DISABILITIES AWARENESS

WHAT IS DISABILITIES AWARENESS?

Disabilities Awareness is an understanding of the challenges that people with disabilities face and how they overcome them. It is usually provided through study and hands on activities meant to give the person the perspective of person with the disability.

WHY TEACH IT?

Throughout life everyone will encounter diversity. People with different cultures, attitudes, values, etc.  Without understanding all of these different types of people, bad things happen like fear, envy, prejudice, hate. Only through education and exposure can we truly understand. When we understand what it is like to have a disability, we know how to interact with people with that disability. We also develop an appreciation for how people overcome their disabilities. It changes the way we think about disabilities.

HOW TO TEACH IT

Disabilities Awareness is best taught by hands on activities meant to simulate given disabilities. For example have the scouts try to put on a shirt with one hand would simulate what a person who is missing an arm would have to go through to get dressed, or have the scouts try to read a list of words that are all written backwards can simulate Dyslexia.

IMPORTANT NOTE! When teaching disabilities awareness it is important to have fun, without making fun of the disability. It is also important to teach compassion without teaching pity. You should not focus on what people with disabilities can’t do or talk about what that person cannot do, you should focus on what they do to overcome it whenever possible.

In my Activities page I have compiled and created a number of activities that can be run to teach disabilities awareness.

Scouting has a couple of awards with activities already defined to teach disabilities awareness

Disabilities Awareness Belt Loop and Pin

Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge

Consider having a Disabilities Awareness Night Pack Meeting. They can have a fun meeting and learn at the same time. With a little bit of prep work in the den they can also earn the Disabilities Awareness Belt Loop & Pin