Blog 2: What Can We Do to Promote the Social Integration of Students with ELN? Corey Creamer

Due to many budget issues our schools are suffering from education funding across the board. One of the major areas that are cut are extracurricular activities and clubs. As teachers we are expected more than ever to help promote social acceptance as well as societal integration of our students with disabilities. This can be challenging, especially with the amount of budget cuts many schools have been challenged with. One school wide activity/strategy I use with my special education students is “Thank a Veteran Program.” This “club” I created at my school is made up of all my special education students and myself. My students make a short presentation and PowerPoint as a group, and present it to other classes in the school.

This presentation the students give to classmates and fellow peers focuses on the importance of Veteran’s Day, as well as the sacrifice members of our armed forces make for us on a daily basis. My special education students are almost forced to take on a leadership role, which many of the students are unfamiliar with in the beginning of the year. After discussing the importance of Veteran’s Day with their so called “regular peers” they explain they are collecting thank-you letters for our Veterans, that students will write these letters, and we will send them out to local veteran organizations in the area, as a small token of our appreciation and support for all that they do.

 My students will read a sample letter they wrote, to demonstrate to their peers what is expected and also build excitement for the project. Our “club project” is a very simple project, but the effects are bigger than words can describe. Not only is it important and meaningful to the Veterans who receive our letters, but this project is very rewarding to my special education students. This gets my students involved in the school, community, and society. The special education students receive tons of positive feedback from both fellow students as well as other members of the faculty. This extra conversation boosts their attitudes, morale, as well as confidence inside the classroom and out.

Looking at some research, power-points, and laws from module two, this unit with my special education students could be a great teaching point for the Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments became effective as of January 1, 2009 . Many American’s who fall under the disability act, are helped on a day to day basis with the use of a service dog. When many people hear the term “service dog” they think of a seeing eye dog for the blind. But a service dog provides many other services such as, seizure alert, hearing dogs for the deaf, and PAWZ for Wounded Veterans, which is a program that provides service dogs for wounded veterans who are returning to civilian life.

The PAWZ for Wounded Veterans program is one such service dog program that is protected and the disability rights of veterans explained, clarified, and protected by the ADA Amendments Act (effective January 1, 2009). The PAWZ program provides service dogs to active duty military members who were wounded while on duty. Many of these veterans have lost a limb in combat, suffered traumatic brain injuries, or post-traumatic stress. These dogs are specially trained to help veterans to adapt to new prosthetics and return to civilian life.

Although this is a great opportunity for many soldiers returning home, many locations throughout America do not meet the needs of these Americans with disabilities as well as their service dogs. It is important for businesses, stores, restaurants, hotels and theaters to understand that they cannot exclude anyone with disabilities and their service animals. All too often we find that discrimination is still continuing to take place for students as well as adults of society who have disabilities. This discrimination can easily leave these individuals feeling sad, depressed, and isolated. This issue could be resolved with a much clearer policy stating that service animals are allowed for Americans with disabilities (ADA, 2000; ADA Amendments, 2009).