Disability awareness programs provide insight

There is a common thread in conversations with families who are raising a child with special needs. It goes to the heart of every parent's concerns that their child will be accepted, make friends and enjoy a healthy emotional and social development. It centers around whether or not their child's peers will have an understanding of and empathy for their child's disability.

What if your child's peers could have some small insight into how a relatively simple task can be made challenging by a developmental delay? What if they could experience a sensory overload similar to the challenge that a person with autism faces?

Imagine having the opportunity to don goggles that simulate a range of visual impairments. It could be a pair that replicates partial or even total sight loss. Would navigating through a few basics obstacles, like walking through a busy classroom or crowded hallway, make an impression?

Disability awareness programs can give that "walk in their shoes" experience, even if only for an hour or an afternoon. The impact can be significant and set the foundation for a lifetime of understanding. Gaining even a small glimpse of what living with a disability is like can sow the seeds of sensitivity and acceptance for years to come. Every encounter afterward keeps nourishing the way we understand people with disabilities and can change perceptions.

So just how can that happen? I am most familiar with the disability awareness programs offered through Special Recreation Associations (SRAs). Traditionally SRAs offer community-based recreational programs and inclusion services for park district programs. But there are many organizations that offer some variation of disability awareness and education programs.

While programs vary, there are two elements essential for a successful experience. First, having the correct information is a powerful start in the learning process. The educational component can provide facts at an age appropriate level. Children at the fourth grade level are certainly at a much different comprehension level than that of a high school freshman.

Part of the educational component is the ability to recognize and dispel the myths around certain disabilities. For instance, not every disability is visible. We may be able to visually determine a peer with Down syndrome yet may not be aware of a peer on the autism spectrum. Another common myth is that everyone who has a certain disability is the same. Two children on the spectrum may have significant differences in behavior. One may wander around the classroom flapping their hands as a way to help reduce anxiety while another may be the quirky kid completely fixated on one particular topic.

During these tremendous moments in time where we can make an indelible impression on our youth, it is ideal to create an environment where everyone is comfortable and engaged. Encouraging questions offers a chance to explore awkward feelings with the hopes of becoming comfortable with each other.

Some disability programs are even led by a person with the disability. There is a particularly heightened level of attention that comes when a person with an amputated leg speaks about using a wheelchair or a prosthetic. To watch the speaker wheel into the room, stand up, walk across the room, remove a prosthetic and share their story doesn't just get attention. Done well, it can leave the audience with an experience that will stay with them for a long time to come.

The second element key to any program is to incorporate an interactive component. There is no substitute for hands-on learning. Stations work very well for school age children. Rotating between a few different stations can keep learning fun while touching on a variety of different disabilities. Depending on the organization providing the program, the theme of stations offered may vary. But there are some experiences that work well for any group.

For instance, a station on physical challenges can offer the experience of adaptive bowling using ramps. Wheelchair basketball allows everyone to get in a chair, learn how to maneuver up and down the court and shoot baskets. Another station may have you learning how to follow directions with certain cognitive cues missing, similar to how a person with a developmental delay processes directions. A station on autism may provide the chance to explore sensory challenges and to understand some of the behaviors that may accompany autism.

I recently heard about a community that is going a step beyond the basic disability awareness program. They hold a disability awareness program in the school during the day and later that evening they play a benefit wheelchair basketball game. What an opportunity for children, parents and community members to continue the conversations that took place earlier that day.

Disability awareness programs like these are typically brought into schools. They have also been used by community groups, businesses, service clubs, etc. They can usually be customized for each group depending on the number of people, the number of stations requested and the time allotted. There may be a nominal fee. In a school setting, often the parent organizations sponsor the program.

To find a disability awareness program in your area, contact your special recreation association. You can find the one that supports your area at specialrecreation.org. Or you can contact an organization that supports a particular disability to see if they offer a similar program.

The opportunity to experience life with a disability, even for a short time, has the potential to make a difference in so many lives. These types of experiences go a long way in promoting sensitivity, acceptance and insight into a variety of issues relating to individuals who have special needs. As a community, we all benefit from a general awareness about disabilities and how to assist individuals who have them.

• Sherry Manschot is the marketing/public relations manager at Western DuPage Special Recreation Association. She leads a parent network of special needs families at WDSRA. Manschot can be contacted at sherrym@wdsra.com. More information about WDSRA can be found at wdsra.com.