Rachel Simon, award winning author of “Riding the Bus with My Sister” and “The Story of Beautiful Girl,” will give a presentation titled “Perspectives on Intellectual Disabilities,” on Thursday, April 11 11, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the Katz Auditorium in the Law School. Simon will talk about her life experiences growing up with her sister Beth, who has an intellectual disability. Their relationship formed the basis for “Riding the Bus with My Sister,” which was made into a film starring Andie MacDowell and Rosie O’Donnell. The film will be shown on Tuesday, April 9, 4:30–6:30 p.m., in the Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library.

No tickets are required for either free event. Parking is free at the Law School Building and doors open for Simon’s presentation at 6:30 p.m. For the movie, fee-based parking is available at the Nittany Deck, adjacent to the Nittany Lion Inn. The presentation is sponsored by Adaptive Technology and Services, the Office for Disability Services and The School of International Affairs. Additionally, the movie is sponsored by the Health and Human Development Diversity Committee, Adaptive Technology and Services, and the Office for Disability Services.

Simon has received numerous awards for her work, including creative writing fellowships from the Delaware Division of the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts and the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation. She is one of the only authors to have been selected twice for the Barnes & Noble Discover New Writers Award.