December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a day to promote the rights and well-being of individuals living with a disability. Here are ways your chapter can incorporate disability awareness programming into curriculum and chapter activities all year.
1. Consider your resources.
People face a wide range of disabilities, and for most, there’s more than meets the eye. Are you playing videos with closed captioning to ensure people with hearing impairments can fully engage in the program? Does your agricultural mechanics lab have adjustable tables to ensure wheelchair access? Can you offer alternatives to presenting the Creed for classmates with language disorders? Think about what resource gaps your chapter might have and work to fill those needs.
2. Model appropriate behavior.
There is a place for everyone in FFA. Open your eyes to potential social exclusion in your school and ensure all are invited to FFA events and activities. Make certain to post your chapter flyers and announcements in special education classrooms. Hold your classmates to a higher standard when you observe bullying or name-calling. Use the leadership skills you are developing in FFA to make your school and chapter a more inclusive community.
3. Identify heroes in your community.
Look for examples of how disability awareness comes to life outside your school. Consider partnering with other organizations that have the same goal. Maybe your next field trip can be to a location that showcases the various tools, machinery and other devices that aid with work and mobility on the farm. Making even a small effort can pave the way to greater awareness.
4. Move beyond awareness.
Don’t stop at just being aware: Work to become accepting and inclusive. Find ways to contribute and actively participate in making space for disabled individuals. Browse the resources at AgrAbility and discover more ways you can promote success for people with disabilities.
5. Turn ideas into action.
Are you the next greatest engineer who can develop a shovel or fence-post digger that can be used with only one hand? Are you a graphic designer who noticed all the signs in your classroom are missing braille labels? Are you an avid hunter who can build a deer stand for people who cannot climb well? There are millions of ideas on how to take action. For inspiration, check out these 50 project ideas from FFA chapters in Indiana.
