Indiana Wesleyan University Honors Disability Advocate Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni Eareckson Tada, renowned author and founder of Joni and Friends - an organization accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community, has been officially inducted as Indiana Wesleyan University’s 2009 World Changer during a ceremony held today in Luckey Arena.

The entire IWU community was in attendance to witness Tada become the sixth inductee into the Society of World Changers, which Indiana Wesleyan University launched to honor exemplary individuals who are impacting their professions with a vibrant religious faith, who embody the mission and vision of the university, and whose lives demonstrate ways students can become world changers.

After a rousing performance by the University Chorale and an introduction by University President Dr. Henry Smith and Dr. Lyle Reed, President of Foretravel, Tada encouraged students to be a voice for those who are voiceless.

"You and I are called to speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves, to give our lives for those who are vulnerable," Tada said.

When Joni was 17, she was involved in a diving accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down.

Since the accident, she has written 35 books, accepted a presidential appointment to the National Council on Disability, spoken in more than 45 countries, established a disability ministry that reaches around the world, and produced paintings with a brush between her teeth.

Tada credits Christ for bringing her from back from total despair to be a beacon of light to the world.

"We live in a culture of death. Jesus Christ called me and our team to help push back this darkness," she said.

Tada stressed the importance of recognizing the difference between changing the world and conquering it.

"Whether we win or lose the cultural argument is not the point. What’s important is to witness to what it means to be human."

Her bestselling biography, Joni, chronicled her struggle to accept her paralysis as part of a divine plan. Translated into 40 languages, Joni was also made into a movie, with Joni starring as herself.

A full time disability advocate, she founded Joni and Friends, an organization dedicated to serving the world wide community of the disabled and their families. The Joni and Friends International Disability Center is based in southern California and serves as headquarters for her numerous ministries.