Easter Seals Disability Services

Avenues To Understanding

To download the Avenues to Understanding Educational Materials, register HERE.  Once you've submitted your information, a download link will be emailed to you.

Welcome!

Welcome to the web support pages for Easter Seals Wisconsin’s Avenues to Understanding, a disability awareness educational program for children and young adults. Avenues to Understanding is available to public and private schools, early childhood programs and faith and community based organizations throughout Wisconsin. To learn more about sharing Avenues to Understanding in your classroom or in your group, please contact us: info@wi.easterseals.com.

While materials presented here are designed in part to support educators using the Avenues to Understanding materials, they are also meant to be helpful to parents talking to their children about disabilities, and to others who would like to increase their general knowledge about disabilities or who would like to know more about inclusiveness.

The tendency to fear or avoid someone who is different is understandable for both children and adults, and it is true that many people with physical disabilities may, initially, appear to be ‘different’. Easter Seals Wisconsin believes that disability awareness education, by building understanding and encouraging acceptance, is the best way to prevent fears, misunderstandings and habits of avoidance from forming. Most children will, if armed with knowledge, find it easier to meet peers with disabilities and to include them fully in their classrooms, their social groups and in their lives.

Avenues to Understanding is a new program and we hope you’ll find the materials presented helpful and informative. We would appreciate your feedback, and your input and suggestions are welcome. Please contact us at: info@wi.easterseals.com.

Easter Seals Wisconsin thanks the following corporations and foundations for providing financial support to Avenues to Understanding for the 2008-2009 school year. Their generosity makes it possible for Easter Seals to offer this educational initiative free of charge to groups across the state.

<

Contents

Q & A: The Most Common Questions Kids Ask People with Disabilities

Understanding Disabilities
          Understanding Autism
          Understanding Cerebral Palsy
          Understanding Down’s Syndrome
          Understanding Learning Disabilities
          Understanding Post-Polio Syndrome
          Understanding Spina Bifida

The Language of Disability
          The Language of Disability
          People First Language a commentary by Kathie Snow

Disability Etiquette

Myths and Realities

Bullying

Disability Related Quizzes
          General Disability Awareness Quiz for Kids
          Language of Disability Quiz

Suggested Reading
         Recommended Books
         Other Books (not reviewed by Easter Seals)

Share Your Thoughts

Famous People with Disabilities

Extras
          Photos
          Coloring posters and activity pages

Helpful links

Disclaimer

Throughout the Avenues to Understanding web pages, you may find links to outside web pages. Links to organizations outside Easter Seals Wisconsin are included for information only. Easter Seals Wisconsin has no control over the information at these sites. The views and opinions of these organizations are not necessarily those of Easter Seals Wisconsin.