Disabled Community Focus Group
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Disabled Community Focus Group
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offices and even some of the old ones , they have a cutout area with a lower counter where a person with short stature , or a wheelchair user could go and actually have a writing surface they could reach and be able to reach the card swipe and all of that . But they often have those piled full of junk and they ’ re not using them . And I ’ ve even asked people in a post office , could I give you this down here ? And then they ’ ll say nope not open down there and they can clearly see that I need it . So it ’ s just a lot of attitudes businesses restaurants are like that .”
Education Training children in schools .
• “ I ’ m kind of about what Christina was saying earlier about teaching the kids at a young age . I mean , if that can be implemented more I mean going into the schools and teaching about disability awareness . I mean I think that ’ d be a great start . Just because like she was saying with people staring . I love it . Whenever little kids are staring and ask what would happen or something like that . I ’ d rather have them asking What ’ s going on than just stare and not ever know .”
• “ I think that in schools , one of the languages that should be required is sign language because in a lot of the schools in the area sign language isn ’ t even an option , and especially for the population that I work with . I wish that I knew sign language because we use some sign language or adapted signs with our kiddos so that They can communicate with us because they ’ re non-verbal so I wish that was something that was available to kids more and like everybody other people said more teaching and education around different types of abilities in schools and even before you ’ re in school , things for at home .”
• “ Okay , so having to always advocate and I advocate all the time for her , and it ’ s just That that ’ s been our experience . It ’ s just assuming that that ’ s where a person needs to be because you think they fit the mold because of what you see and you don ’ t know the whole person and then as far as I think we need To teach children at a very young age , about inclusion and about how to treat people who are differently abled I ’ m learning .”
Additional quotes :
• “ When I think about Arlington , and they talk about we ’ re supposed to be this dream city or something like that . And I would love for it to be a dream city for all and what I mean by that is , like we ’ ve already said , and everybody ’ s talked about It ’ s just that education piece . Like where you know people who are differently abled , they can feel that . Oh , I can go here and I can go to this city . I can live in a city and I can function to the best of my abilities in that space because that ’ s maybe where we have to be required to educate like at the school levels , of course , but even with the city government and like Rebekah talks about the police . I mean you shouldn ’ t be able to be a police officer if you don ’ t know how to deal with people with disabilities and be aware . I know they speak a lot about autism , I see it on TV all the time . You have to have a sign . It says it or whatever but hearing impaired , you can ’ t always see it , so Just knowing that okay you need to ask certain questions . I mean , maybe they have to apply like businesses they apply for licenses to open and they have to be ADA compliant and just making sure that they understand what that means . And that it ’ s just not something that you can see like a wheelchair or whatever that it ’ s other people too . And maybe they need to be required to answer questions or go through some type of online training or something , just so that they know how to do that . I mean , just so they can show that , yes , we ’ re trying . I mean , I know it ’ s not going to be perfect , or whatever . But that we ’ re trying to understand and try to show that everyone is truly welcomed and in the end it ’ s a dream for everybody .”
Unity Council Report 115