► 2: Challenging Barriers: A Unit in Developing an Awareness and Appreciation for Differences in Individuals with Physical and Mental Challenges

What inspired me to think that we should do a unit with the middle schoolers on attitudes toward disabilities? Perhaps inspiration came from being named after my great aunt who was a paraplegic. Or perhaps I became aware of the need for an increased understanding toward disabilities when both my mother and cousin had to adapt their lives to physical impairments. In assisting and accompanying these family members, I have dealt with the stares, the condescending offers of help, and the unrealistic, uninformed expectations. For example, my cousin, who is a quadriplegic, has been asked to stand up out of her wheelchair and move over. I have also listened to people make comments, behind my back, that my mother must be drunk because of the way she is walking. Although I am sure these types of experiences shaped my desire to write a curriculum on attitudes toward individuals with disabilities, there was a higher call, and that was helping my students to recognize, accept, and celebrate differences in all individuals.