Sharing the Joy of College of Adaptive Arts

November 6, 2022

By CAA School of Dance Director Khalilah Ramirez


I'm writing this post from multiple perspectives. On the one hand, I am an everyday citizen whose perception of people with differing abilities has been permanently altered by spending time at the College of Adaptive Arts. 


On the other hand, I am a professional educator who has been challenged to grow, stretch and expand my horizons as I work with the amazing population of people.


Since my very first day, It was clear that College of Adaptive Arts was innovating the education experience for people with differing abilities. Here, people are treated with respect, patience and understanding. 


My first encounter with CAA was as a guest in their library series. I spoke to students and staff via Zoom presenting movement, music and playful practices that can be used to enhance the enjoyment of daily life.


I was shocked by the engagement, intelligence and eagerness of the students to learn new skills, as well as the sheer joy they displayed as they learned them. You can watch a replay of this event using the following link:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmff7_Nuf_Y&t=3533s


Later that year, I became a professor at College Of Adaptive Arts. I began teaching classes on a weekly basis. My experience with the staff was incredible, unlike anything I experienced in the corporate realm. My fellow professors let me know that they were invested in my success.  The competitive aspect of work did not exist here. It gave me hope for the future. It gave me hope that we could all have a more equitable experience of work, life and professional relationships." 


College of Adaptive Arts Co-Sponsors Accessibility Event Featuring the First Deafblind Graduate of Harvard Law

By Michael Reisman • February 10, 2025
Disability Advocate Haben Girma to Speak at West Valley College February 12 (Saratoga, Calif., January 22, 2025) Haben Girma, nationally recognized disability rights advocate and the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law, will be coming to the Bay Area for a free Assistive Technology Fair which will feature a special talk, book signing, and campus tours. Girma is a Bay Area native and a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change, and the World Health Organization appointed her Commissioner of Social Connection. She has also received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and TIME100 Talks. Harnessing the power of the written word to spark advocacy, Girma wrote and published the book that became a bestseller, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. The story takes readers on adventures around the world, including her parents’ homes in Eritrea and Ethiopia, building a school under the scorching Saharan sun, training with a guide dog in New Jersey, climbing an iceberg in Alaska, fighting for blind readers at a courthouse in Vermont, and working with President Biden and President Obama at The White House. College of Adaptive Arts, a non-profit college serving over 250 adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), is sponsoring the event along with West Valley College’s DESP services, David Wang Educational Endowment and EOPS in an effort to provide information and programs to those experiencing disability. “Haben Girma is a great example of how to transform perceptions of people with disabilities,” said Nicole Kim, Executive Director of College of Adaptive Arts (CAA). “Like many of our students with IDD, she’s had challenges to overcome, but being able to access higher education was instrumental to her growth and success. She is a great example of the change one person can affect if just given the opportunity.” The event is free to the public and takes place Wednesday, February 12 from 10am-2pm at West Valley College’s Campus Center at 14000 Fruitvale Avenue in Saratoga, CA. For additional information, or to RSVP, please visit www.bit.ly/wvc-atf2025

College of Adaptive Arts Announces Nicole Kim as New Executive Director

By Michael Reisman • June 11, 2024
Longtime CAA Director Nicole Kim Brings New Energy, Vision, and Leadership to the Educational Nonprofit

College of Adaptive Arts Co-Founder DeAnna Pursai Added To the Human Atlas Project

By Michael Reisman • April 1, 2024
College of Adaptive Arts co-founder DeAnna Pursai was recently selected as one of the profiles for the prestigious Human Atlas project . Human Atlas projects are research-based, interdisciplinary explorations of the people of a specified geography. They are built on an extensive nomination process from a carefully curated group. These individuals profiled are championing and driving social impact in all its forms: from public servants to entrepreneurs, from non-profit leaders and activists to artists and scientists.

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