Join Washingtonians in Celebrating Disability History and Awareness Month

Join Washingtonians in Celebrating Disability History and Awareness Month

This October, let's work together to bring a greater sense of respect, acceptance, and pride to people living with disabilities—including our youth.

By: Christen Bourgeois Date: October 26th, 2022

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), disability impacts our communities, our health, and our access. Nearly 61 million adults (26% of our nation’s population) navigate life with a disability.

In the month of October, Washington State Legislature (RCW 28A.230.158) requires public schools to conduct or promote educational activities that provide instruction, awareness, and understanding of disability history and people living with disabilities. These activities may include, but not be limited to, school assemblies and/or guest speaker presentations.

Local teaching resource, One Out of Five (OO5) Disability History and Pride Project, was designed by the Washington State Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO) in partnership with Disability Rights Washington/Rooted in Rights (RIR) and two local educators, Adina Rosenberg and Sarah Arvey.

The unique stories and voices captured in One Out of Five can be heard in this collection of videos featured by the University of Washington’s College of Education where students from across the state share their experiences in navigating life with a disability.

One Out of Five aims to:

• Center the voices of people with disabilities through youth stories & disability history
• Interrupt deficit thinking & expand perceptions of disability & disabled people’s intersectional experiences
• Support inclusive school communities highlighting students’ roles being in solidarity with people with disabilities
• Expand narratives about United States and Washington history to include people with disabilities
• Make teaching about disability accessible to all teachers & students regardless of background & experience

Learn more about Disability History and Awareness Month:

• Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP)
• Americans with Disabilities (ADL)
• National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)

Learn more about Disability Employment Awareness:

• University of Washington, UW Medicine (Disability Accommodations | UW Medicine Huddle)
• University of Washington, Disability Services Office (DSO)
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN) (askjan.org)
• U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (Disability: Part of the Equity Equation)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Disability Impacts All of Us Infographic)
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Act of 1990, As Amended)