The Development of Disability History Week

by Cub Reporter, Erick Dowdy

Near the end of the 2005 Youth Caucus, the delegates were informed that Speaker of the House, Bob Kiss, would help sponsor a bill for Disability History Week.

We decided that with this bill we wanted the third week of October, Disability History Month, to become a week in which schools around the state would teach and make available information on disabilities, accomplishments by people with disabilities and general awareness about the disability community.

In order for the bill to not pose a burden on public schools, the Youth Caucus will be developing and making the information available to schools beforehand. The bill encourages colleges to get involved as well. Many of our Youth Delegates are already either in college or close to it, and will be on campus to promote disability history.

By establishing a Disability History Week, we would provide information for school students to learn more about the contributions of people with disabilities to society and to educate students to better understand people with disabilities.

It is our goal that through education and diversity awareness, we will promote acceptance of people with disabilities. By raising the self esteem of people with disabilities, we will all move toward self fulfillment.

We spoke with Terry Bryant, the lobbyist for the West Virginia Education Association. Mr. Bryant committed to supporting the bill and gave us valuable insight into how to get further support for the bill.

Next, we presented and discussed the bill at a joint meeting of the WV Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) and State Rehabilitation Council. Russell Pugh, one of the other youth delegates, and I presented the bill to the boards and the WVSILC decided to place it on their 2006 legislative agenda.

Youth delegate Shana Hughes and I, along with Ann Meadows of the WVSILC, met with Senator Robert Plymale to discuss the bill. After meeting with Senator Plymale he agreed to support the bill. Senator Plymale also provided us with further insight into how to succeed in getting the bill passed.

Later this month we will be speaking to the Fair Shake Network's Legislative Training. We continue to reach out to others for support and to work hard to get this bill passed.

Posted: January 22, 2006