Inclusion Year-Round

Welcome Page

Section One: Reframing the Narrative

Section Two: Inclusion Year-Round

Section Three: Ideas for Any Disability Event

Section Four: Four District-Recognized Disability/Inclusion Events and Ways to Celebrate

• Disability Awareness (Any Time)
• National Bullying Prevention Month and Unity Day (October)
• Inclusive Schools Week (First Week of December)
• Disability History Month (March)

While it is important to recognize National Bullying Prevention Month, Unity Day, Inclusive School Week and Disability History Month, the goal of all of these events is authentic inclusion and friendships for students with disabilities. The work to reach that goal cannot be limited to a few days out of the year if we hope to achieve true inclusion.

Here is how you can include students with disabilities year round:

• Center the voices and perspectives of people with disabilities in disability awareness events and activities
• Use current respectful language about disability
• Create inclusion goals for campuses and clubs
• Plan school activities and events with inclusion in mind
• Have inclusive elementary plays and performances
• Include disabled heroes, icons and trailblazers in other awareness months, such as Black History Month and Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month
• Promote opportunities for authentic connection and friendships

Learn more about each topic in the sections below.

When it's time to teach or talk about disability, it's important to listen to disabled perspectives and stories. The authentic voices of people with disabilities are the best teachers when it comes to understanding disability and how a lack of understanding, accommodations and inclusion impacts their lives. As the disability community often says, #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs.

To promote disability awareness:

• Invite speakers with disabilities from your local community to give presentations in classes or school assemblies. If you don't know where to start, reach out to your SEDAC representative.
  
• Seek out resources (books, videos and other materials) that teach about disability from a disabled person's perspective.
• Whenever possible, consult with students with disabilities when planning events and activities that celebrate or include them.

Language evolves over time, so it is important to stay up-to-date on what is the most respectful and empowering way to talk about people with disabilities. Try to take cues from the individuals or groups being discussed and avoid ableist terms or phrases.

Purposefully and regularly modeling respectful language about disability is one of the most powerful ways to teach students about inclusivity and showing respect to everyone. It also helps people overcome the fear of saying the wrong thing.

• Currently, person-first language is the default for most disabilities (person with Down syndrome, student with ADHD.)
• However, some groups like the autistic, blind and Deaf communities prefer identity-first language (autistic rather than person with autism, blind person rather than person with blindness, Deaf person rather than person with hearing impairment.)
• Some words have been replaced, because they have negative connotations. For example, use Accessible Parking rather than Handicapped Parking.
• Some words have become slurs and should be eliminated from use, such as the R-word. Learn more about the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign.
• Another word that is sometimes used as a slur is Autistic. Students may insult or tease a friend by saying "Your'e so autistic!" or "That's so autistic." They may also explain their own mistakes by saying, "I'm so autistic." Using the positive identity of autistic as a slur or insult is incredibly harmful to the autistic community, as it perpetuates a stereotype of autism as a negative rather than a different way of thinking and experiencing the world.
• Some words have seeped into our vocabulary in such a way that we are not aware they are ableist. Learn more about Ableist Language and Phrases You May Unknowingly Use.
• Euphemisms like "special needs" or "special abilities" are not the preferred language of people with disabilities. Why "special needs" is not helpful.
• In fact, such euphemisms can be hurtful to disabled people. "Special needs" has become a euphemism more harmful than the word it replaces.

In the disability community, the current preferred language is either people with disabilities or disabled people. This toolkit attempts to use both equally to demonstrate respectful language.

Read this article to learn more about Types of Ableist Language and What to Say Instead.

One additional issue of note is that many autistic adults and allies are not fans of Autism Speaks, the Light It Up Blue campaign or using a Puzzle Piece as the symbol for autism or Autism Acceptance Month. The cartoon below explains some of the reasons why the puzzle piece should be retired from use as a representation of autism.

Many autistics prefer using a gold or rainbow infinity symbol to represent neurodiversity. Why gold? Well, Au is the symbol for gold on the periodic table. Why a rainbow? It's an inclusive symbol that represents a range of possibilities.

• Check out your school's School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) to learn about goals for including and supporting students with disabilities on campus.
  
• Engage with Parent Support Organizations to ensure that campus events and activities are accessible and inclusive.
• Make sure that your yearbooks, year-end recognitions and senior/graduation activities are inclusive of students with disabilities.
• Celebrate all of the district-recognized, disability-related events on your campus: National Bullying Prevention Month, Unity Day, Inclusive Schools Week and Disability History Month.

• Appoint an inclusion officer who is responsible for ensuring your club's commitment to inclusion is upheld every day.

• Adapt and modify the way you do things to ensure the needs of all members are met. This could include your club rules, the environment and the equipment you use.

• Spread the word! Send an email, share on social media or even visit other clubs or classes to encourage participation in your club. Make sure everyone knows they are welcome.

• Listen. Understanding what people want to do helps make inclusion happen. Talk, listen to what they have to say, then take action.

• Avoid defining people by difference alone. This is fundamental to inclusion success. Treat each member as an individual and understand their needs and motivations.

• Focus on ability. Everybody has different experiences, abilities and skills. Find out what people can do and maximize this, while also accommodating their individual needs.

• Make a plan. Get your members together and create an action plan. This ensures your club makes a commitment and sets goals to achieve. Check your progress regularly.

Take sensory needs and physical access

into account while planning school events.

• Lighting and sound levels: Consider how lighting and sound levels might impact students with sensory sensitivities.

• Sensory Break Room: Create a sensory break room with calm, quiet activities, sensory supports and safe spaces for students to use when the main event or activity becomes overwhelming. Make sure that the room is easily accessible and the pathway to the space is clearly marked.

• Early access: Allow students with disabilities early access to events to enable them to acclimate to the environment.

• Dietary restrictions: Be sure to have inclusive options for food and drink for students with dietary restrictions. Even better, plan the menu with common dietary restrictions in mind.

• Fragrance free: Make sure your events are fragrance free for those who have sensitivities. Why is this important? Some individuals have immediate reactions to fragrance due to allergies or sensitivities to fragrance and/or chemicals. Symptoms can greatly impact people’s ability to attend class, work or events, and to participate fully in their communities. Symptoms include:

1. Sinus congestion, sore throat, wheezing, coughing, runny nose and shortness of breath;
2. Headache and dizziness;
3. Anxiety, anger, nausea, fatigue, mental confusion and an inability to concentrate.

If campus spaces like classrooms or special events are not fragrance-free,

it can be difficult, if not impossible, for some people to attend without getting sick.

• Accessible parking: Set aside additional accessible parking spots for large events, so that students and family members with disabilities are able to attend.

• Inclusion kits: Have inclusion kits on hand for field trips and events, with items like headphones, fidgets, squishy toys and weighted blankets for support as needed.

• Silent dance: Host a silent dance with all music played through headphones rather than speakers. Reserve a space at every dance for silent dancing.

Elementary school plays and performances are typically a time of excitement and joy for students, educators and families. But for some students with disabilities and their loved ones, these events can feel very exclusionary and isolating, because of barriers to full and meaningful participation.

Placing students with disabilities at the edge of the stage and hoping that they can last through a performance does not set up anyone for success.

With thoughtful planning and creative thinking to accommodate individual needs, every student can have an opportunity to shine and to feel like they belong in their school community.

• If a student has mobility challenges, and the school stage is not accessible, ask to use the district's portable wheelchair lift. Set it up as far in advance as possible to ensure that the lift is in working order and that several school site staff members know how to operate it.
  

• Students with communication challenges or who are nonspeaking can deliver lines with an AAC device and with the help of a peer to provide cues onstage.

• For students with vision or visual perception challenges, consider using visual cues such as marking steps with colored tape. Tape may also be used to mark the edge of the stage, to mark where a student should stand or for any other directional prompts.

• Students who are blind or visually impaired can learn lines and songs with audio recordings, screen readers or braille. Provide opportunities for students to learn the stage layout and any physical cues at a time that is distraction free. Peers or support staff can also provide support on stage.

• Students who are deaf or hard of hearing can deliver lines with their preferred method of communication: sign language (ASL), AAC or spoken words. Cue cards or an ASL interpreter can provide stage cues, and peers can also provide support. An inclusive idea would be to have ALL the students in the play deliver some lines or sing a song using ASL.

• For students with attention or behavior challenges, consider giving them a small but meaningful part early in the performance so that they can retire gracefully from the stage if necessary or on a planned cue. Peers can help remind these students of cues and can also provide a guiding hand.

• For students with learning challenges, consider sending home an instructional video with music and movement or lines so they can practice at home. It may be hard for these students to learn their parts in a novel and less structured environment like a stage or Multi-Purpose Room, and they may need more opportunities to practice than what is available during the school day. Cue cards can also be used during practice or performances as well as hand signals as reminders.

• Students with sensory issues or anxiety may be too overwhelmed to handle being on stage. An alternative could be to film their lines in advance and project the video recording onscreen during the performance, as in the pictures above. The student can dress in costume, observe from the sidelines and can even take a bow with peers.

These are just a few ideas for accessibility and inclusion that have worked for students in the past. The vision is to provide meaningful and equitable participation for every student rather than requiring equal participation as a measure of success.

Disability intersects with every demographic and is part of every cultural group. So why not include notable people with disabilities in celebrations of every awareness month?

Hispanic Heritage Month: August de los Reyes, Wanda Díaz-Merced, Selena Gomez, Frida Kahlo, Demi Lovato, Diego Peña, Dr. Victor Pineda, Cristina Sanz, Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Spotlight On: Wanda Díaz-Merced

Wanda Díaz-Merced is a blind astronomer who uses sonification (audio/sounds) to study the stars. She travels the world to promote equality of access to astronomy.

Native American Heritage Month: John Clarke, Alaqua Cox, Dekanawida, Cinda Hughes, Wilma Mankiller, Michael Naranjo, Sequoyah

Spotlight On: Alaqua Cox

Alaqua Cox was the first Native American character in the Marvel Comics Universe and the first deaf character with a prosthetic limb. She portrayed a character that depicts deafness in a way not typically shown in mainstream media.

Black History Month: Maya Angelou, Octavia Butler, Haben Girma, Amanda Gorman, LeDerick Horne, Barbara Jordan, Brad Lomax, Harriet Tubman, Stevie Wonder

Spotlight On: Brad Lomax

Brad Lomax is a civil rights leader and disability rights activist with multiple sclerosis who helped lead the historic 504 Sit-In that led to the first civil rights protections for people with disabilities. Lomax was able to reach out to the Black Panther Party, who brought in much needed food and supplies for the protesters, enabling them to hold out for 26 days.

Women's History Month: Maya Angelou, Megan Bomgaars, Rebecca Cokley, Temple Grandin, Judy Heumann, Frida Kahlo, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, Emily Ladau, Greta Thunberg, Alice Wong (plus all of the other women on this list)

Spotlight On: Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg is an environmental activist who challenges world leaders to make changes and address the climate crisis, as well as being an autism activist.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Elena Ashmore, Lydia X. Z. Brown, Ollie Cantos, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Mia Ives-Rublee, Jennifer Lee, Alice Wong

Spotlight On: Alice Wong

Disability rights advocate and founder of the Disability Visibility Project, Alice Wong fights for access and representation for people with disabilities. Alice Wong was born with spinal muscular atrophy and uses a motorized wheelchair and BPAP machine.

Jewish American Heritage Month: Rabbi Ruth Adar, Josh Feldman, Judy Heumann, Marlee Matlin, Ari Ne'eman, Itzhak Perlman, Pamela Rae Schuller, Liz Weintraub

Spotlight On: Liz Weintraub

Liz Weintraub is a disability rights advocate and hosts "Tuesdays With Liz: Disability Policy For All." She was recently named to President Biden's Committee on People with Intellectual Disabilities.

Pride Month: Rabbi Ruth Adar, Bobbie Lea Bennett, Anderson Cooper, August de los Reyes, Nyle DiMarco, Frida Kahlo, Demi Lovato, Barbara Jordan, Mia Mingus, Ali Stroker

Spotlight On: Bobbie Lea Bennett

Bobbie Lea Bennet was an activist for transgender and disability rights. She was a wheelchair user who had osteogenesis imperfecta and fought for gender confirmation surgery to be covered by her social security as promised in a landmark case.

• Support inclusive activities like Sparkles Cheer, Unified Sports and Special Olympics.
  
• Plan for inclusive elementary performances and plays.
• Create inclusive play opportunities on the playground -- programs like those provided by Inclusion Matters can help.
• Use an equity lens and ask "who is missing?" in school activities and student leadership roles.
• Host a Lunch Bunch or inclusive lunchtime activities.
• Start a Connection Club to expand friendship opportunities for students with and without disabilities.
• Make sure all students are included in partner or group work during class, and that no one is left out of a class partnership or group.
• Look for opportunities to break down barriers and include students with disabilities where they have never been included in the past. Check out some great examples below with inclusive dance performances, Maddy on the Mic for Panther TV and competitive sports.

Generation Spirit (formerly known as The Sparkle Effect) empowers students nationwide to create spirit teams that bring together peers with and without disabilities. The teams transform school culture to one where all students feel valued and celebrated.

Since 2009, The Sparkle Effect has generated over 225 inclusive teams in over 31 states, directly involving over 13,000 students. Newbury Park High School was an early adopter, with parent adviser Debbie Hanna starting the Panther Sparkles team in 2010.

CVUSD now has Sparkles Cheer teams at NPHS, TOHS and WHS. They perform at school events, like rallies, lunch time performances, dance showcases, football and basketball halftime shows and Unified Sports games.

In 2015, CVUSD Sparkles Cheerleaders had the opportunity to perform at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles! Learn more about the Special Olympics World Games experience of cheer teams from across the nation.

Special Olympics Unified Sports is a global program that creates and promotes social inclusion through sport by having people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.

CVUSD participates in the Special Olympics Unified Champions Schools Program and has Unified Sports teams at Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Westlake High Schools and at Colina Middle School.

A Unified Athlete is a student-athlete with intellectual disabilities who typically receives special education services. A Unified Partner is a student-athlete without intellectual disabilities attending the same school as a Unified Athlete.

Many teachers and coaches provide support to the Unified Teams, and many student groups also participate in the games, like Sparkles, ASL Club, ASG, Band, Dance and Sports Medicine.

CVUSD Unified Sports teams have participated in a variety of sports, including basketball, kickball, soccer and bocce ball. Unified Sports athletes also host inclusive lunchtime activities at their school sites, such as bocce ball, corn hole and cup stacking. All students and faculty on campus are invited to participate together.

Unified Athletes can earn varsity letters, like the student pictured below! Scroll down to watch a video of the super popular annual Unified Basketball Tournament.

Recently, the Unified Sports team from Newbury Park High School had a chance to visit two Unified Champion Elementary Schools, Banyan Elementary and Maple Elementary. The students loved teaming up for a day full of smiles, games, and inclusion! And a Dance Party!

Check out Banyan's reel here!

Every spring, Newbury Park High School organizes a Special Olympics track & field event for students from schools throughout our county. The event is run by student volunteers and is supported by staff and community volunteers and community sponsors. Around 200 elementary, middle and high school students participate in various events, and there are opening and medal ceremonies. This is a fantastic event for the athletes, their families and the community!

Here is an article on the 2022 event from the Panther Prowler, Special Olympics fosters inclusivity on the field.

Unified Sports and the Newbury Park Special Olympics event can be a great pathway to becoming involved in the broader Special Olympics movement.

Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Those activities give them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship.

To facilitate social interaction between students with and without disabilities, the nonprofit Inclusion Matters orchestrates field trips between general and special education classes to inclusive playgrounds, which are designed so that children with and without disabilities can play together throughout the whole site. It’s a FREE program for public schools that has served over 45,000 students in more than 250 schools around the world.

Play is something that all kids can enjoy together, but simply having them on the playground at the same time won’t ensure that they play with each other. Inclusion Matters has created an awareness workshop to help general education students acknowledge and challenge their biases toward people with disabilities as a way to remove one barrier to social inclusion.

Click here to access the Inclusion Matters Social Trainings and Resources.

With love and adaptation, this is how we play! This book with an empowering refrain, from disability rights activists Jessica Slice and Caroline Cupp, demystifies and respects how disabled people and their families use adaptive, imaginative, and considerate play so everyone can join in the fun.

Back matter consists of a kid-friendly guide to thinking, learning, and talking about disability; a glossary of the different disabilities represented throughout the book; and a guide for grown-ups on ways to encourage discussions with children about disabilities and how they can play with all kids.

Throughout, This Is How We Play affirms and encourages disabled children and adults who are already doing the work of advocating for themselves and finding strength in community.

Read Aloud (ASL): https://youtu.be/v1ay1qTvF0Y?si=pXbwfHGEyWQDfqqd

Read Aloud (Spanish): https://youtu.be/16PhBNQcl_8?si=t1JCVO1gGxzrbdI

• Erin Bell, SEDAC Chair
  
• Jenny Crosby, Committee Chair, Newbury Park High School SEDAC Representative

• Lee Ann Holland, Committee Chair, SEDAC Member At Large, Colina Middle School SEDAC Representative
• Carole Shelton, SEDAC Member At Large
  

• Denise Benic, SEDAC Chair
  

• Lee Ann Holland, Committee Chair, SEDAC Parliamentarian
• Lana Clark, EARthS SEDAC Representative
• Karen Kyle, SEDAC Member At Large, Weathersfield Elementary SEDAC Representative
• Neptune Mizrahi, Cypress Elementary SEDAC Representative
• Michelle Murphy, Wildwood Elementary SEDAC Representative
• Danielle Vega, Community Member