, she served on the board of United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois. In the past, Kathy worked with the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Illinois Center for Independent Living, The Arc of Illinois, and People First. A well-know activist on the national scene, she was often invited to speak at national conferences and conventions.

In 2005, Kathy Conour and Diana Braun were awarded an Illinois Human Rights Award. They were the first people with disabilities to receive this honor. They were awarded the Justin Dart Award from the Coalition of Citizens with Disability in Illinois and the Illinois network for Centers for Independent Living in 2008.

Kathy and Diana met Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker Alice Elliott in 2003 and convinced her to make a film about them. Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy was seen on Public Television last fall recognizing National Disabilities Awareness Month in October. Kathy loved being the star of the documentary and helped move it forward, encouraging the filmmaker to push through to the finish. Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy, has won recognition in both the film and disability advocacy communities. Kathy’s dream continues to be realized as the film will be screened in North Carolina, Salt Lake City and Munich, Germany within the next few months.

Kathy’s humor, intelligence, gracious thoughtfulness, and candor will be missed.

Donations may be made to the Arc of Illinois in Memory of Kathy Conour.
Please put Kathy’s name on the memo or subject line. The money will be used for Kathy’s friend of 42 years, Diana Braun, to travel and promote the PBS documentary on their lives together, Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy.

The Arc of Illinois 20901 LaGrange Rd., Suite #209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 - Phone
815-464-5292 - Fax

Summer in Illinois

Diana and Kathy are in Illinois. They recently went to the Victorious Missionaries meeting and will be screening "Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy" at the annual meeting in October.

 

8/21/06  Kathy has an important doctor's appointment today.  She will be deciding whether to go ahead with an operation on Wednesday.  For the last two weeks she has been in pain and discomfort, so we hope today's appointment and the operation will improve her ability to sit up without pain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diana & Kathy with Little George