Dear Reader,

 Imagine enduring life with the inability to talk, eat, and walk. Non-disabled people stare at you, verbally abuse you, and grow jittery every time they approach you. This is what some people who suffer from disabilities experience daily. One billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, possess some form of a disability. Approximately one-fifth of these individuals (between 110 million and 190 million people) suffer from severe disabilities (Shigri). A fundamental element to a welcoming and inclusive society for all people is learning how to interact with disabled people. Schools in the United States should implement disability awareness programs into health classes, so students can identify people’s disabilities, accept the differences, and learn how to help improve the lives of disabled people.

Students would be able to identify the precise names of people’s disabilities and the behaviors associated with the disabilities if all schools in the United States implemented disability awareness programs into health classes. Fifteen to 20% of school-age children have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) (Disability Awareness). An IEP is a document that is developed for each school-age child who needs special education. Disability awareness programs break down the stereotypical barriers of society and impart a wide range of opportunities to interact with and help disabled people live their happiest lives (Shigri). Simply changing the vocabulary and recognizing, for example, a person with cerebral palsy, such as my twin brother named Evan, as someone who had damage to the developing brain that caused him/her to have impaired movement instead of someone who leaves his/her mouth open and can’t eat, talk, and walk correctly can make a big difference in our society’s views on diversity and disabled people. When students are educated about disability awareness, they are likely to grow a more positive attitude towards differences (Williamson). Students should learn how to identify people’s disabilities, but they also should learn how to welcome the special characteristics of disabled people.

If our nationwide schools implemented disability awareness programs into health classes, students would learn how to accept the differences between themselves and disabled people. It is proven that disabled people are at a higher risk of experiencing a discriminatory attitude in fields such as health, education, employment, social economy, and justice (Shigri). In fact, a class educating all children about the abilities of disabled people has been mandated in the United Kingdom, and this has resulted in a decreased amount of complaints regarding disability harassment (Mulderink). Teaching acceptance could include the requirement of all students to take a pledge to avoid giving disabled people negative labels (Disability Awareness). When Evan had a tracheostomy tube (trach) to help clear his airway, a child said Evan sounded like a pig because of the sounds he was making. All students should be urged to eliminate bullying, especially to those with disabilities (Disability Awareness). If students learned to accept the differences at a young age, social barriers could be demolished, and the world could be more united. Students would also become better citizens as they mature (Shigri). Students should be taught how to accept the differences between themselves and disabled people as well as how to make an impact in the lives of disabled people.

Students would learn how to enhance disabled people’s lives if schools in the United States implemented disability awareness programs. Making a difference in the lives of disabled people can help disabled people be more confident while also benefiting society. School-related activities such as hosting guest speakers, forming a club, encouraging students to support charities that deal with disabilities, and volunteering could promote a more all-encompassing, positive atmosphere. Some public schools have “Best Buddies” programs where non-disabled kids can take a class in which they interact with disabled kids. Some of Evan’s “best buddies” have written him letters describing how helping Evan at school provides an incentive for them to get up in the morning and go to school. This is an example of how not only the disabled people but also the non-disabled people can benefit from these programs. All schools in our nation could establish a program like the “Best Buddies” program. Interacting with disabled people can be crucial in forming positive connections between disabled and non-disabled people, and can help break down the barriers that existed before (Shigri). I love playing my ukulele, and Evan loves listening to me play it. Thus, we share a similar interest: music. Students can find similarities between themselves and disabled people, too. Our society can be changed for the better if we implement disability awareness programs that teach students how to make a difference in the lives of disabled people.

 Disability awareness programs should be implemented into health classes in all schools in the United States because students would be able to properly identify the disabilities many people have, learn how they, as students, can make an impact in the lives of disabled people, and welcome diversity. Opponents of the disability awareness programs in schools’ controversy argue that the cost of such a program is too much and the time it takes to teach and learn this material is not worth it when students could be learning something “more useful.” However, these arguments can be negated. A better society might cost more money, but being able to help eliminate bullying and form a more inclusive, welcoming society should not be declined due to money. Materials discussing disability awareness, such as online packets, are easy to find on the internet and can cost little to no money. This material should be instituted in the school system because disabilities affect a significant number of the population, and every student should be able to understand and accept this diversity. Now, imagine going through life with a disability. Non-disabled people understand your disability, approach you with kindness, treat you with respect, and help you enjoy life. Disabled people could experience lives like this if non-disabled people were taught disability awareness in our nation’s schools.

Works Cited

“Creating Disability Awareness in Schools » Students for Disability Awareness.” Students

for Disability Awareness. 2018. www.wwusda.org/creating-disability-awareness-in-schools. Accessed 30 Nov. 2018.

“Disability Awareness and Inclusion: 20 Ways to Teach Non-Disabled Kids about

Their Disabled Peers.” A Day In Our Shoes. 20 Sept. 2018. adayinourshoes.com/resources-to-teach-kids-about-disabilities-awareness-and-inclusion/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2018.

Mulderink, Carrie. “Sign the Petition.” Change. 2018.

www.change.org/p/stop-the-ignorance-require-disability-awareness-programs-in-schools. Accessed 30 Nov. 2018.

Shigri, Narmeen. “The Importance of Disability Awareness: Home and School.” Medium.

20 Jan. 2018. medium.com/arise-impact/the-importance-of-disability-awareness-home-and-school-eead2276f349. Accessed 30 Nov. 2018.

Williamson, Cecilia. “Effects of Disability Awareness Educational Programs on an

Inclusive Classroom.” Scholarworks. 2014. scholarworks.bgsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1138&context=honorsprojects. Accessed 30 Nov. 2018.