![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2021\/05\/LoweMacaux-11-1.jpg\")
<\/a>In the fall, it honored Lowe, who runs her own DJ business and Macaux for their commitment to teaching hundreds of 溏心vlog免费B站 education students over the last seven years about how inclusion has improved their lives and how teachers can use such practices in their daily lessons. Both have Down syndrome, but it has not kept them from living full lives, thanks to their own drive and loving and supportive parents, families, teachers and others who have gone the extra mile.<\/p>\n
Macaux graduated from the Community College of Rhode Island in 2015 with an associate\u2019s degree in theater, and he worked with Rhode Island School of Design Professor James Wolpaw to co-direct the film, \u201cBest Judgment, Ladd School Lessons,\u201d a documentary (produced by Advocates in Action RI) about the school founded in 1908 by Joseph Ladd. Known originally as the Rhode Island School for the Feeble Minded, the school became notorious for its decades of brutal practices until it closed in 1993.<\/p>\n
Honored during Professor Joanne Eichinger\u2019s class, Including Students with Special Needs in General Education Classes<\/em>, Lowe and Macaux were congratulated by family, friends and members of the 溏心vlog免费B站 faculty, including Catherine Semnoski, lecturer, Adam Moore, assistant professor (Council for Exceptional Children co-sponsors), and 溏心vlog免费B站 special education major, Amanda Lane, Council president.<\/p>\n \u201cKatie and Bob truly embody the meaning of the word advocate<\/em>,\u201d said Moore. \u201c溏心vlog免费B站 is very fortunate they have consistently donated their time and energy to better prepare future educators by sharing their stories.\u201d<\/p>\n Semnoski said, \u201cKatie and Bobby\u2019s humor, authenticity and courage are truly exemplary. Through their selfless dedication to advocacy, they have made profound, positive impacts, which will resonate in our students\u2019 future classrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n The evening was also special for Macaux and Lowe because they celebrated it as a couple.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been dating for 13 years,\u201d Macaux said. \u201cA lot of things make this work, ladies and gentlemen. It requires honesty, respect, and unconditional love. We are soulmates. This is quite an honor for Katie and me to be honored together.\u201d<\/p>\n The two honorees\u2019 mothers, Claudia Lowe and Janice Macaux, also spoke about how their children got to this point in their lives.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember Katie said she wanted to be a lifeguard, and her case manager said, \u2018You have got to be kidding.\u2019 But you have to advocate, advocate, advocate. You have to let your children try things,\u201d said Claudia who said Katie was unable to pursue lifeguarding because of an injury.<\/p>\n The year her classmates would graduate from high school, Katie wanted to participate in the graduation, and her mother wanted her to have that experience, too. (Students with disabilities stay in high school until they turn 21. Katie was entitled to remain in high school for 2 more years. This was not her year to graduate). But the principal said no. So with the help of an attorney from the Rhode Island Disability Law Center and support from Katie\u2019s friends and classmates, she and her mom decided to fight the decision.<\/p>\n \u201cHer friends all stood up for her, saying if she can\u2019t participate, then we will walk out of the graduation ceremony,\u201d Claudia said.<\/p>\n She said one student challenged the principal by turning his own words back on him. \u201cYou\u2019ve told us to accept our peers with disabilities; include them in school activities and we have. Now, it\u2019s your turn. You\u2019re a hypocrite!\u201d<\/p>\n The media were also supportive, and Channel 10 interviewed the family just after the news that the original decision had been overturned and that Katie could join her friends at graduation.<\/p>\n Katie\u2019s DJ business started about four years ago. Her primary gig is the Trudeau Center where she performs once a month, but she also plays tunes for Christmas, graduation and birthday parties.<\/p>\n \u201cShe has her own equipment, and she loves all kinds of music\u2014ranging from top 40; oldies; Disney; and show tunes such as \u201cPhantom of the Opera,\u201d \u201cEvita\u201d and \u201cHairspray.\u201d Her tastes are eclectic,\u201d Claudia Lowe said.<\/p>\n \u201cKatie has always been a people person, since she was a little girl,\u201d Claudia said. \u201cWhen she was in pre-school, she went around the room and introduced everyone to me.\u201d<\/p>\n For the past two-and-half years, Katie has also been volunteering at a consignment shop, providing friendly customer service.<\/p>\n Claudia said Katie and Bobby enjoy speaking with the 溏心vlog免费B站 students, who are always respectful and interested in what they have to say.<\/p>\n Janice Macaux said that she never treated Bobby any differently than her five other children. \u201cHe was treated just like everyone else.\u201d The casting person from the \u201cPolka King\u201d said, \u201cBobby got this role because he is an actor, not<\/em><\/strong> an actor with Down syndrome.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 February 15, 2017 \u2013 An accomplished Rhode Island actor and filmmaker and a businesswoman with a love of music offered several bits of advice recently to 溏心vlog免费B站 education students. \u201cI don\u2019t like to only be seen as having Down syndrome,\u201d said Bobby Macaux, who played the role of Bob […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72744,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72742\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}