Press Release                                                                               October 27, 2010

Contact:
George Ranville
Phone: 616 831-0030
Cell:     616 862-8018
Fax:     616 493-2620
Email:  georan@tapshoe.com

For Immediate Release

  “Too Disabled to Fly” Author Speaking at Western Michigan University tonight.

(Grand Rapids, MI)  Motivational speaker and author Johnnie Tuitel, who found himself thrown off a recent US Airways flight because he was deemed “too disabled to fly” will be speaking at Western Michigan University, Wednesday evening, October 27, 2010 at 8:00 PM. Johnnie will be giving a Disability Awareness presentation coordinated by Pi Kappa Phi as a part of their effort to raise awareness about disabilities. The event will be held at the Chemistry Building, Rm 1720, 1903 W. Michigan Ave, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. 

The event is being coordinated by Western student Chris Rettich, the philanthropy chair for Pi Kappa Phi. “I heard Johnnie Tuitel give an amazing presentation for the Michigan Association of Student Councils, and I wanted to bring him in to Western.”said Chris. This previously planned event is the first speaking engagement by Johnnie Tuitel in Michigan since the events with US Airways, and he will include remarks about it. 

Johnnie was the Grand Rapids businessman removed from a US Airways flight on September 23 at Palm Beach International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida and subsequently missed his meetings in Kansas City. The story generated world-wide media interest including live TV appearances on NBC, ABC, Fox News, CBS, MSNBC, and CNN.  Newspapers carried the story nationwide including the USA Today, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, The Miami Herald, the Denver Post and a column in The Washington Times.

Johnnie is well known as “America’s Pioneer Handicapitalist”.  He has cerebral palsy and has used a wheelchair his entire life.  He is a motivational speaker for students and adults, is the author of the Gun Lake Adventure Series of children’s books, and a philanthropist.  He is thought by many to be the best motivational speaker in the disability community in the country today.  Johnnie is a sophisticated traveler, drives his own vehicle from his wheelchair, and navigates everywhere on his own and has done so for the last 20 years.  Johnnie’s current calendar has him scheduled to give keynotes and speeches in the coming year from Washington, DC to Honolulu.

For more information and the original press releases and videos about “Too Disabled to Fly”  please visit www.johnnietuitel.com or call (616) 831-0030, (616) 862-8018 cell, or email georan@tapshoe.com.   For more information about the event at WMU contact Chris Rettich  (586) 216-9471 cell or email Christopher.c.rettich@wmich.edu.

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