International Day of Persons with Disabilities helps promote understanding
Colin Reid, District Principal with Student Support, says gaining an understanding of the lived experiences of persons with disabilities is the best thing students and staff can do to raise awareness for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. (Photo by Jacob Zinn)
This Sunday (December 3rd) is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and in recognition, Surrey Schools is encouraging students, staff and the community to continue to develop a stronger understanding of the lived experiences and amazing contributions of those with disabilities.
Established by the United Nations in 1992, the day serves to promote awareness for persons with disabilities, both visible and invisible. The day also follows last year’s introduction of the Accessible British Columbia Act to school districts, a provincial effort to support and further raise awareness for persons with disabilities to meaningfully participate in their communities. The act requires more than 750 public sector organizations to create accessibility plans and committees, with at least half their members being persons with disabilities or people who are a part of disability-supporting organizations.
“It’s all about making the province a more accessible place,” said Colin Reid, District Principal with Student Support. “The key is doing this work with persons with disabilities and not for persons with disabilities without their input.
“We often hear the sentiment, ‘nothing about us without us.’ It’s meaningful to this work because this is really a path forward, requiring us to listen and hear the lived experience of persons with disabilities, to understand what barriers and accessibility mean to them, and then to work with that knowledge to make things better.”
While some disabilities such as physical or mobility disabilities are visible, other disabilities are less visible or more difficult to notice, such as anxiety, learning disabilities or seizures. Reid said the word “disability” carries a broad definition that affects a larger group than most people might think.
According to the 2017 census, 22% of Canadians 15 and up have a disability, and for Reid, including those voices in choices about accessibility is something personal.
“I’m an adult with ADHD and I try to introduce myself in that way as much as possible – it’s important on a daily basis to raise awareness, not only because it helps people understand me, but because it’s important for students, staff and families to see other people with disabilities in the school district,” he said.
“For a lot of our students, I think it’s really important to model that persons with disabilities make valuable contributions to so many organizations. I am in a leadership role in the biggest school district in the province and I have ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder. I can talk about the challenges and barriers I have experienced, but I can also explain how my unique mind enables me to do things that really contribute to our district – things that might not be possible if I didn’t have ADHD.”
All persons with disabilities are capable of doing a lot of great things, and Reid said learning about different disabilities can improve school culture, peer connections and inclusivity for students and staff. He said December 3rd is an important opportunity for everyone to gain further understanding of the lived experiences of persons with disabilities.
“If there’s a student or staff member in the school who’s comfortable talking about a disability, ask questions and seek to better understand what life is like for somebody with a disability,” said Reid. “Try to gain an understanding for their experiences, both in the barriers they may face and the amazing things that they bring to our schools, our classrooms and our community.
“We have a lot of students, staff members and family members with disabilities, and they’re all adding something that makes us great. Gaining an understanding of their experiences and perspective is the best thing we can all do.”
