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The Issue for Disability Awareness |
National Disability
Awareness Month
Since the founding of the company in 1977, The Kids on the Block, Inc. has worked to address the questions, misconceptions, and prejudices with which our children are faced. As a result, 23 programs focusing on disability and inclusion issues have been thoroughly researched and developed to help communities bring some very important messages to children worldwide. To commemorate National Disability Awareness Month, we chose to focus on how this grouping of programs can educate youth about various disabilities while emphasizing the importance of acceptance and understanding of all people and celebrating the differences that are present in all of us.
| According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, about 53 million Americans have a disability including
people of all ages. Two thirds of these individuals have severe
disabilities. All too often, children with disabilities, which can be visible or non-visible, have difficulty socially connecting with their peers. Kids on the Block performances highlighting Disability Awareness help to breakdown peers' sense of confusion, misunderstanding and stereotypes that may place a barrier between social acceptance and friendship. Our 'Kids' explain to children that everyone has differences, but those differences make us each unique. In the program on Brain Injury, Justin Campbell explains, "Having a brain injury means I may need to adapt some things to meet my needs, but it isn't all of me. I still like to do LOTS of stuff, especially art." |
| While there are a
number of ways a local troupe may individualize a "Meet the Kids"
program, here are some suggestions: “Secret Code” from the curriculum on Visual Impairment Brenda meets Renaldo while enlisting his help to find out the time and some information from school. Renaldo explains, "I can't see, so I have a special braille watch. They make braille watches for kids who are blind, like me." Renaldo educates Brenda on how he can do lots of things but just in a different way. He plays baseball and soccer with a beeper deep down inside the ball, that he can hear. "For me, being blind is just one part of who I am, it's not all of me." “Shhhh!!!” from the curriculum on
Children's Mental Health/ADHD “New Cheers” from the curriculum on
Spina Bifida Performers can end their "Meet the Kids" performance with a catchy song, "Kids are Different". The audience will be clapping and singing along!
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| Thousands of Kids on
the
Block troupes
located worldwide have been successfully performing KOTB disability
awareness programs since it began. One such program, South Central Kentucky KOB in Bowling Green has a passionate story to share (from the desk of Alice Kummer - excerpts taken from Keeping Up With the Kids Newsletter 1999): A long time ago... at least it seems a long time ago... a friend of mine, a young mother of three girls, Jamie Gaddie Higgins approached me excitedly. "Alice, sit down," she said. "I've got to tell you about what I've just seen. It's the most wonderful thing!" Jamie's eyes danced as she... explained, "[My daughter] Heather and I just got back from this Christmas party in Nashville. We went down to the Spina Bifida Association's meeting. It was so much fun! There was a puppet show, with these large, incredible puppets called Kids on the Block. They were so cute... and funny. Heather and I laughed and laughed. And you know what? They were just like real children. Some even had disabilities like cerebral palsy and spina bifida. The kids got to ask the puppets questions. It was so easy to learn about these conditions. Everyone was so relaxed and...it was such great fun!" "Sounds neat," I said. "I'm glad you and Heather had such a good time." There was a moment of silence as Jamie gazed at me. "Alice, wouldn't it be great if Bowling Green could have a troupe of these puppets?" "Sure," I agreed rather flatly. It was amazing to me how my friend could always be so excited about everything. Because we had children the same age and lived near each other, Jamie and I would see one another practically every day. Each time she would say, "Alice, have you thought any more about those puppets? Oh, I wish you could see them! They were incredible. You've just got to see them soon!" At the time, I was president of a parent support group for parents of children with learning disabilities. I kept thinking about Jamie's excitement over the puppets. The next time I saw Jamie, I asked, "Do you think it would be a good project for my support group to bring to Nashville Kids on the Block up here for several days of school performances?" Her response surprised me, but her smile didn't, "Alice, I've been waiting for you to think of that." Jamie provided me with the name and phone number of puppeteers and I arranged to bring them to Bowling Green for three days of school performances and an evening community performance for invited business leaders, community service organizations and pediatricians. Jamie attended several of the performances with me. "See?" she said with her usual excitement. "Wasn't I right? Aren't they so clever?" This time I had to agree. The children in the schools had loved the performances and the puppets made honest communication happen so easily. A short while later I sent a letter to Bowling Green Women's Club requesting a small donation for the parent support group. The members of the club were not anxious to give money for copying and postage costs as I had requested, but they would be happy to commit to several years' fund raising to start a local Kids on the Block troupe -- if I would be interested in organizing it. Quickly, I told Jamie about the Women's Club offer. "Go for it, Alice," she exclaimed. "You've got to say 'yes'!" "I don't know," I hesitated, "I don't know how to begin." "Don't worry," my friend reassured. "You tell the Women's Club 'yes' and I will be your first puppeteer!" So Bowling Green Kids on the Block was born. The Women's Club provided funding for a core group of puppets. Other organizations quickly joined in, helping us purchase more. Jamie saw to it that the character with spina bifida was added through a donation from her husbands' business, Minit Mart Foods. The very first performance took place in January, 1986 with Jamie performing in the program on childhood cancer. Over the years, Jamie would occasionally take a leave of absence to fight her own battle with cancer. Although the other puppeteers and I would be very concerned during her treatments, Jamie soon would be back doing what she loved, teaching sensitivity and values through puppetry. Jamie's last performance was in February, 1997. The Kids on the Block and I lost our dear friend in December, 1998, but Jamie continues to support and work for the program through her boundless energy and vision brought to Bowling Green. |
