NWSRA Ability Awareness Events Promote Empathy

Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA) has developed a series of Ability Awareness events throughout the northwest suburbs to promote an environment of empathy and understanding for school age children. NWSRA Ability Awareness events provide a framework for changing perceptions by providing education and a first-hand look at what it is like to have different types of disabilities. Activities within the Ability Awareness program challenge participants to overcome the same obstacles that individuals with disabilities may encounter when attempting to complete everyday tasks.

For example, crossing the street, entering and exiting buildings, navigating through classrooms and other activities that may be taken for granted sometimes present challenges for individuals with physical disabilities. What may seem as an easy every day task for individuals without disabilities may become a tedious task for individuals with a lack of mobility. Participants have the opportunity to utilize a wheelchair providing a greater understanding and empathy of the associated challenges of having a physical disability.

When asked about her experience at an Ability Awareness event held earlier in the year, Hoffman Estates Park District staff member Alisa Kapusinski stated “Thank you to the NWSRA team for organizing such a wonderful event for the Willow & Triphahn center preschools. The experiences that you provided the children were age-appropriate and perfect for little learners! I heard many of them talking about the activities today afterwards!”

Through a variety of activities, participants learn about the many obstacles that individuals with disabilities face. The goals of the Ability Awareness program include:

1. Creating empathy and understanding of the challenges associated with having a disability
2. Providing an environment for learning and social development
3. Encouraging inclusion of individuals with disabilities into future activities

To access more information about NWSRA, please visit www.nwsra.org. For more information about the NWSRA Ability Awareness program, please contact Andrea Griffin at 847-392-2848, ext. 235 or e-mail andreag@nwsra.org.