Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge

1. Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge Troop 367

2. Requirements • Etiquette and People First Language • Agency visit • Adaptive sports or recreation • Independent living • Accessibility of locations • Campsite • Church or Attraction • Advocacy • Commitment for attitude • Professions

3. Etiquette • Disability is not the person • Treat as you would wish to be treated • Tips for disability etiquette • Smile and say hello • Eye level • Do not lean on wheelchair or otherwise touch gear • Look at the person • Be patient • If you want to know about disability, ask if it is OK to ask • Treat with respect and friendship

4. Etiquette (continued) • Tips for disability etiquette (cont) • Don’t pretend • Normal voice • Don’t pet • Ask first before giving help • Guide don’t push or pull vision impaired • Get attention first for hard of hearing • ID yourself to the blind by name • Don’t just walk away from blind • Relax and be yourself

5. Person First Language • Emphasize person not the disability • Practice with correct terms for the following (wrong) terms: • Disabled person • The handicapped • An epileptic • Fit • Hearing impaired • Down’s person • Retarded or slow • Birth defect • Confined to a wheelchair • Healthy, normal, able-bodied • Handicapped parking or restrooms

6. Agencies • Visit to an agency requirement • Research in phone book or on internet • Be careful, as always • Be prepared to ask questions (intelligent ones that is) • If miss troop visit, then get visit pre-approved by Mr. Ripple

7. Lakeshore Foundation • Non-profit that promotes independence for persons with physically disabling conditions and provides opportunities to purse active, healthy lifestyles. • Vision is to improve the lives of people with physical disability around the world. • August 30, 2010 visit planned. • See Fact Sheet.

8. Opportunities • Over 80 full and part time employees • Job opening for aquatics director • Membership is open to those with physically disabling conditions • Offers 60 ongoing activities: • Aquatics • Fitness • Competitive athletics • General recreation • Program for injured military

9. Activities and Adaptations • Service Animals • Guide dogs • Hearing dogs • Assistance dogs • Monkey helpers • Seizure response dogs • Touching Words: Braille Alphabet • No “W” in original Braille

10. Activities and Adaptations (cont.) • White Canes • Power Chairs • Teletypewriters • Video Relay Service • Finger Spelling

11. Adaptive Sports • Golf • Snow and water skiing • Archer • Swimming • Quad Rugby • Wheelchair (basketball, football, soccer, tennis, softball, rafting, etc.) • Any sport can be adapted with a few modifications or custom equipment

12. Adaptive Sports • Creativity Test: Pick a favorite activity and think of ways people with disability can participate. • Include in thought process: • Rules • Specialized equipment • How would a blind person play baseball? • Can you come up with an original game?

13. Accessibility • Things to watch for when checking to see how accessible a place is: • Ramps or curb-cuts for wheelchairs • Step sizes for crutches • Width of doorways • Elevators • Signs and directions in Braille • Visual warning signs for deaf • Parking space size • Accessible restrooms, public telephones (while they still exist) and drinking fountains • Table height

14. Advocacy • Definition: supporting, promoting, or encouraging something • To be an advocate of disabilities awareness means you support and encourage positive attitudes about people who have disabilities • Remember, not all disabilities are apparent, some are hidden.

15. Myths and Misconceptions • Each Scout is to pick several of the myths listed below and lead a discussion with rest of group on what truth is. • Common Myths: • Person with a disability is sick. • Person with disability has a poor quality of life or lives a life totally different from people without disabilities. • People with disabilities deserve special admiration for having the courage and creativity to overcome their disability.

16. Common Myths • Only people in wheelchairs or who use crutches are disabled. • People with disabilities need expensive, high-tech devices for mobility and other assistance. • People with disabilities can do only light work or only simple, repetitive work. • People with disabilities need to be protestant from failing. • People with disabilities need help at school or work. • People who are deaf can easily work in nosy places. • People who are deaf cannot speak. • People who are deaf do not enjoy television shows or movies because they cannot hear.

17. Common Myths • All people who are deaf or hard of hearing can read lips. • People who are blind have extra sharp hearing. • People who are blind develop a “sixth sense”. • Employees with disabilities miss more days of work than employees without disabilities. • People without disabilities should take care of people with disabilities.

18. Career Opportunities • Occupational therapists • Physical therapists • Special Education teachers • Audiologists • Speech therapists • Psychologists • Physicians • Rehabilitation Counselor • Placement Counselor