DD Awareness Month

March has been recognized as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month since 1987 when President Ronald Reagan issued a public proclamation urging Americans to provide individuals with developmental disabilities “the encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.”

Developmental Disabilities of Clark County seeks to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in every aspect of life, as well as awareness of the barriers that people with disabilities still face. Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month highlights the many ways in which people with and without disabilities come together to form strong, diverse communities.

What can you do?

  1. Raise awareness about people with Developmental Disabilities by encouraging a greater understanding among people without a disability with the people you know.
  2. Learn more about people with disabilities by watching a movie, like “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” or “The Fundamentals of Caring,” or by reading a book, like “If At Birth You Don’t Succeed: My adventures with disaster and destiny,” or “Criptionary: Disability Humor and Satire.”
  3. Volunteer for a local group that serves people with disabilities, like Special Olympics.
  4. Use “People First Language.” PFL puts the person before the disability, and describes what a person has, not who a person is. PFL uses phrases such as “person with a disability,” “individuals with disabilities,” and “children with disabilities,” as opposed to phrases that identify people based solely on their disability, such as “the disabled.”
  5. If you are a parent or grandparent, teach your (grand)children that everyone is a little different, but make it clear that just because someone is different, that doesn’t make that person bad. Then, show your child how to talk about those differences in a respectful manner. Read age-appropriate books about disabilities, and look for TV shows that address specific conditions. Sesame Street, for example, depicts a Muppet named Julia who has autism.
  6. Become friends with a person with a disability. Hang out with him/her and do things that are fun for the both of you. If you are already a friend or family member of a person with DD, make plans to enjoy a fun activity together in public and take the opportunity to show others that we’re all not so different after all.