Diane Bryen, director of Temple’s Institute on Disabilities, traveled in January 2007 to the Indian Institute on Cerebral Palsy in Kolkata to deliver a series of workshops on “Daring to Dream” which helps people with significant disabilities identify their goals and establish a vision for their future. The “Daring to Dream” process is a part of the Institute on Disabilities’ Augmentative Communication and Empowerment Supports — known as ACES — that was founded in 1987.

On a Fulbright Senior Scholar grant, Bryen spent three weeks at the Indian Institute on Cerebral Palsy, a center she established contacts with through her affiliation with the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. She was also named the chief guest of the institute’s annual Sports Day, and was given the opportunity to present awards to participants.

Inspired by both staff and participants in the program, Bryen hopes to conduct collaborative research with the Institute on Engendering Digital Independence, which illustrates what underserved communities can do when given access to the Internet.

Bryen enjoys working internationally and is well known in South Africa, India, Israel and currently is in Australia. Because once someone is accepted into the roster of the Fulbright Senior Scholar program, they remain there for five years, which means she may get another opportunity to travel courtesy of the Fulbright. She hopes to work with Sochni’it, an Arab teachers’ college in Israel--one of the few such colleges that teaches about inclusive education practices. Bryen says the theme of her work is “supporting people with the most significant disabilities to develop their own voice with the goal of promoting self-advocacy and disability rights.”