By Brittney Matejka

Seeing the ability every person has in our community

Nov 30, 2017 | 4:14 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB. – Students at Ross Glen Elementary School celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with a day of learning and understanding.

Leslie Jerry, community inclusion coordinator, said they have been running the program in local elementary schools for the past 10 years.

“It’s really about teaching people about the abilities of people with disabilities,” she said. “Every year we have a new group of students who are eager to learn and try and ask questions,” she explained.

One of the things Jerry said she hopes one of the lessons students take away with them after the assembly is inclusion.

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“I think when you talk to folks with disabilities, one of the things people are really looking for is inclusion. Social inclusion is being involved, having friends, being connected. This is a way to teach all of those things at a very early age,” she said.

Principal Wes King-Hunter explained they were happy to have the speakers and hands on activities to teach their kindergarten to grade 6 students a greater understanding of others.

“An opportunity to see the ability in everybody, including themselves whether they’re labelled as being disabled or anything,” he explained. “Seeing that everybody has challenges and everybody has opportunities for sharing their growth,” he said

King- Hunter said the students had a chance to participate in wheelchair basketball, modified bowling and hear first hand from speakers with disabilities sharing their stories.

“This has been a great opportunity for us as a school, we do have some students who may have disabilities that may be apparent and then we have kids that may have disabilities that may not be readily apparent,” he said. “It’s important for all our kids to realize that everybody has different things going on and everybody can have some challenges and there are strengths that we all have,” he explained.

Grade 6 student, Cerys Jones helped usher guests into the assembly and said the assembly had an impact on her.

“I learned that every person has an ability even if they do have a disability, and that you shouldn’t mistreat people if they’re different,” she said.

Jones was able to sit in a wheel chair for the first time, she explained it was not easy to use.

“It’s definitely a different thing as your used to using your feet a lot, and you didn’t have the ability to use your feet. Turning was really hard, it took me a little bit to figure it out,” she said.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities has been celebrated since 1992 and hopes to raise awareness to create greater community inclusion, acceptance and opportunities for people with disabilities.