April 09, 2026 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo DRES staff, coaches and athletes stress importance of funding, accessibility U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Illinois) spent part of her Tuesday on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she toured Disability Resources and Educational Services and met with some of the coaches and athletes behind its nationally […]
Category: Disability Resources & Educational Services
Carter Schott is rethinking assistive technology and designing independence
March 31, 2026 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Student entrepreneur innovates user-centered assistive tech to empower independence The College of Applied Health Sciences within the University of Illinois has long been known as spearhead of accessibility, thanks to the trailblazing work of Tim Nugent. Nugent, who died in 2015, was the founder of what is now Disability […]
Oksana Masters adds five medals to her record Paralympic total
March 17, 2026 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Masters won a third of Team’s USA total medal count Oksana Masters, who trains at Disability Resources and Educational Services at the University of Illinois, finished with five medals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, including four golds in biathlon and cross-country skiing events. Masters, 36, also […]
Oksana Masters adds to Paralympic medal count
March 11, 2026 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Oksana Masters, who trains at the University of Illinois’ Disability Resources and Educational Services, continued her amazing run at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Italy. Masters captured gold in the women’s sitting 10km to secure her third gold medal of these Paralympic Winter Games after completing […]
DRES trainee Masters wins gold in 2026 Paralympics
March 09, 2026 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Illinois has three DRES-affiliated Paralympians competing in Italy Oksana Masters, who trains at the University of Illinois’ Disability Resources and Educational Services, took gold in the women’s biathlon sprint at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games on Saturday to earn the 20th Paralympic medal of her career and […]
Wheelchair athletes lead Illinois’ first Adaptive Rec Day, inviting campus to play and pay it forward
Feb. 26, 2026 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Illinois hosts inaugural Adaptive Rec Day, expanding disability sports awareness It wasn’t even 11 a.m. and Gym 2 at the Activities and Recreation Center on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was already buzzing. Illinois’ first annual Adaptive Rec Day had just begun, drawing students, faculty and […]
AHS Alumni Awards celebrate leadership, resilience and service
Sept. 29, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Honorees embody resilience, leadership, service, and equity The College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign once again shined a light on extraordinary alumni at its annual Alumni Awards celebration, held during Homecoming weekend. This year’s honorees—Dr. Jack Groppel, Justice Adrienne Albrecht and Brandon Buchanan—embody the […]
How Illinois helped John Preston redefine himself
Aug. 14, 2025 | Adelyn Mui John Preston had never been in an integrated environment until he came to the University of Illinois in 1967 Arriving at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the 1970s, John Preston was among the few Black students and people with disabilities on campus. His journey through the university not […]
AHS alum Hagel, 2004 basketball team chosen for USOPC HOF
May 06, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Paralympic multi-medalist Susan Hagel and the 2004 gold-medal-winning women’s wheelchair basketball team were among those selected for induction this summer into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame. The USOPC announced on Tuesday its Class of 2025 that brings together eight individual Olympic and Paralympic athletes, two teams, […]
Study shows smart home technology to be beneficial for aging in place
May 22, 2025 | Jonathan King Mobility disabilities, defined as a “serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs,” affect approximately 21 percent of adults 65 years of age and older Saul Morse believes his wife might not have survived a recent health episode without assistive technology. “Had it not been for our voice-activated digital home assistant, […]