Ability Awareness Workshop

This workshop is designed to increase awareness of everyday differences between all people and to increase sensitivity to the challenges of people with disabilities. Through interactions with hands-on activities, participants will learn to focus on people's abilities, not limitations.

Participants will learn to see the person instead of the disability. The workshop introduces various pieces of adaptive equipment, such as wheelchairs, communication devices, switches for access, and environmental controls that persons with disabilities use to help them function in everyday activities. Workshop activities are applicable to various age groups.

Who will benefit?
Persons interested in raising his/her awareness of disability issues
Professionals that work with persons with disabilities

How do I host a workshop?
Workshop materials will be loaned to individuals or groups so that a workshop can be presented at a time most convenient for your group.

What activities are included?
Five activities are included, and a brief description follows below:

• Vision Activities: Participants will experience having a vision disability by using glasses that limit vision to complete a worksheet featuring scrambled letters. Participants will also throw and receive a ball while wearing the glasses. 
  
• Cognitive Activities: Participants will experience what it means to have a learning disability. Tasks that may be "easy" for some may be difficult for other participants. Participants will be able to state how they feel after experiencing a failure to meet cultural "norms" for aptitude and speed. 
  
• Mobility Activities: Participants will use a wheelchair to move through a series of tasks designed to raise awareness of problems encountered by persons using adaptive equipment for mobility. 
  
• Communication Activities: Participants will gain an understanding of communication processes by using alternative and augmentative communication devices. A demonstration by speech pathologists will raise awareness of communication difficulties experienced by children and adults with communication related disabilities. 
  
• Adaptation Activities: Participants will experience the issues people with disabilities face while completing daily activities, including switching on lights and the tv, eating, and dressing. Participants will learn about environmental controls, switches and aids that are used to assist within the home and work environments.
  

For further information about Ability Awareness Workshops, Please Contact Us!