Library Program - International Day of People With a Disability
The International Day of People with Disability is held each year on 3 December. It is a United Nations observed day aimed at increasing public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability. It is also a day where we celebrate the contributions and achievements of people with disability and promote inclusion.
In the Library, students read several fabulous books in the lead up to celebrate this day. Students read 'Not So Different' by Shane Burcaw. Shane Burcaw was born with a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which hinders his muscles' growth. In the book Shane tackles many of the mundane and quirky questions that he is often asked about living with a disability, and shows readers that he is just as approachable, friendly, and funny as anyone else.
Students read 'Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille'. Louis Braille, born in 1809, became blind as a young boy after an accident in his father’s workshop. He was so determined to read that he invented his own alphabet – a whole new system for writing that could be read by touch. This is a system so ingenious that it is still used by the blind community today. Students learned the braille alphabet and wrote messages to each other.
We also read multi-award winning book, 'The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin'. When Temple was young, she was non-verbal when diagnosed with autism. No one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Yet, the determined visual thinker did just that. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent ground-breaking improvements for farms around the globe. After reading the book and becoming inspired by Temple’s innovations, students came up with their own idea for inventions that could change the world.
Older students read 'I Am Not a Label', a stylishly illustrated biography anthology that brings together 34 artists, thinkers, athletes and activists from past and present. The short biographies tell the stories of people who have faced unique challenges which have not stopped them from becoming trailblazers, innovators, advocates and makers. We read a biography about Stella Young, a writer, comedian and fierce disability activist who encouraged her audiences to reconsider how we think about disability. Students then used the Harvard Graduate School of Education Thinking Routine: I used to think, now I think … to reflect on how their thinking about disability had broadened by reading these biographies.
Through reading these terrific books, we investigated and explored the theme of this year’s International Day of People with Disability: Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID world.