be aware...show you care!

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Be AwareShow you Care!

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By Teri and Alana Little

2012

Meagan Miller

What you see is a wheelchair with a little girlin itwhat I am a little girl who just happens

to use a wheelchairI am not my disability!!!!!!


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Foreword

This booklet was written as a Service Project for the Disability Awareness Patchfor the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Counsel, Sundance Service Unit, Brownie Troop

14459 out of Moore Elementary School, Cypress Fairbanks Independent School

District, Houston, Texas.

Troop 14459 is led by Laura Squires.

The majority of this Service Project has been written in Lanas voice and filled

with things that were important for her to share. I asked her if it was okay to

write a note here in my voice and put things in it that were important for me toshare. She said I could

Wouldnt it be nice if we lived in a world where everyone was treated with kindness

and respect? Sadly, we dont, which makes booklets like this necessary. It seems

as the more technologically advanced our society gets, the less emphasis is placed

on good, old fashioned manners and respect of others. Incidents of bullying are at

an all-time high, and lack of consideration for others seems to be the norm. One

of the many things we like about Girl Scouts is the manner in which good

citizenship, being a good person and being kind to others is encouraged on a regular

basis.

The Girl Scout Promise

On my honor, I will try:

To serve God and my country,

To help people at all times,

And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

The Girl Scout Law


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I will do my best to be

honest and fair,

friendly and helpful,

considerate and caring,

courageous and strong, andresponsible for what I say and do,

and to

respect myself and others,

respect authority,

use resources wisely,

make the world a better place, and

be a sister to every Girl Scout.

If only the rest of the world would follow these same Laws and Promises, just think

what a better world we could live in!

(As part of our Service Project, the girls from Brownie Troop 14459 acted out

some of the things we will be discussing in this booklet. Rest assured no Brownies

were harmed in the making of this project! We also asked some of our fellow A-T

Families from all across the world what things they felt were important for people

to know, weve included some of their thoughts in highlighted text.)


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My Dignity is important to meBy far, one of the most important issues raised was that of treating our children

with dignity and respect. Please, please, always remember that Im a personnot a

disability.

If I do nothing else for Noah in this lifetime, my ultimate goal is for him to be

treated with dignity and respect, at all times! Amy Hoehn Sczcybor, Mother to

Noah, age 15, Atlanta, Georgia.

pitying looks. These always frustrate me. We have nothing to be pitied for.

Our life is probably much more rich than most. If nothing else, it is as full of love

as can be! Rebecca Petit Winks, Mother of Braden, age 4, Huntsville, Alabama.

Dont Dis my Ability

Disabilities and handicaps like people come in all sizes, shapes and colors and some you may

not even be able to see. Please dont assume that just because I use a wheelchair that I

cannot see, hear, speak or have mental limitations, as this is simply not true! I am a

person, just like you with hopes, dreams and feelings.

Dont assume the handicapped person is mentally challenged, deaf, or blind I hate

when that happens Jennifer Mason Taylor, Mother of Tori, age 8, Memphis,

Tennessee.

Dont talk down to our kids!! Aaron HATES that!! Sometimes I get very defensive

and sayHe is not mentally challenged. It is usually to someone who doesnt have

any knowledge of A-T, but it is still frustrating and hurtful for people to assume

that. He is an A student with physical disabilities. Christine McGregor Biros,

Mother of Aaron, age 11, Fruitport, Michigan.


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Can you hear me now?Funnily enough, people sometimes feel like they need to holler at mejust because

I sit in a wheelchair! Really, I can hear just fineits not my ears that I have

problems with, its my muscles!

Youdont need to automatically talk louder just because someone is in a

wheelchair. Amy Hoehn Szczbor

PleaseDont Stare!

Didnt your Mother teach you that it is impolite to stare at people? It makes me

feel very small and uncomfortable to have complete strangers staring at me! I

understand that you are not used to seeing someone my age in a wheelchair and

may be curious. If you want to know, its okay to come and ask me! Honestly, I

dont bite! I would much rather have you come and talk to me than stare at me.


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Please dont Point and Call me Names

It is also impolite and actually, really rude to point and call people mean things! It

is difficult enough being different without someone pointing out our differences!

Besides, it really hurts my feelings.


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Hello! Im right here

Something that drives me absolutely crazy is when people talk to whoever is with

me and not directly to me! As I said earlierI can hear you just fine and I love to

meet and visit with new people. It makes me feel very small when you ignore me.It is also hard when folks patronize me.

Talking as if the differently abled person isnt there. Asking personal questions

in front of that poor A-T person. Karen Knudson, Mother of Brooke, age 21, Royal

Oak, Michigan.


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, Oh and I hate it when people ask me does he know this or know that or what does

HE want. Ugh! Oh and the baby talkI mean hes almost 21 and people are really

bad about talking baby talk to him. Pat Combs Dodson, Mother of Garrett, age 20,

Portales, New Mexico.

Space Invaders

Did you know that a persons wheelchair, walker or cane is considered an extension

of their body? It really is, and when you hang all over my wheelchair, it makes mefeel like you are invading my personal space. So remember, just as you like your

space, I like mine too! Oh, and by the way, there is no need to hoverthat just

makes me nervous!


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Speaking of my wheelchair, that reminds me, please dont play with the joystick on

my wheelchair!

Never grab the joystick of someones power chairit is like grabbing the wheel

when someone else is driving the car. Amy Hoehn Szczybor

Sharing is nice, sometimes

Sharing is usually a good thingexcept when what youre sharing is germs! I have a

weak immune system, so please dont cough and sneeze on me!


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Our School Nurse is always reminding us to wash our hands, especially after we

cough and sneeze. This is something we all need to remember, weak immune system

or normal! No one wants to get sick! My Mommy actually keeps a bottle of hand

sanitizer in a pocket in the back of my wheelchair for people to use. Also, if you

are really coughing and sneezing for everyones sakeyou might want to consider

staying home or wearing a medical mask!


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Traffic jams and fender benders

I love going outto eatto the mallto the parkto museumsto the zoo, well, you

get the idea, I love to go. However, my Mom says taking me out sometimes is a

difficult propositionwe cant just jump in the car and go like you can. Before we

go anywhere, theres a checklist that we go through:

What illnesses are going around? A lot of folks coughing and sneezing in anenclosed space can be a nightmare for someone with a weakened immune

system.

How crowded will it be? While there are ADA laws that are supposed toguarantee equal access to all public places, not everyone follows them and

even if they do, they are often not enough. There are certain stores that


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have their racks pushed so close together that it seems like we spend our

entire time in them moving the racks so that we can get the wheelchair

through.

Are the handicapped restrooms of adequate size to facilitate thewheelchair? Not all bathrooms are created equal. Because my power chair is

rather large, it wont fit in some restrooms.

Whats the parking situation like? Where are the ramps located?You might think that many of these questions are silly or are unnecessaryif so,

then youve never had to take anyone in a wheelchair out in public! Ask anyone who

has and Im sure they will have plenty of stories to tell you.

Weve gone out numerous times only to find that an event is packed with people

who either dont care or dont think. This can make a supposedly fun outing turn

into a nightmare for me and my family. It sometimes seems as if other folks time

is more important than ours, as they push in front of me, move my chair out of

their way or dont pay attention to where they are going. I wish they would

remember, that just like them, we paid the admission price and I deserve the right

to enjoy myself just as much as they do!

Sometimes, Ill be going right along and then, suddenly, a group of people stopsright in front of me. Driving my power chair is just like driving a carit doesnt

stop on a dime!


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There have been a few times where people have run directly in front of my

wheelchair and Ive actually run into them! I dont mean to and it really upsets me,

I just wish people would pay more attention to what is going on around them.


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It also frustrates me when people stand in front of me when Im trying to look at

something. This happens mostly at places like museums and zoos.

Oh, and one more thingplease dont stand on my footplate so that you can see

better! Believe it or not, this has happened to me several times and boy, does it

make me angry. Not only do these things violate my personal space, they are rude

and it makes it impossible for me to enjoy myself.


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Gotta go, gotta go

One of the places where I have the hardest time is the restroom. You will notice

that there are usually several regular bathroom stalls and only one handicappedstall. Because the stalls are bigger, everyone likes to use them. They are bigger

so that folks like me can get in them. They also have bars on the walls to help us

transfer from our chairs to the toilet.

Handicapped bathrooms are a very touchy subject for some folks! The Americans

with Disability Act only requires that restrooms be accessible, not off limits to


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those without a disability. Thus, you will often find the non-handicapped using

them. While this is not usually a problem, it can become one when someone with a

disability needs to use one! Weve gone into the restroom only to find the other

stalls open and someone monopolizing the handicapped one by changing their

clothes, reading, talking on their cell phones, or sometimes, we even seen entirefamilies in there.

Another one that drives me crazy is when we have to wait for the handicap stall in

the bathroom for someone to walk out of it with NO HANDICAPit is a handicap

stall for a reason people!!! If we could use the other ones we would Christine

McGregor Biros.

I recently had to make Caitlin wait while some dude got changed for work in the

disabled toilets Pam Caruso, Mother of Caitlin, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia


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Whats the best thing to do? If there is a line and the handicapped stall becomes

available, it is generally considered good manners to let the individual with a

handicap go in there first.


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Reserved

Without a doubt, the number one issue faced by everyone we spoke to is the flat

out abuse of handicapped parking spaces. Sadly, this is not limited to the non-handicapped either.

Many times, we get somewhere only to find a car without handicapped plates or a

placard parked in a space reserved for legally marked vehicles. Weve heard

stories about the non-handicapped borrowing the placards for the sake of

convenience of being able to park close to an event. Weve seen vehicles that are

properly tagged parked in the middle of two spaces, effectively blocking a space

that someone desperately needs.

Weve heard every excuse under the sun from I will only be here for a minute to

I dont feel well to its not fair that you get the best spaces. Sadly, my

handicap is not something that will last only for a minutefor those of us who need

those spaces; we would give anything to trade places with you!

The bottom line is that it is illegal to park in a handicapped spot without either a

special plate or placard! For the record, just in case you didnt know, illegal means

against the law! There are fines and penalties that can be levied against someone

who breaks this law.


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Also, the cross hatched lines that are next to handicapped spots are to allow for

the extra space that is needed to load and unload someone in a wheelchair. This

area is considered a part of the actual parking spot and it is illegal to park here as

well.


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If a person has a side load vehicle, it would be impossible for them to get into it if

someone is parked in the crosshatched area.

One more thing

While our children may look different, inside, they are just like yours. They want to

belong and be accepted for who they are, not just what they look like on the outside.

Having a disease or disorder is very isolating for them and their lives are filled with all

sorts of doctors, therapists and other non-fun stuff. Because of this, friends, play dates

and fun are vitally important to their emotional wellbeing.

DO remember to extend invitations to birthday parties, etc., even if you dont think the

child can fully participate in the activity. They just want to be included. Discuss any


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questions or concerns with parents. They will jump through hoops for their child to do

sleepovers, etc.,Just a thought because after age 8 10 the invitations stop. Cynthia

Wisniewski, Mother of Keaton, age 19, Wayland, Massachusetts

Thanks

We want to thank you for taking the time to read our little booklet and our hope is that it

will make you thinkdiscussand realize that a little bit of kindness, compassion and

common sense goes a long way in making my life, and all of those with handicaps a little bit

easier.

More Thanks

A big thank you to the caring Administration, Teachers and Staff at Moore Elementary

School for not only helping us be the best we can be, but for also allowing us to use ourschool for our photo shoot. Go Armadillos!


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Back Row: Jana Needham, Principal, Meagan Miller, Stacey Everson, Assistant Principal,

Irene Ruiz, Assistant Principal

Middle Row: Ashley Palmer, Victoria Schluter

Front Row: Lucy Campbell, Isabella Jarrell, Morgan Miller, Alana Little, Riley Thomas,

Ashley Palmer, Kate Nguyen

Not pictured: Victoria Brown and Isabella McEvoy

Many thanks to the girls and parents of Troop 14459 for making Lana feel so welcomed

and loved.


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Our beautiful, wonderful, silly

Brownies and their awesome leader, Laura Squire!

be aware...show you care!

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