How to Raise Disability Awareness

Teach others to respect disabilities and the challenges they present.

Disabled individuals are present in every country, race, ethnic group, and socio-economic class. The daily challenges that they face are often very great. The better informed you are of the disabilities some individuals face, the more sensitive you can be to their unique needs. By working to raise disability awareness, you can help to ensure that people with disabilities fit more seamlessly into society.

Instructions

1. Conduct a group activity to define "disability." Ask each member of the group to write down a definition for "disability." Use the responses to craft one group definition. Conclude the activity by looking up the term in the dictionary.

2. Educate participants on an assortment of disabilities, especially those present in your school or community. Help group members gain a better understanding of what having each disability would mean.

3. Engage participants in a group discussion on the topic of disabilities. Use discussion questions such as "How can we help people with disabilities?" and "Why is acceptance of those with disabilities important?"

4. List ways individuals can help those with disabilities. This list will likely include things such as educating others on disabilities and volunteering time to organizations that help people with disabilities.

5. Conclude with a project. Ask each participant to select one disability or disability-related topic and to create a presentation, write a paper or make an educational display on the selected topic. Share the finished projects with other group members to further their understanding of disabilities.

References

• University of Hawaii; Disability Awareness Toolkit; 2007
• Disability in Action Islington: Raising Awareness of the Needs of Disabled People and Promoting Inclusion