Disability advocates across the country are mobilizing to help create understanding and celebrate the history of individuals with disabilities! Since West Virginia passed the first…
Importance
School children typically hear very little, if anything, about disability history. With the implementation of Disability History Week, students will benefit from learning about the story of people with disabilities, including how they used to be viewed and treated, how conditions have changed over time and how individuals with disabilities are currently actively involved in self-advocacy and in their communities. Given the context of disability history, students will be equipped with the tools needed to engage in critical thinking and will be more likely to view individuals with disabilities as people deserving of dignity and respect just like everyone else.
Michael Hoenig from the Center for Disabilities and Development at the University of Iowa has this to say about his experience in talking with young people:
"As a person who is blind, I face public stereotypes and misconceptions almost every day. People assume that I'm not capable of working, that I need help getting from Point A to Point B, that I have a caretaker…Young people have a natural curiosity about disability, which sadly, is all too often quelled by well-meaning parents. I've been fortunate to have many opportunities to speak to K-12 classes, and without fail receive a steady stream of "How do you…" or "How does it feel…" questions. A national Disability History Week would provide a forum in which kids could feel comfortable asking these questions."