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Emphasize cooperation instead of competition.
Provide a safe and socially comfortable environment for girls.
Teach respect for, understanding of, and dignity toward all girls and their families.
Actively reach out to girls and families who are traditionally excluded or marginalized.
Foster a sense of belonging to community as a respected and valued peer.
Honor the intrinsic value of each person’s life.
A Variety of Formats for Publications
The Hispanic population is the largest-growing in the United States, which is why Girls Scouts has
translated many of its publications into Spanish. Over time, Girl Scouts will continue to identify
members’ needs and produce resources to support those needs, including translating publications into
additional languages and formats.
As you think about where, when, and how often to meet with your group, you will find yourself
considering the needs, resources, safety, and beliefs of all members and potential members. As you do
this, include the special needs of any members who have disabilities, or whose parents or guardians
have disabilities. But please don’t rely on visual cues to inform you of a disability: Approximately 20
percent of the U.S. population has a disability—that’s one in five people, of every socioeconomic status,
race, ethnicity, and religion.
As a volunteer, your interactions with girls present an opportunity to improve the way society views girls
(and their parents/guardians) with disabilities. Historically, disabilities have been looked at from a deficit
viewpoint with a focus on how people with disabilities could be fixed. Today, the focus is on a person’s
abilities—on what she can do rather than on what she cannot.
If you want to find out what a girl with a disability needs to make her Girl Scout experience successful,
simply ask her or her parent/guardian. If you are frank and accessible, it’s likely they will respond in kind,
creating an atmosphere that enriches everyone.
It’s important for all girls to be rewarded based on their best efforts—not on the completion of a task.
Give any girl the opportunity to do her best and she will. Sometimes that means changing a few rules or
approaching an activity in a more creative way. Here are some examples of ways to modify activities:
● Invite a girl to complete an activity after she has observed others doing it.
● If you are visiting a museum to view sculpture, find out if a girl who is blind might be given
permission to touch the pieces.
● If an activity requires running, a girl who is unable to run could be asked to walk or do another
physical movement.
In addition, note that people-first language puts the person before the disability.