The Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living provides workshops in schools for grades at the lower and upper levels. The workshops show students through direct, hands-on experiences what it feels like to experience various disabilities.
Societal perceptions and understanding of disability experiences start at a very young age, and these workshops directly combat the formation of early stereotypes, creating young individuals with positive, open-minded, and empathetic views about disability. Disabilities featured range from mobility impairments to cognitive, mental health, and medical condition disabilities.
Workshops feature:
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- In-depth opportunities to experience disability personally
- Exercises in empathy and understanding
- Exposure to tools, equipment, adaptions, and accommodations to accomplish a task
- Personal success stories of living with a disability
- Mini projects to gain critical thinking skills about disability
- Engagement of teachers, parent groups, and volunteers to unite the community in learning about disability!
During the 2018-19 school year, we worked with 1745 students and 280 parent volunteers in 25 schools. Since 2005, we have worked with 20,640 students and 5,098 parent volunteers.
For more information, contact:
Karen Meints, RNMH, BSC (HONS), OT
Disability Awareness Workshops Coordinator
(734) 971 0277 x 43