Disability Heritage Project

Bringing disability history and pride into the schools...

"Before the presentation, my students often hung their heads when talking about their disabilities. Today, after you left, my students were willingly talking about their disabilities. Thank you for empowering my students." - Elementary Teacher in Salina

	DHP Counter! updated 12-9-08 The Heritage Project has taken Kansas by storm... See our latest numbers below: 27 different schools 49 presentations approximately 2041 students and adults taught about disability heritage!
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Background and Funding / Overview / The Curriculum / Our Audiences
Cost / Praise for DHP / Schedule a Presentation

Background and Funding

The Disability Heritage Project began as a grant from the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK). It is now sustained through a fee that is charged for each presentation (see Cost section below). In October of 2005, when KYEA opened, it was evident that there was a need for disability history and culture to be taught in school classrooms. This idea formed into a grant proposal that was based on the some clear facts. The following facts were the premise for the creation of the Disability Heritage Project:

• Most youth with disabilities do not have the transfer of disability history, culture, and pride through their family systems. Disability is generally not inherited and most young people with disabilities are the only members of their family with a disability.

• The youth are not frequently taught of the struggle that brought about access to public transportation and the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They usually do not know what it means to have a sense of pride in being part of an accomplished community.

• Young people with disabilities are not learning about their history in school. The disability rights movement is rarely mentioned in the history books, even though it is an important part of the civil rights movement.

Because of these conclusions, KYEA felt that the Heritage Project was a much needed program that was essential for the development of youth with disabilities. Therefore, the following goal was named as the foundation of the Disability Heritage Project:

What is the Disability Heritage Project?

The project brings disability history and pride into the schools! Leaders in our young adult community present to their peers on various topics surrounding disability heritage, culture, and the struggles and triumphs that mark our history. Students learn what leaders, laws, and movements paved the road to the freedom of our future. They also learn what it means to be proud of one's disability and the disability community. Through these presentations, students will gain a deeper understanding of disability as a culture, which will ultimately lead to a more unified community.

The Disability Heritage workshops usually last for about an hour. They can be varied according to individual requests from different groups. Each presentation is adapted to the individual audience as our trainers speak to all groups of people (see Our Audiences below). No matter who the audience is, they are sure to enjoy a full hour of disability history coming alive through games, discussion, sharing of basic knowledge, and other types of interactive learning.

The Curriculum

Each curriculum is adjusted to fit the specific audience. The majority of our presentations are based on interactive learning. All workshops focus on the history of the disability rights movement and include such topics as important leaders in our past, laws that have paved the way for people with disabilities, a general introduction to perceptions throughout history, awareness of daily living with a disability, and much more. Below is a list of possible topics that may be covered during a workshop. Any number of these topics may be covered depending upon the individual audience:

• Important leaders in the disability movement of today and yesterday
• Famous people in our society who have disabilities
• Treatment of those with disabilities over time
• Terminology and it's progression throughout the years
• Important dates or laws that have made an impact on our community
• Perceptions of people with disabilities and their ABILITIES
• Summary of the various disabilities that a person may have
• Personal stories of living with a disability
• Discussion of disability as a culture and a community
• Encouragment of individual differences amongst all people

Our Audiences

The DHP is available for a variety of age groups, and our trainers have experience with each of these groups. Our presentations can be adapted for the following audiences:

• Elementary Schools
• Middle Schools
• High Schools
• Colleges
• Teachers and Faculty
• General Community Groups

Presentations are also adapted for groups of students WITH and WITHOUT disabilities!

Cost

The cost of each Disability Heritage Project presentation is $250 for a half day and $500 for a full day. The length of day includes the time it takes to travel to and from the presentation. In addition to this overall fee, we also charge for mileage expenses. These costs help us to continue this program and travel throughout the state providing the DHP to a variety of groups.

Praise for the Disability Heritage Project!

"Thank you for telling my sociology class about the diability history, the disability movement, and the people who have disabilities. I have learned things about disabilities that I did not know like most of our Presidents had disabilities and a lot of famous people have disabilities."
- Elizabeth, Student in Topeka

"The presentation ran smoothly and we learned a lot. The terminology and history are going to be very useful for the students when encountering a person with a disability. It was also of great interest the legislation and legal challenges that still face people with disabilities. I think bringing that to these kids' attention was also very important. I will absolutely recommend the presentation to others here at SHHS and elsewhere. Thank you so much for coming. The kids really enjoyed it."
- Crystal Walker, High School Sociology teacher in Topeka

Bring the Disability Heritage Project to your group today!