Kevin Stevens of Antioch has been named District Governor of Rotary International District 6440, which spans Chicago's North, Northwest and many Western suburbs. He will lead Rotary's 68 clubs and 2,000 members for the 2021-2022 year.
Kevin Stevens is a long-term member and past president of the Rotary Club of North Chicago. For District 6440, he has held top leadership posts and is a long-term contributor to the Rotary Foundation and its End Polio Now Kevin Stevens of Antioch has been named District Governor of Rotary International District 6440, which spans Chicago's North, Northwest and many Western suburbs. He will lead Rotary's 68 clubs and 2,000 members for the 2021-2022 year.
Stevens is a long-term member and past president of the Rotary Club of North Chicago. For District 6440, he has held top leadership posts and is a long-term contributor to the Rotary Foundation and its End Polio Now initiative.
Stevens spent 10 years with the US Navy Seabees, deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006. He supports military-related programs including veteran health advocacy and career development initiatives. He's a champion for childhood literacy and education through engagement with Rotary and other community initiatives.
He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Beloit College where he serves as a member of the Alumni Board. For the past decade, he's been a judge for the Wisconsin DECA State Career Development Conference and served on the boards of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Exchange Club of North Chicago and Furthering the Lives of Youth - an advocacy organization providing targeted opportunities for promising youth.
He is past president of the Navy League of the United States Lake County Council and currently a board member of A Safe Place, the sole full-service provider of services addressing domestic violence in Lake County. He serves on the membership development committee of NEIC Boy Scouts of America, on the committee for BSA Scout Troop 675 in Wadsworth, and is a life member of Veterans of Foreign War Post 4551 in Antioch, Illinois.
Kevin and Alisa Stevens reside in Antioch with their children Christian and Victoria, and their German Shepherd Maximus.
Lessons in disability inclusion: Does he take sugar?
By Jeremy Opperman, Rotary Club of Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa
Ihad just finished keying in my pin number on the card reader at the supermarket checkout counter recently when the cashier turned to my friend and asked, “how does he know which buttons to press.”
Being completely inured to this sort of thing, I watched with interest to see how my friend would react. It is peculiar that when encountering a person with a disability, many people very often address the person accompanying them rather than addressing us directly.
As I expected, my friend, being worldly and level-headed, responded perfectly. She smiled (with her eyes, as her mask would have hidden her actual facial alteration) and said, “Why don’t you ask him, he is standing right in front of you.”
To her credit, the cashier did exactly that, although with some hesitation.
I enthusiastically explained the apparent magical mystery of how a blind person can key in their pin number into a card reader. The cashier was particularly fascinated to learn that every keypad has a raised dot on the 5 button allowing us to orientate to the other numbers on the keypad.
I smiled because I know this accessibility feature – ubiquitous on all keypads and even telephones – is universally unknown to most people who use these devices every day.
Similarly, most people are totally surprised to learn that the F and J keys on all keyboards are marked in a similar way, allowing the visually impaired to know where they are on the keyboard.
Many people avoid communication with people with disabilities in everyday situations, almost as if they fear the interaction. It’s so common that those of us with disabilities have a name for it:
Does he take sugar.
However, the lesson in this story is not only for people who practice this bizarre habit of addressing our colleagues instead of us, but also for those who are being addressed in proxy. Volcanic and rude responses do not help the situation. Ignoring it is just as bad.
My friend had the best response, “why not ask him, he is right here.”
It’s also all too frequent for an unaccompanied person with disability to be totally overlooked, often very blatantly, even by service staff. This happens to people who use a wheelchair quite frequently and is a well-researched and documented phenomenon. It’s as if their reduced height renders them an infant in the eyes of the observer. It occurs in workplaces and among friends, in all kinds of situations where the person’s input would have been rather useful.
Which reminds me of a time not too long ago when I had gathered with a group of friends at one of their homes and we were attending a Zoom meeting together sharing one laptop.
Suddenly, the place was plunged into darkness.
As alternative battery power was being arranged, there was a mad scrum as at least three people scrambled to set up the laptop with power, external speakers, and microphone cables all in total darkness. There was a fair amount of tension as they argued about which port and jack were to be used for each external device.
Not one of them thought to ask the only person in the room with the unequivocal experience to do the job, which he literally could have done with his eyes closed.
Pin pads on card readers have a dot on the number 5 to guide the visually impaired.
Posted on November 5, 2021
Editor’s Note: Jeremy Opperman is a member of Rotary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion taskforce and a regular contributor to this blog on issues related to disability inclusion.
Looking to make a BIG difference in the lives of local Veterans?
Emerald Place is hosting a "chalk the walk" to honor local vets. Rotarians are invited to participate. RSVP to 224-206-9588 to claim your sidewalk space to “chalk the walk”!! INVITED: Rotarians, families, Boy/Girl Scout troops, local organizations & businesses, etc. to commit to each decorating a couple sidewalk squares around our building on Media coverage is scheduled so feel free to wear gear that represents your business or Rotaryorganization! Call 224-206-9588 to reserve your space today!!!
Rotary Club of Northbrook’s “Coat Off Your Back” drive has helped to mitigate a local problem in partnership with refugee settling organizations including World Relief Chicago. This year – as you go through your previous season winterwear - consider donating to Coat Off Your Back! You may also buy new items to donate as well. Donation bins for the Rotary Club “Coats Off Your Back” drive can be found throughout the Village of Northbrook at the following locations:
NSYMCA: 2705 Techny Rd;
Northbrook Library: 1201 Cedar Ln;
Sunset Foods: 1127 Church St;
Northbrook Village Hall: 1225 Cedar Ln;
Northbrook Bank & Trust: Sanders-Dundee/Sanders-SE Corner;
Cleaners: Sanders-Dundee/Sanders-SE Corner;
Northern Weathermakers: 339 Anthony Trail;
North Shore Place: 1000 Sunset Ridge Rd;
Waterway Gas & Wash: 2300 Waukegan Rd;
Northbrook Bank & Trust: 1100 Waukegan Rd;
Orange Theory: 3101 Dundee Rd.
North Shore Transit: 2045 Shermer Rd. (Drive thru during open hours)
Please join The Rotary Club of Northbrook in collecting needed winter gear such as new or gently worn Jackets, Coats, Scarves, Hats, Gloves, and Boots for those served by World Relief. All sizes and genders from adult to children will help. For additional locations, to donate to Rotary, or to contact John Cavanaugh, log on to NorthbrookRotary.org
Join Zoom meeting on the good old-fashioned telephone!
+1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 295 416 335 Password: 726580 for telephone only
Please note - Meetings are no longer recorded. If you do not attend on zoom or in person you will miss the fun! Meeting dates and times, or virtual access may change, always check our website for updates. In-person meetings are held at Hilton, 2855 Milwaukee Rd., Northbrook.
