Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Through Children's Eyes

Hello all.

Although the following is posted primarily as an FYI I am hoping that you will distribute this to your legislator and anyone else you know who will find the Through Children's Eyes project of interest. I suspect that that would or should include everyone.



“Through Children's Eyes: A School Based Community Collaboration” takes a different approach to disability awareness programs by uniquely combining existing NYS curriculum to experiential learning resulting in a new generation of passionate advocates involved in social justice and civic action.


Disability awareness programs have been around forever. However, getting them into schools has been difficult in the past, as many teachers and school districts have had the opinion that the program would distract from existing curriculum. Mr. Ken Sider, Third Grade Teacher at Riverside Elementary School (RES) and Mr. Don Wyckoff, Architectural Barrier Specialist at the Catskill Center for Independence (CCFI), developed a program that takes a different approach by uniquely combining existing NYS curriculum to an experiential disability awareness program.


The antecedent leading to the development and implementation of this project came when RES psychologist Mrs. Deb Clune became disabled as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Mr. Sider overheard fellow teachers discussing her situation; they expressed their beliefs that she could no longer accomplish her job successfully in a wheelchair and they agreed that she should just “go out on disability”. Their insensitivity towards Mrs. Clune and her newly acquired disability left Mr. Sider angered and ashamed of his peers and felt these teachers ought to be educated in inclusiveness. Mr. Sider then thought he would attempt to teach his class for a week while using a wheelchair. After rolling the thought around for a few days, he further developed the idea and realized that this was a great learning opportunity for his class. With this idea as his guide he contacted CCFI to discuss this unique approach. CCFI donated three wheelchairs, two child sized and one adult, and worked with Mr. Sider to develop this unique experiential learning experience.

For three years now Mr. Sider, with the collaboration of CCFI, has implemented unique program called, “Through Children's Eyes: A School Based Community Collaboration". Before each student has a turn in the chair they are asked to write an essay regarding their perceptions of people with disabilities. Each student then spends the entire day in the wheelchair and has a task checklist designed to illustrate some of the major problems people with disabilities face, such as inaccessible environments and social isolation. The task checklist required students to attempt things such as reaching the fire escape window in their classroom (which they couldn’t due to reach constraints), independently navigate the heavy main doors, traverse a ramp, participate in gym class, carry their lunch from the lunch line to the table, attempt to use the “accessible” bathroom and navigate the playground. After the children were done they were asked to write a post project essay regarding their experience and their conclusions were unanimous: people with disabilities have far more difficulties trying to be independent in life than any of them had imagined. This realization moved the children from silent observers to passionate advocates.

Mr. Wyckoff was invited back to the school to add an additional component to the new program. With “How to Identify Barriers through an On-site Inspection” the children were then taught the basic principles of accessibility. Mr. Wyckoff brought the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), and a few basic tools (tape measure, door pressure gauge, an accessibility stick designed to measure a ramps slope and a digital camera), and showed the students how to conduct an onsite survey, including how to record the findings and compare them with existing ADAAG. The children then split up into teams and began measuring and recording their findings. The children scheduled a meeting with the superintendent to report on the results of the surveys and successfully advocated for changes in the school among them, a school doorbell enabling a visitor to notify the school office assistance is needed for opening the inaccessible door.

As a result of this disability awareness program the current third grade students at Riverside Elementary have become outstanding advocates, fully embracing the idea of social justice and civic action. The students decided it would be advantageous for the other students in the school to learn the basic disability awareness concepts and etiquette that they had learned and designed and presented a 30 minute long disability awareness program of their own during a school assembly. With the guidance of Mr. Sider, the students chose key elements of disability awareness and etiquette: how to interact with a person with a disability, the importance of designated accessible parking, accessible paths of travel, and demystifying people with disabilities. Eight children took turns discussing disability awareness and etiquette to approximately 100 students, teachers and staff. After the assembly some of the teachers and staff congratulated the children and affirmed they had learned much, especially the state codes regarding designated accessible parking!

In addition to the above mentioned accomplishments, third grade students were able to accomplish the following:

· Create “Riverside Cares Parking Tickets” and they issue them regularly!
· Create documentaries of their experiences which were subsequently shared with other area schools and as well as used in college lectures.
· Drafted a letter to the school superintendent requesting a meeting to discuss inaccessible elements they discovered while conducting their own on-site assessments. The children were able to raise money for a door bell before the school itself could locate or designate funding. They “lobbied” the school to replace some of the cafeteria tables with accessible tables and they also “lobbied” the school to include accessible playground equipment, which is currently in the process of being installed.
· Create a video supporting NYS Bill 2242 mandating disability history be taught in schools. They have sent it to both democratic and republican senators across the state. The video was written and produced by the third grade class and can be viewed at
http://www.oneontacsd.org/files/505277/Disabilities%20Project1.wmv
· Raised money to purchase a new parking sign declaring “No Student Drop Off or Pick-Up and No Deliveries” to further clarify the single designated accessible parking spot outside the school be kept available to those who can legally use it.

Perhaps the most startling demonstration of the power of this program has been the children’s universal change in perception and attitudes regarding people with disabilities. The children now see the difficulties people with disabilities face each day and are moved by compassion as opposed to pity. They have taken on the task of educating others regarding what they have learned and most, if not all, have the sense of empowerment as a result. The realization that even a third grader can make huge change if given the opportunity seems to be very motivating. As one teacher noted, “These children have developed a good understanding of a difficult subject. The skills they have learned and the sense of empowerment they have obtained through this program and their own actions will certainly motivate them throughout their lives. Our community will certainly benefit as these children become the next gate keepers in our society.”

Mr. Sider and Mr. Wyckoff have presented " Through Children's Eyes: A School Based Community Collaboration" at the NYS Association of Independent Living Conference, twice at SUCO College seminars for Education Majors, and across the state to disability rights advocates. Their presentations have been met with great enthusiasm to replicate the program as well its modality of teaching: connecting the experiential part of the program to existing curriculum. The program has been adopted and replicated in three Plattsburgh schools and is currently being adopted at the Greater Plains Elementary here in Oneonta. Mr. Sider and Mr. Wyckoff have expressed that their main objective is to see the program adopted into NYS Curriculum and eventually throughout the United States.

No comments:

Post a Comment