Celebrating Disability History Month: Recognition and Training
For the past 17 years, Washington state public schools have made efforts to inspire students with disabilities, give them a sense of pride and reinforce school as a place to belong during Disability History Month, celebrated in October.
This annual recognition of people with disabilities promotes their contributions in our society and fosters acceptance and inclusion.
The persistent, creative and passionate advocacy within the disability community has benefited Washington state since the early 70's, when the state led the nation with the first law requiring full access for students with disabilities in public schools.
In 2004, the state continued modeling supporting access to integrated employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the Working Age Adult Policy (the Employment First approach). The passage of the Nothing About Us Without Us Act in 2024 set another civil rights milestone, ensuring people most affected by state policies are at the table during policy development.
Training Module: Our Journey toward Full Access to Inclusive Schools
As we celebrate Disability History Month, we recognize as a society we are not fully accessible and inclusive yet. Making that happen will require collective effort, led by those most directly impacted. We review our collective effort to meet the promises of full access and meaningful inclusion, and ask:
- Where are we in our promise of full access to public schools for all students, regardless of the nature or severity of their disability?
- Where are we in our commitment to build inclusive school communities, where students with and without disabilities have the opportunity to learn and grow together?
This month, we invite you to view a new training module: "Full Access to Inclusive Schools," which gives a brief review of this work and invites us to consider ways we can continue working toward full access and inclusion.
What: Full Access to Inclusive Schools online training module.
Where: Washington State Learning Center.
How long: approximately 30 minutes.
Find resources for supporting full access to inclusive schools at: Full School Access for Clients 3-22 - Organization home.
|
