Austin ADL Hosts Disabilities Awareness Breakfast

Date: March 15, 2011

On Thursday March 10th, the Austin Council of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) hosted another in the series of Austin Educators' Breakfasts.  This one focused on disabilities awareness.

ADL, in partnership with Central Texas Special Olympics, Arc of the Capital Area, and the Autism Society of Greater Austin presented a panel discussion on the various resources and services offered throughout the community. The 30 attendees received lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school students on disabilities awareness.

Parent support specialists, guidance and counseling department staff, social studies coordinators, administrators and other local non-profit staff found this session particularly helpful. "This (Educators' Breakfast) keeps me going and gives me ideas. It reminds me that we need to embed cultural proficiency into everything we do at AISD," said Angela Ward, Senior Associate for Student Learning and Assessment with AISD.

Only ten studies have been conducted in the United States on bullying and developmental disabilities. All studies found that children with disabilities were two to three times more likely to be victims of bullying than their nondisabled peers. [Source: Disabilities: Insights from across Fields and around the World (2009)]