North Pocono students develop greater understanding, empathy after learning about disabilities

Feb. 15—MOSCOW — Hailey Weissman sat on her right hand and placed her right foot on the wheelchair. Using only the left side of her body, she attempted to navigate around the orange cones in the gym at North Pocono Middle School on Wednesday.

Advocates hope the exercise, along with others that simulated what people with a disability may face, have a lasting impact.

"This was harder than I expected," the 12-year-old seventh grader said. "You really have to respect people. You don't know what they're going through."

The Northeast PA Center for Independent Living, known as MyCIL, has presented the Project ABLE (Acceptance by Learning Experience) program to area schools for about a dozen years but had to pause it due to the pandemic. Organizers returned to schools this month.

Keith Williams, who uses a wheelchair, encouraged Hailey and her classmates as they navigated obstacles similar to what he faces daily.

"The younger someone is made aware and sensitized, the more likely they are to retain the conversation," said Williams, independent living services manager at MyCIL, which covers 10 Northeast Pennsylvania counties.

The seventh-grade students rotated through stations, attempting to open latches and turn knobs wearing thick gloves or oven mitts, and wearing special glasses to simulate vision impairments. Middle school teachers were scheduled to visit the stations in the afternoon.

The MyCIL staff also discussed hidden disabilities, those that are not apparent just by looking at someone. Using mirrored boxes to simulate what someone with dyslexia may face, the students tried to trace a star — most of them unsuccessfully.

Caden Hall, 12, said the difficulty of the tasks surprised him.

"I'll be more considerate and understand when they need help," the 12-year-old said.

Williams presented a handout about "people first language." For example, someone should say "people with disabilities" instead of "the handicapped or disabled." Or say "she has autism" instead of "she's autistic."

"Just know someone is more than their disability," he told the students.

Emiline Black, 12, put on a pair of glasses to simulate blindness. She picked up a pitcher and poured the water on her arm and hand, instead of in the cup.

"I have gained so much respect for other people," she said. "They're just amazing. All I can say is, 'Wow.'"

Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter.

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