International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Target audience: able-bodied individuals to gauge their knowledge and understanding about the measures available for disabled persons in their country and also the struggle faced by persons with disabilities there.

Global Survey

The participating school’s Teacher Advisor is requested to email Cempaka School (at nikzakiah@cempaka.edu.my ) to register interest to join this project and be given access to the Global Survey due responses.

This introductory survey activity serves to assess students’ awareness about persons with disabilities in their home country and issues they are facing to support and promote their inclusion and well-being in society.

Please share in a public domain or individually email the survey link with your students, faculty, staff and parents and any interested party.

NOTE: This survey must be done first before any subsequent activities or knowledge sessions to generate authentic results about students’ awareness about persons with disabilities.

The Organizer then will share the survey responses with participating member schools for their working team to analyze the data and make due inferences and conclusions.

Reflection and Discussion of Survey Findings

The Teacher Advisor of each participating ISA member school is to conduct a Reflection Session to discuss the survey findings with their students and also for sharing general information and updates about persons with disabilities in their home country, their community and issues they are facing in each home country.

This may help to give students a better understanding of the aim of this project to support the persons with disabilities and to promote their inclusion and well-being in society.

Activities

ACTIVITIES TO COMMEMORATE THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FOR YEAR 2024.

• Students carry out any activities in the list below (be mindful of time constraint and project duration) and record the experience in a 3-minute final video and photograph compilation.
• Students are highly encouraged to create and carry out their own activities.
• Students may also modify the suggested activities to fit into the project timeline.

The theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024 is “Transformative Solutions for Inclusive Development: the role of Innovation in Fuelling an Accessible and Equitable World” and the following activities can be carried out to support such a theme.

1. Interview with a Person with Disability.

• Identify a person with disability who is comfortable and willing to share their experiences in daily life and issues they face pertaining to inclusion and well-being in their society.
• Record the interview for internal reference purposes and share the take-aways with the school community and general public.

2. Innovation Challenge: Designing Assistive Technologies

Activity: Organize an innovation challenge where students design simple assistive devices or apps that could improve accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Details: Students can work in teams to brainstorm, design, and prototype their ideas. These could include apps for better communication, mobility aids, or tools to enhance learning for students with disabilities.

Suggested Resources:

• Online tools like Tinkercad for 3D modeling.
• Code.org for app development basics.
• Microsoft’s Inclusive Design Toolkit for inspiration on creating accessible solutions.

3. Awareness Campaign: Accessibility Audit

Activity: Conduct an accessibility audit of the school campus or local community to identify areas that need improvement to be more accessible.

Details: Students can create checklists and evaluate places like classrooms, libraries, playgrounds, and restrooms. After the audit, they can present their findings to the school administration or local government with recommendations for improvement.

Suggested Resources:

• ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities as a guide for evaluating accessibility.
• World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on making public spaces accessible.

4. Inclusive Technology Fair

Activity: Host an Inclusive Technology Fair where students showcase existing and emerging technologies that enhance the lives of persons with disabilities.

Details: Students can research and present different technologies, such as screen readers, speech-to-text apps, or adaptive sports equipment. They could also invite local companies or organizations working on assistive technologies to demonstrate their products.

Suggested Resources:

• AbleData database of assistive technology products.
• Global Accessibility Awareness Day website for ideas on tech-based accessibility initiatives.

5. Virtual Reality (VR) Empathy Experience

Activity: Set up a Virtual Reality station where students can experience simulations of different disabilities, helping them understand the daily challenges faced by persons with disabilities.

Details: Using VR headsets, students can navigate environments with simulated visual, auditory, or mobility impairments. This could be followed by discussions on how innovations could address these challenges.

Suggested Resources:

• Google Cardboard or other affordable VR headsets.
• VR apps like A Walk Through Dementia or Autism TMI Virtual Reality Experience.

6. Creative Arts Project: Inclusive Art Exhibition

Activity: Create an art exhibition featuring works that depict the theme of inclusivity and accessibility, or that incorporate elements that can be experienced by everyone, including those with disabilities.

Details: Students could create tactile art for the visually impaired, use sign language in performances, or design posters that raise awareness about the importance of accessibility.

Suggested Resources:

• VSA (Very Special Arts) for ideas and examples of inclusive art projects.
• The Inclusive Arts Network for guidance on creating accessible art.

7. Storytelling and Film Screening

Activity: Host a storytelling session or film screening that highlights the experiences of persons with disabilities and the innovations that have made a difference in their lives.

Details: Students could read or share stories of individuals with disabilities who have overcome challenges through innovation or watch documentaries and films that showcase these themes. This could be followed by a discussion on what students learned and how they can contribute to inclusive innovation.

Suggested Resources:

• Films like “The Fundamentals of Caring” or “Crip Camp”.
• StoryCorps for inspiration on storytelling techniques.

8. Service Learning Projects

Activity: Engage in service learning by volunteering with local organizations that support persons with disabilities or by creating projects that directly impact accessibility.

Details: Students could work on projects like creating accessible reading materials for visually impaired students, organizing inclusive sports events, or developing resources for disability awareness.

Documentation of the Activity: Videography and Photography

During the course of the activity, students are to record (in landscape orientation), multiple 10-second video journals of the activity process, activity end product and the implementation of the end product for the betterment of persons with disabilities.

The video is to document either

1. the process of the activity, or
2. the end product of the activity, or
3. the implementation or application of the product  of the activity or
4. all mentioned 1, 2 and 3

Students are to compile these 10-second videos into a 2 to 3-minute final promotion video.

The final video must contain the following:

1. Introduction: Name of School and the Full Name of each group member.
2. Title of the video.
3. Subtitle or Caption in English.
4. Credits to acknowledge contributors or resources to complete the video.

Apart from videos, students are encouraged to take photos of their activities and compile them.

The final video and compiled photos are to be uploaded on the ISA website before or latest by the week 3rd December 2024.

The video can also be uploaded on the school YouTube channel and social media #isajointprojects24.

This and other final videos from all ISA participating member schools can be shared with the school community and the general public.

Students are highly encouraged to carry on the project after the deadline to ensure the objectives are achieved.