Students at Crestwood take on a disabled perspective

By Jeremy Appel on November 28, 2018.

jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel

Crestwood School hosted Medicine Hat’s International Day for Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday.

Students were given the opportunity to learn about and experience being disabled, through 22 activities and presentations.

Duane Burr, who’s paralyzed from his armpits down as a result of a motorcycle accident nine years ago, taught students how to play wheelchair basketball and do a wheelchair obstacle race.

“The kids get to jump in a wheelchair and see what it’s like for a little bit,” said Burr.

“The kids have a little fun but also a little understanding of what it’s like to be in a wheelchair.”

Burr says he hopes the children gain an understanding of the obstacles faced by disabled people and how they can be overcome.

“I hope they take home that if you have to wheel outside and go through the snow or go to a friend’s house, there’s obstacles all over.

“I hope they take that into account (with) a little bit of compassion … but also that I can do almost anything that they can do. I just have to do it a different way,” he said.

April Ruzycki sits on the Hat’s IDPD committee and recently won a prestigious Award of Excellence from the Premier’s Council on Persons with Disabilities for her work.

She said planning for this event begins in May and requires “hours and hours of volunteer work.”

Ruzycki says she’s amazed by the “passion of the committee members and the great presenters, and how much it impacts the children … in one afternoon.”

The event helps children empathize, but it’s especially important to show them what disabled people are capable of, she said.

Ashley Hirsch does a presentation for the students on the importance of kindness to people with visible and invisible disabilities.

“It’s easy to see someone in a wheelchair has a disability, but sometimes you can’t see a disability,” said Hirsch.

“They might have a learning disability, they might have autism, they might have anxiety (or) depression, so it’s important to teach kids to be kind to everybody.”

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