Did you know that March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month? This is a nationwide event that has been celebrated since 1987! The purpose is to raise awareness about inclusion and to celebrate the many wonderful contributions that people with developmental disabilities bring to their communities. The event also addresses the many barriers that people with developmental disabilities face when it comes to having equal access and opportunities in their school, workplace and in the community. The Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities (ACBDD) will be celebrating Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month all throughout the month of March to spread awareness to our community!
One of the biggest concepts about disability awareness is that we all are much more alike than we are different. We all want to have or be part of a family that loves and respects us. We all want friends to enjoy life’s greatest moments with and to always have someone who will have our back. We all contribute to society, whether by working or volunteering in our community, or by investing in ourselves to gain skills and continue to learn and grow as a person. And lastly, we all want to have a sense of belonging and be a part of a community. All of these things are true for people with disabilities and without! Like we said, we are all much more alike than we are different.
Our theme for the month is “Step by Step: From Vision to Reality.” In 2024, ACBDD was awarded $584,000 through an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant to make our community more accessible and inclusive to those with disabilities. Much of our campaign in March will focus on the projects funded throughout our county that made our community more accessible, some of which included: door openers, curb cuts, parking lot work, accessible sidewalks, wheelchair accessible doorways, Hoyer lifts, ramps, bathroom modifications, universal changing tables and a modified van with wheelchair lift. Billboards throughout Allen County will showcase some of these accomplishments, so be on the lookout for those!
To celebrate Developmental Disability Awareness Month, ACBDD will have activities throughout the month. On March 4, four individuals in Board services will travel with Board staff to the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus to advocate on issues important to Ohioans with developmental disabilities. Our Early Intervention team will be hosting a community-wide screening for children ages birth to five on March 18 from 4:00pm-7:00pm at the ACBDD campus. This is open to any parent or caregiver who would like to have their child screened for various delays. On March 20, OSU Lima will be hosting a movie and game night, called Together for Awareness. This is open to anyone and will be held at Gavin Hall from 6:00pm-8:00pm. That same day, Lima Senior will be hosting bingo and silent disco from 3:30pm-5:30pm. In addition, ACBDD staff will be presenting throughout the month at local service clubs and will be reading and donating a book about disabilities to elementary students throughout the county.
While March is the month to celebrate Disability Awareness, the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities is committed to awareness efforts all year long! The Board has two different programs that are available to bring awareness and better understanding of disabilities. We have a Disability Awareness Program that is available to any group in our community, such as service clubs, church groups, businesses/organizations and schools. We adapt the presentation based upon the age of the audience and can focus on specific areas of interest from the group. Presentations range from 15 minutes to 1 hour. These are presented by Board staff and usually someone that the Board serves as well!
The other disability awareness program available through ACBDD is called Kids on the Block. This program is geared towards children that are in 3rd-4th grade, but is available to any group and age. It is a fun, interactive program that utilizes puppets to educate children. The goal of the program is to help the students gain a better understanding of disabilities and to help them build better relationships with peers who may have disabilities.
If you have ever wanted to know more about what the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities does, who we are, who we serve, or how to support people with disabilities, we are sure you will enjoy a Disability Awareness presentation! Maybe you are a business or organization that considered hiring a person with a disability, but did not know where to start and what supports are available to help or maybe you are a teacher and would like for your students to gain a better understanding and awareness about kids that have disabilities, whatever the need we would love to be there to help you celebrate disability awareness too!
If you are interested in a disability awareness presentation, please contact Bethany Ernest, Advocacy & Access Manager at 419-221-1385 ext. 3702 or at bernest@acbdd.org