Disability Awareness

Welcome Page

Section One: Reframing the Narrative on Disability

Section Two: How to Include Students with Disabilities Year-Round

Section Three: Activities and Resources for Any Disability Celebration

Section Four: Four District-Recognized Disability/Inclusion Events and Ways to Celebrate

• Disability Awareness (Any Time)
• National Bullying Prevention Month and Unity Day (October)
• Inclusive Schools Week (First Week of December)
• Disability History Month (March)

Historically, Disability Awareness was known as Abilities Awareness, and these events were designed to help promote empathy and understanding for students with disabilities. The hope was to create more acceptance for disabled students from their nondisabled peers. Many people devoted many hours to make these events meaningful and successful.

Over time, researchers, advocates and people with disabilities began to speak out and share data on how some of the practices of traditional Abilities Awareness events, such as Disability Simulations, were perpetuating stereotypes and exclusion rather than creating the desired empathy and sought-after inclusion.

Today, we recognize it is time to evolve our thinking and practice. That starts with shifting the name to what the current respectful language is: Disability Awareness. Yet our intent with this toolkit is to move beyond awareness and focus on acceptance, accessibility and inclusion.

It is likely that a few years from now, thinking about disability will have evolved again, and this toolkit will need an update. Or even an overhaul. Our hope is that current best practice will always inform what we do to promote acceptance and inclusion for students with disabilities.

Whether your Disability Awareness Event lasts for a day or a week, one of the best ways to ensure that you center the voices and perspectives of people with disabilities is to host a speaker with a disability in your classroom or for a school assembly.

The speaker can be a community leader, advocate, trailblazer, athlete, artist or student. Hearing their story and their hopes for the future in their own authentic voice, with whatever method they might use to communicate, will be a great kickoff to your event and should begin to create that shift in heart set and mindset that leads to acceptance and inclusion.

Here is a list of local speakers and organizations to contact for speakers:

• Cody Jones is a Paralympic javelin thrower and motivational speaker.
• Diego Peña is a young autistic self-advocate and author of Anatomy of Autism: A Pocket Guide for Educators, Parents and Students. Contact him through his mother, Dr. Edlyn Peña of the CLU Autism and Communication Center.
• Autism Society Ventura County
• Independent Living Resource Center, Tri-Counties

The way that society thinks about disabilities is always evolving. Current thinking among disabled people and allies is a preference for the social model of disability rather than the medical model.

Historically, disabilities were seen as "less than" rather than as a natural part of human diversity. The medical model of disability approaches people with disabilities as "the problem" and tries to "fix" their disabilities so that they can function in a world not built for them.

While medical interventions and supports remain important for many people with disabilities, the social model of disability looks at barriers in society as the problems that require solutions, rather than placing the responsibility on the disabled. People are encouraged to be their authentic selves, and society needs to change to provide accommodations, accessibility, equity and inclusion for disabled people.

The video below provides a good explanation of the social and medical models of disability.

There is a saying that is so popular within the disability community that it has become a hashtag: #PresumeCompetence. When interacting with someone with a disability, remember that disabled people are capable. They have ideas and solutions for barriers that they regularly face, because they are accustomed to navigating a world not built for them.

Rather than assuming that a disabled person needs help, #PresumeCompetence instead. Allow disabled people the space to fail or succeed on their own.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell if a person with a disability does need help with something that is inaccessible. That's okay. If you feel the urge to help, just ask. And then, be prepared to accept that the answer might be, "No."

Presuming competence is a great way to be an ally to people with disabilities. Allow them the dignity of self-reliance and autonomy. At the same time, be ready to offer support if it is requested or if you would offer the same help to a nondisabled person in the same situation.

Empathy (understanding what the other person is feeling) rather than sympathy (feeling sorry for someone else) is the best guide to navigating any uncertainty.

To create a new structure for Disability Awareness, we have adapted some themes, activities and ideas from a toolkit for disability inclusion created by Inclusive Schools Network and their partners, Kids Included Together and Changing Perspectives.

The Daily Themes for a weeklong event are:

• Day One: Introduction to Disability, Accessibility and Inclusion

• Day Two: Exploring Our Differences

• Day Three: Fostering Friendships

• Day Four: Expanding Empathy

• Day Five: Taking Action for Inclusion

For each Daily Theme, the toolkit will include resources and activities for elementary and for middle and high school students. In addition, any of the ideas from Section Two or elsewhere in Section Three of this toolkit can be used as well.

Each day will also feature a Spirit Day Activity to help build community around the idea of disability inclusion and an Exit Ticket Question.

One-Day Event: These themes and activities can be modified to create learning stations for a Disability Awareness event scheduled for a single day.

Talking about disability can be challenging. Many people aren't all that familiar with disability or the disability community other than portrayals they have seen in media, and some may never have spoken to someone that they knew had a disability. As a result, people are often afraid of making mistakes.

Disability awareness and inclusion aims to change that reality so that people with disabilities are seen as a part of natural human diversity and are included in the social fabric of our everyday lives.

One in five people have a disability, so chances are that you do know someone with a disability!

Understanding that inclusion is often the first step to providing accessibility and equity to people with disabilities is a powerful motivator for changing our society and ending the awkwardness and exclusion.

Watch the video below to understand this perspective better.

Introducing children to the ideas of disability as diversity and appreciating that we are all different is the goal of Day One! Students should also begin to recognize the importance of accepting and including everyone.

a kids book about disabilities

Watch the read aloud video of this book written from the perspective of a wheelchair user. The book helps teach children that disability is a natural part of the human experience, and it is a fantastic introduction to disability, accessibility and inclusion.

Just Ask: Be Brave, Be Different, Be You

Watch the read aloud video of this amazing book written by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Just Ask uses the metaphor of a garden where many different flowers can bloom to explore disabilities and differences.

The book can serve as the starting point for discussions on disability, appreciating each person's uniqueness and why including everyone is important.

Here are some learning activities that go along with the book.

Activities to promote understanding of diversity and acceptance

Link to numerous activities from Teachers Pay Teachers

Every Child is a Flower Art Project

In support of the garden theme of "Just Ask," create a schoolwide mural of a garden! Each student is given a paper flower to color or decorate. Use a variety of flower templates to support the idea that differences are beautiful. Parent volunteers or teachers can help create the mural backdrop and paint stems and leaves for the flowers. Hang the mural in a prominent place, like the MPR. Don't forget to share photos of the mural on social media!

Mural Caption: Every Child is a Different Kind of Flower and

All Together Make this World a Beautiful Garden

Middle and high school students are likely familiar with the ideas of disability, acceptance and inclusion, though they may have absorbed some negative stereotypes or heard some disrespectful or outdated language. But they may be less familiar with the idea that lack of accessibility is often the barrier that excludes people with disabilities from full participation in their schools and communities.

Not Special Needs

This is a lighthearted video that introduces the idea that people with disabilities have the same human needs that everyone else does. Use the video as a prompt to discuss why people with disabilities may have additional challenges in meeting their needs and reaching their goals due to a lack of accessibility, which can be a barrier to success.

Be sure to approach this discussion from the Social Model lens, rather than the Medical Model. It's not people with disabilities that need to change who they are, but rather society that needs to expand and provide access to all.

Accessible Campus Awareness Activity

Have students navigate the campus in small groups with an accessibility mindset and identify barriers that prevent students from being fully included. Students can make note of what they find or create an accessibility map of the campus.

• Look for obstacles, such as stairs, steps, narrow pathways, steep inclines, etc.
• Look for visual obstacles from the perspective of students with vision impairments
• Look for safety obstacles, such as safe pathways for emergency evacuations, and whether or not there are multiple cue for emergencies (sounds and lights)
• Look at community eating areas to check for accessibility and safety of tables and seating
• Look at campus signage to determine if they use symbols to make them accessible for English learners and those who may not read yet

Students can put together their findings and submit them as a class project. Further followup might include nominating a group of students to present a report at the School Site Council or submitting a written report or making public comments at Student DAC.

Discuss Additional Obstacles to School Inclusion

How accessible and inclusive are campus clubs, activities and events? Brainstorm ways to make improvements so that all students feel welcome and valued.

Use the following discussion or writing prompt:

What is one thing you can do to make your school more inclusive?

Spirit Activity: Everyone wears school colors on Day One to promote inclusion!

Exit Ticket Question: Why is inclusion important in our school?

It's human nature to be drawn to others who are like us, who think like us or who have similar interests. It's easier to connect with other people when you have something in common.

Yet differences and diversity are what make the world exciting! And even when you meet someone who seems very different from you, it is likely that you have something in common, because we all have the same human needs.

People with physical disabilities may have visible differences, while the differences of those who think differently, communicate differently or interact differently with the world may not be as obvious right away. But sometimes, these differences can create social barriers between the disabled and the nondisabled.

When you meet or talk to someone with a disability, it's important to remember that disability is just another kind of human difference. Try to reach across any invisible barriers that may arise and connect with each other on a human level. Respecting and accepting others who are different from you is a great first step toward creating a more inclusive school and community.

The goal for Day Two is for students to think about their own differences and to understand the value and importance of accepting each person's unique differences.

Understanding and Accepting Differences

Watch this short video that explains how we are all unique in ways we can see or ways we cannot, and that includes visible and hidden disabilities.

Social Story: Accepting Differences

This social story from Teachers Pay Teachers has both digital and printable files for additional instruction on accepting differences. (Designed for Kindergarten to Third Grade)

Design Your Seed Packet

Seed packets list exactly what plants and flowers need to grow. There is no judgement from gardeners or from other plants about what each plant needs to thrive.

Expanding upon the learning from Day One that every student is a plant or flower in an inclusive garden, have students design their own seed packet that describes what makes them unique and what they need to learn and grow. Children can draw their own portrait for the cover of the seed packet and list their favorite things, what they like to do, what makes them different from their classmates and what helps them learn.

You can use the Seed Packet Template shown below for this activity or students can create their seed packets from scratch.

Once students have drawn their portrait and listed what makes them unique and what they need to learn and grow, have them cut out the packets and glue them together to form an envelope. Have different craft supplies available so that students can choose or make the seeds that go inside (confetti, craft balls, paper clips, etc.)

Display the seed packets so that students can appreciate each others' differences!

The goal for Day Two for middle and high school students is not only to reflect on what makes them unique and different, but also to understand how to connect with others who may seem different from themselves by identifying commonalities.

Different

Watch the award-winning short film below to learn why you shouldn't make assumptions about other people. Use the video as a prompt to discuss why it is a mistake to make assumptions.

Connection Bingo

Use this activity as a game for students to get to know each other and explore their similarities and differences. Every student gets a bingo card (shown below). Then, they walk around and talk to the other students present. Students should ask each other or share if any of the statements on the card apply to them. If so, have that student sign their name on the corresponding square.

Each student can only sign one square on each individual student's card. The goal is to talk to as many students as possible and discover commonalities. When a student gets five names in a row, they call out BINGO, and then they read out the names in the BINGO row.

The Line

To start this activity, everyone gathers in a group on one side of the room. There should be a line of colored tape on the ground on the other side of the room. Then as a series of questions is read aloud, students who can answer "yes" move to the other side of the room and take a position on the tape line facing the other students for a few moments. Students can finish the activity by posing for a group photo of everyone in the class!

Read this opening statement to get started:

It's easy to think in terms of us vs. them. That there are those with whom we share something and those with whom we seem to share nothing. This activity will help us learn more about what we might have in common. Try to be honest with your answers.

If you can answer yes to the following questions, move to the line and face the other students for a few moments. Then return to the main group for the next question.

• Do you play a musical instrument?
• Are you never on time (always late)?
• Are you afraid of spiders?
• Is your favorite color purple?
• Do you have a pet?
• Are you vegan or vegetarian?
• Are you left-handed?
• Do you speak a second language?
• Do you love to draw or paint?
• Do you like pineapple on pizza?
• Do you still have a land line (phone) at home?
• Is reading your favorite thing to do?
• Have you ever learned a TikTok dance?
• Do you love spinach?
• Can you hula hoop?
• Do you write poetry?
• Do you know how to whistle?
• Is your favorite ice cream chocolate?
• Do you have a birthday this month?
• Have you ever performed karaoke?
• Do you love to play sports?
• Is your favorite subject math?
• Do you have a food allergy?
• Do you like to dance?
• Have you ever felt embarrassed?
• Do you worry about your grades?
• Have you ever felt confident in something you are good at?
• Have you felt anxious or overwhelmed in the past week?
• Do you ever feel lonely?
• Have you ever wanted someone to talk to?
• Have you ever been bullied?
• Have you ever had a hard time expressing how you feel?
• Have you ever overcome a big challenge or great adversity?
• Do you ever feel misunderstood?
• Would you like to be closer to your family?
• Have you ever needed a friend?
• Have you ever been a good friend or helped a friend through a crisis?
• Are you a student at (fill in the blank) school?

Develop Your Own One-Pager

A one-pager can be a great way for students to explore what makes them unique and what they need to thrive. Use the template below or encourage students to come up with their own design to create a one-pager.

When completed, use the one-pagers as prompts to discuss what students have in common and what their differences are. Be sure to remind students that disability is one more aspect of human diversity and difference. We all have strengths and areas for growth!

Spirit Activity: Have a Silly Hat Day to promote the acceptance of all our differences. Emphasize that each hat is different and unique, just like every person.

Exit Ticket Question: What can we learn about ourselves and others when we explore our differences?

One of the main goals for any Disability Awareness event is to foster friendships between children and young people with and without disabilities. Kids with disabilities tend to experience exclusion and social isolation at a much higher rate than their peers. Yet everyone longs to belong. It's one of our most basic human needs.

For authentic friendships to form, it's important for students to understand what positive friendship is, how to treat everyone with kindness and respect and to have opportunities to interact and connect with others who are outside their current social circle.

Building positive connections between students with and without disabilities is another great step toward creating a more inclusive school and community.

The goal for Day Three for elementary students is to explore what makes a positive friendship and how to interact in a positive way with ALL their peers.

Friendship Soup

This video shows students all of the ingredients that go into Friendship Soup, like honesty, having fun, respect and kindness.

Check out this lesson guide for Friendship Soup that includes discussion starters, printable activities and writing prompts!

All About Friendship

A teaching unit on friendship that includes "I Can" friendship posters, social stories and activities for making new friends.

Making Friends with Children of All Abilities

Kids with and without disabilities enjoy a lot of the same activities. Check out the video below that features tips for being a good friend with kids of all abilities.

Kindness Rules

In this activity, students will create their own rules for kindness.

Begin the lesson by asking students, "How should we treat our friends?" Allow students a few moments to think and answer, guiding them toward the idea that we should treat our friends with kindness.

Explain to students that they are going to be creating some rules for kindness. Each of them will create one or two rules for how to treat others kindly. Each rule should be just a single sentence and be ones that they believe are the most important to think about when it comes to treating friends with kindness.

Give students time to brainstorm and then write down their rules on the Kindness Rule template below. After everyone is done, have students share their rule(s).

Here are some variations for this activity.

• When sharing with the class, ask students to explain why they chose their rule(s).
• Post the rules around the school.
• Have your school include reading kindness rules as part of the morning announcements.
• Make a video of students sharing their rules.

The goal for Day Three for middle and high school students is to discover commonalities with peers, to learn to interact positively with ALL of their peers and to start developing skills for proactively including students with disabilities.

Class Collaborations

This activity is a great way to foster friendships between students who might not have the chance to interact every day. Invite students with disabilities to join your class or visit a classroom for students with disabilities for a whole group lesson. Be sure to plan ahead for any needed accommodations or accessibility issues.

Examples of Class Collaborations:

• Orchestra or band class performs and then invites students to look at or try instruments.
• Drama class does warm up exercises with the visiting students and then performs a scene from an upcoming play. Students then participate in a Q&A session about the play. FYI, everyone loves costumes and props!
• Drama class plays improvisational games with visiting students.
• Dance class performs warm ups and dance exercises together. Then, everyone can learn a simple, inclusive dance.
• Foreign language class invites student to join and learn some vocabulary together.
• Science class invites students to perform experiments together.
• Art class invites students to work on a project or mural together. This could even be a chalk art activity!
• Student athletes join an APE class to work on basic skills together.

Friendship Opportunity: Today's Spirit Activity is a Mix It Up Lunch, and Class Collaboration time would be a great opportunity to invite a student with disabilities to join you at lunch!

Beyond Differences

This website has resources, programs and activities created to help young people end social isolation. Defined as a lack of connections, social isolation is especially acute among students who are perceived as "different," including students with disabilities. Students have the power and natural motivation to end social isolation and make a difference, starting with how they treat one another at school and on social media.

Beyond Differences has three national programs: Know Your Classmates, No One Eats Alone and Be Kind Online.

Watch the video Be The One (shown below), and use it as a prompt to discuss how students can connect with those who may be socially isolated.

Spirit Activity: Have a Mix It Up Lunch! Ask students to move outside their comfort zones and connect with someone new at lunch. Check out this Mix It Up Lunch Guide for ideas on how to plan a successful event.

Exit Ticket Questions: How do we make new friends? Why are positive friendships important?

Empathy is a foundational skill for building a more inclusive world. Understanding someone else's perspective and feelings can help us see beyond ourselves and can inspire us to create positive change.

For authentic connections to form between students with and without disabilities, it's important for everyone to know the difference between empathy and sympathy. It also helps to understand the role that empathy plays in building positive relationships.

The ability to share someone else's feelings and experiences is crucial to shifting hearts and minds toward greater inclusion of people with disabilities. Once we can empathize with each other's longing for belonging, how can we not include everyone?

The goal for Day Four for elementary students is to learn what empathy is and how they can show empathy to their friends and classmates.

Sesame Street Empathy Video

Help younger students learn that empathy is understanding how another person feels by watching the video below from Sesame Street with Mark Ruffalo. Use the video as a prompt for a discussion about feelings and empathy.

All About Empathy

The video below will help students learn the basics of empathy, why it is important and how they can apply empathy in everyday situations. Use the video as a discussion or writing prompt for students to share what they learned about empathy and how they can show empathy to others. A 3-2-1 strategy would be effective here: ask students to list three things they have learned, two things they liked and one question they still have.

Someone Else's Shoes

One of the four attributes of empathy is perspective taking. This interactive activity teaches students about other people's perspectives and how they might be feeling in a variety of scenarios. A fun alternative might be to use actual shoes rather than the photos in the lesson.

Is It a 6 or a 9?

This activity will help students understand how to take another's perspective, even when they disagree. Seeing other perspectives is a core skill for empathy and feeling more compassion toward other viewpoints.

Start the activity by dividing students into two groups and asking them to stand on opposite sides of a table. Place a number 6 (like the one pictured) in the center of the table, so that the number looks like a 6 to one group and a 9 to the other.

Ask the students what number they see. One side will see a six, and one side will see a nine. Next, have the students switch sides, standing on the opposite side of the table to see the other group's perspective. Now what number does each group see?

Discuss how people sometimes don't understand each other, because they don't see things from the same perspective. Teaching children to try seeing a situation in a different way can help them understand how others are feeling.

The goal for Day Four for middle and high school students is to learn the difference between empathy and sympathy and how important it is to be able to see things from another's perspective. Students will also have the opportunity to practice compassion.

Empathy

This video explains what empathy is and why it is very different from sympathy. Use this video as a discussion or writing prompt to describe how being vulnerable helps you connect with and understand others in a deeper way than sympathy. (Please note, this is an edited version of the original video, which has references to more grownup issues, like marriage and losing a child.)

Offer Empathy

The video below shows the hidden feelings and experiences of students and the difference between offering sympathy and offering empathy and connection. This video could serve as a prompt for students to share how they are feeling by writing an essay, a poem or a song, or they can create a video or art project. Students can also share how others have made them feel better in the past or how they have helped someone else by showing empathy.

Walk a Mile In Another Person's Shoes

This activity will help students develop empathy through perspective taking and identifying another person's feelings in several scenarios. Students can read and discuss the scenarios in the handout pictured below, and they can also role play the scenarios using strategies that show empathy to each other.

Empathy Book Trailers

Sharing stories is a powerful way to build empathy. With Empathy Book Trailers, students are able to practice compassion by doing a deep-dive into a character from a book they love.

Each student creates a short book trailer that focuses on the experience of a particular character within the book. By focusing on a character, students will practice connecting events from a person's life experiences to feelings and needs.

Help students make the connection between empathy for a book character to building compassionate understanding for one another.

For this activity, students can create a short video, write a speech or create a storyboard.

Spirit Activity: Dress like your favorite superhero! Superheroes make the world a better place, and we each have the power to make our school a better place every day by showing empathy.

Exit Ticket Questions: Why is empathy important? What is an example of something you have done to show another person empathy?

Because students with disabilities often experience social isolation and are more at risk for teasing and harassment than their peers without disabilities, inspiring students to take action for inclusion is the ultimate goal and desired outcome of any Disability Awareness event.

Hopefully, students will be able to apply the lessons they have learned all week about disability as a natural part of diversity, accepting others who are different, forming friendships and positive connections and practicing empathy, and these lessons will enable them to start taking action to include students who are excluded or left out.

Being kind and empathetic toward others is a great first step, but true inclusion requires action!

The goal for Day Five for elementary students is for them to be inspired to take action to make their own schools more inclusive. Students should be encouraged to consider what they have learned all week about disability, inclusion, accepting differences, fostering friendships and expanding empathy. Help them be creative, and make sure everyone has a voice.

Strictly No Elephants

Watch the read aloud video below of Strictly No Elephants, a story about a boy and his pet elephant who are rejected at the local Pet Club. When the boy meets another child and pet who have also been left out, he decides to start a new club where everyone is included.

Use the video as a discussion or writing prompt to talk about being left out, accepting others who are different from you, what it means to include everyone and how to take action for inclusion and belonging.

Suggested discussion questions:

• The story mentions things that friends do for one another, like lift each other over cracks and brave scary things. What are some of the things that you do to support your friends?
• How does the boy help the elephant? How does the elephant help the boy?
• Why were the boy and his elephant left out of the Pet Club?
• When the boy and his elephant were rejected from the Pet Club, how did they feel?
• What action does the boy take after he meets a girl and her pet skunk who were also rejected by the Pet Club?
• When the boy and his new friends start their own Pet Club, how is it different from the first club? How do they make sure to include everyone?
• The new pet club has a sign that says, "All Are Welcome." How do you think that makes kids and their pets feel?
• Do you think it is important to accept and include others who are different from you?
• What can you do to include kids who may be left out at school?

Inclusion Skit

Have students work together to create a skit that demonstrates how to include their peers. Divide students into groups of 3-5 and explain that their task is to create a skit that demonstrates how students can be inclusive of everyone. Print out the skit prompts in the picture below, cut into strips and give each group a prompt. Teachers can also create their own skit prompts to match the individuality and experiences of their students.

Allow students time to practice and prepare, and then bring the class together so that each group can share their skits. Some additional ideas for this activity are:

• Instead of acting out the skit in front of the class, have students make a video to share.
• Have students perform the skits or share the videos at a school assembly or on Canvas.
• During the skit or video, have students stop half way through and ask the audience, "What would you do in this situation?"

Create a List of Ways that Your Class or School Can Be More Inclusive

Have students brainstorm ways that their class or school can be more inclusive of everyone. Create a list of the ideas and post it in the classroom or on a school bulletin board. The inclusion ideas can also be shared during morning announcements or on the school marquee.

Be sure not to single out any one group of students, but focus on ideas like accepting differences, showing empathy and reaching out to anyone who might be left out. Remind students that everyone longs to belong and feel included. Be sure that students with disabilities are given the opportunity to express how they would like to be included.

Create a Schoolwide PSA

Have students create a video of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that is shared with the entire school that focuses on how students can make their school more inclusive of everyone. Use the brainstorming activity above to inspire ideas for the PSA.

Inclusion Art Show

Host an art show at your school that focuses on the theme of inclusion. Encourage all students to submit a piece of art to the show that connects to the theme of inclusion and the ideas of acceptance and friendship. Then, host an art show event at your school for families and community members.

Inclusive Lunchtime Activities

Partner with the Conejo Recreation & Park District (CRPD) Therapeutic Recreation Department to provide inclusive lunchtime activities for all students.

Many schools already work with CRPD to host lunchtime programs. To add inclusive activities to your existing program or to start a new program, contact Devon Herbert, Supervisor of Therapeutic Recreation/Inclusion for CRPD. Call 805-381-2739 to find out more.

The goal for Day Five for middle and high school students is exactly the same as the goal for elementary students: to be inspired to take action to make their own schools more inclusive. Students should be encouraged to consider what they have learned all week about disability, inclusion, accepting differences, fostering friendships and expanding empathy. Help them be creative, and make sure everyone has a voice.

Evan & Jay

Watch the video below about Evan & Jay, two brothers who love and support one another. Both are involved in Unified Sports, and Evan is a leader for inclusion at his school.

Use this video as a discussion or writing prompt. Remind students that not everyone has a sibling like Evan at school to smooth their path to inclusion. Ask: What can you do to include students who are often left out? How can you take action for inclusion at our school?

The focus for Day Five is to inspire students to take action for inclusion. Below are several ideas to jumpstart change and lead the way for inclusion.

Hold an Inclusion Open House for Clubs that Focus on Disability Inclusion

Recruit new members for clubs like Unified Sports, Sparkles Cheer, Peer Mentors and ASL Club by hosting a lunchtime Open House in the gym or on the quad. Have clubs share what they do, and plan some fun, inclusive activities as part of the event that are accessible for everyone.

Start a Connection Club

Connection Clubs are a great way for students with and without disabilities to hang out, eat together, participate in inclusive activities and form true connections. A Connection Club also provides a safe space for students who may have trouble making friends to overcome social barriers and connect with friendly, empathetic peers.

Plan an Accessible Event for All

Take an already scheduled event at your school, like a football game or a dance, and make the theme for the event or game accessibility. Make sure that all aspects of the event are considered and redesign anything that needs to be modified to make it accessible for all.

Hold an Inclusive Reading Challenge

Have a reading challenge where all students read books featuring characters with disabilities. Coordinate with the school librarian to set up an inclusive book display in the library.

Inclusive Art Show, Creative Writing Contest, Poetry Slam or Short Film Festival

Engage student creativity and storytelling around the theme of inclusion by hosting an art show, creative writing contest, poetry slam or short film festival. Or have a combination event!

Challenge students to celebrate what your school already does to promote inclusion and also highlight ways to expand inclusion and belonging for all.

Social Media Inclusion Pledge

Cyberbullying, slurs and other disrespectful language about disability are far too common on social media. There have even been TikTok challenges openly mocking the disabled.

If we want to create a world that is truly inclusive for everyone, then the inclusive principles we practice in our everyday lives must extend to social media, as well.

Have student leaders create a Social Media Inclusion Pledge and host as assembly to present and have students take the pledge. Below are some potential ideas for the pledge.

• I will use social media platforms to spread kindness, not hate.
• I will not bully, harass or make fun of other members of my community on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Yik Yak or TikTok.
• I will stand up for my peers rather than put them down.
• I will use social media to lift others up.
• I will not use technology to hurt others. I will not share harmful messages, images or language that is hurtful.
• I will use technology responsibly and agree to think before I post.
• I will be kind to my fellow students and try to be kind to those who are often left out.
• I will not participate in online challenges that make fun of my peers. Instead, I will speak out against cyberbullying and slurs.
• I agree to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
• I pledge to be accepting and understanding of others.
• I pledge to use respectful and inclusive words.
• I pledge to create a safe space, where diversity is celebrated and everyone is accepted.
• I pledge to spread inclusion to promote the acceptance of all individuals!

Write Legislators

Use your voice to write to state and federal legislators and ask them to support expanding inclusion for students with disabilities. With a little research, you can find out if there are pending bills at the state or federal level that support inclusion. If there are bills pending, consider writing a letter of support.

Give What You Can, Take What You Need

Give What You Can: Designate a wall in a central location on campus as a message wall. Students and staff can add Post-Its with positive and uplifting messages to the wall.

Take What You Need: Students are encouraged to take a note whenever they are feeling sad or lonely. Students who take a note are invited to add their own words of encouragement for someone else having a bad day.

Spirit Activity: Challenge each student to take action by doing Intentional Acts of Inclusion! Examples of Intentional Acts of Inclusion that students can do today are:

• Say "hello" and start a conversation with someone new.
• Notice who is left out and invite them to join your friend group for lunch or an activity during or after school.
• Invite someone to play with you on the playground. If someone asks if they can play with your or your friends, say "YES"!
• Partner with someone different for a class assignment or project.
• Practice empathy when others are sharing how they are feeling.
• Reconnect with your Mix It Up Lunch partner from the previous day. Make a point to get to know that person better.
• If you are part of a student group organizing a school activity or event, plan to make your event accessible for everyone.
• Find out how you can be part of the inclusive clubs at your school.
• Be an ally for students with disabilities. If you hear someone say something hurtful or disrespectful, speak up!

Students can share their Intentional Acts of Inclusion through classroom discussion, or they can add their Intentional Acts of Inclusion to a school bulletin board throughout the day.

Another idea would be for the school to place an Intentional Acts of Inclusion Jar near the main exit, and students can write their Intentional Acts of Inclusion anonymously on slips of paper to add to the jar. The inclusion acts can be shared in a school newsletter or during morning announcements the following week.

Exit Ticket Questions: How could our school be more inclusive for everyone? What can I do to be more inclusive of the students with disabilities on our campus?

Schools may hold a one-day Disability Awareness Event rather than a Disability Awareness Week. The resources in this toolkit for a weeklong event can be used or modified to create a one-day event with learning stations for the various lessons and activities.

Here is a sample structure for a one-day event for elementary students:

• Kick off the event with an assembly featuring a speaker with a disability.
• During the assembly, show the read aloud video for the book "Just Ask," shown below. "Just Ask" uses the metaphor of a garden where many different flowers can bloom to explore disabilities and differences.
• After the assembly, students can participate in learning stations. They can be rotated through the stations in order by grade level groups, or the stations can be set up during lunchtime for voluntary participation.

Station One — Belonging: Every Child is a Flower Art Project

In support of the garden theme of "Just Ask," students are given a paper flower to color or decorate to contribute to a schoolwide mural of a garden. Use a variety of flower templates to support the idea that differences are beautiful. Students can also create their own flowers to express their uniqueness.

Parent volunteers or teachers can help create the mural backdrop, paint stems and leaves for the flowers and hang the mural when complete. If stations are set up for voluntary lunchtime participation, students can also complete their flowers in the classroom with their teacher to make sure that every student is able to contribute to the mural.

The message for this station is that everyone is unique and that disability is one way that humans can be different from each other. Yet everyone is welcome and belongs at school.

Mural Caption: Every Child is a Different Kind of Flower and

All Together Make this World a Beautiful Garden

Station Two — Appreciating Differences: Design Your Seed Packet

Have students design their own seed packet that describes what makes them unique and what they need to learn and grow. Children can draw their own portrait for the cover of the seed packet and list their favorite things, what they like to do, what makes them different from their classmates and what helps them learn.

You can use the Seed Packet Template shown below for this activity or students can create their seed packets from scratch. The seed packets can be a take-home craft, or they can be displayed in classrooms.

Once students have drawn their portrait and listed what makes them unique and what they need to learn and grow, have them cut out the packets and glue them together to form an envelope. The seed packets can also be pre-cut and pre-glued. Have different craft supplies available so that students can choose or make the seeds that go inside (confetti, craft balls, paper clips, etc.)

The message for this station is that seed packets list exactly what plants and flowers need. All plants and flowers need sunlight, water and food, but they sometimes need different growing conditions or supports. There is no judgement from gardeners or from other plants about what each plant needs to thrive. All kids learn the same core subjects at school, but some kids, like students with disabilities, may need different supports for their learning and growth.

Station Three — Friendship: Create Kindness Rules

Have students create rules for kindness. Start off by asking students, "How should we treat our friends?" Remind students that differences are what make the world interesting, and it's never okay to make fun of someone. Allow students a few moments to think and answer, guiding them toward the idea that we should treat our friends and classmates with kindness and concern for their feelings.

Then, each student will create one or two rules for how to treat others kindly. Each rule should be just a single sentence and be ones that they believe are the most important to think about when it comes to treating friends with kindness.

Give students time to brainstorm and then write down their rules on a piece of paper. You can also use the Kindness Rule template below. Students can also draw illustrations of their rules. When they are finished, have students explain why they chose their rule(s).

Students can then add their rules to a schoolwide banner display or to a poster. Once a poster is full of kindness rules, volunteers can rotate in a blank poster. The banner can be hung in a prominent place, or the Kindness Rules poster series can be displayed around the school.

The message for this station is that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and consideration for how they might be feeling, and that includes students who may seem different because of a disability.

Station Four — Empathy: Stepping Into Someone Else's Shoes

Have students step into someone else's shoes, an activity that teaches about other people's perspectives and how they might be feeling in a variety of scenarios. First, explain to students that empathy helps us connect with another person by understanding how they are feeling.

This activity focuses on perspective taking, which is a key foundation for empathy. The lesson guide linked above contains printable photos of different shoes with printable scenarios for each pair. A fun alternative might be to use actual shoes rather than (or along with) the photos.

Students can choose two or three pairs of shoes and then read through the accompanying scenarios. To help them practice empathy, students can share or write down how the people in the different scenarios might be feeling.

An additional takeaway activity for this station would be to have students (or volunteers) draw an outline of their shoes on a piece of paper. Students can draw or write inside the shoe outlines how they will practice empathy by thinking about how others feel. Remind them to consider how it feels to step into someone else's shoes and think about their point of view.

The message for this station is that it is important to have empathy for others by thinking about how they are feeling. Everyone wants to feel like they belong, and that includes students with disabilities. Empathy helps us move past barriers and connect with each other.

Station Five — Taking Action for Inclusion: Strictly No Elephants

Have a volunteer read the book "Strictly No Elephants" in a story time setting, or have students watch the read aloud video below on a screen. The volunteer can read the book or show the video as often as needed. This story is about a boy and his pet elephant who are rejected at the local Pet Club. When the boy meets another child and pet who have also been left out, he decides to start a new club where everyone is included.

This story and activity focus on how students can take action to be inclusive of everyone. Ask students to think about how the boy and his pet elephant felt when they were left out. Discuss how the boy decided to take action and create a place where everyone was welcome.

Talk about the idea that school is a big club where everyone should feel welcome and that they belong. Yet we know that sometimes, not everyone feels included, particularly students who are seen as different, like students with disabilities.

Have paper and art supplies available for students to design or write about their school as one big "inclusive club." Have them show or describe how they will take action to make sure that everyone feels included at school: in class, at recess, at lunch and during fun activities.

Some examples include:

• Say "hello" and start a conversation with someone new.
• Notice who is left out and invite them to join your friends for lunch or an activity during or after school.
• Invite someone to play with you on the playground. If someone asks if they can play with your or your friends, say "YES"!
• Partner with someone different for a class assignment or project.
• Practice empathy when others are sharing how they are feeling.
• Start an inclusive Connection Club at your school.
• Be an ally for students with disabilities. If you hear someone say something hurtful or mean about someone with a disability, speak up!
• Be a friend to students with disabilities. Everyone wants to have friends and to feel like they belong.

The message for this station is that it is important to be inclusive of everyone, and that students can take action to make their school more inclusive. Students with disabilities want to have friends and belong, just like everyone else.

• Erin Bell, SEDAC Chair
  
• Jenny Crosby, Committee Chair, Newbury Park High School SEDAC Representative

• Lee Ann Holland, Committee Chair, SEDAC Member At Large, Colina Middle School SEDAC Representative
• Carole Shelton, SEDAC Member At Large

• Erin Bell, SEDAC Chair
  
• Jenny Crosby, Committee Chair, SEDAC Member At Large, Newbury Park High School SEDAC Representative

• Lee Ann Holland, Colina Middle School SEDAC Representative
• Nicole Johnson, Westlake Hills Elementary SEDAC Representative
• Shadi Khodavandloo, Newbury Park High School SEDAC Representative
• Trina Rodriguez, SEDAC Member At Large, Colina Middle School SEDAC Representative
• Carole Shelton, Rainbow Connection FEC & FRC