Self-advocates promote inclusion at school event

Members of The Resource Center’s Make A Mark self-advocacy group shared their personal experiences and spoke about the importance of accepting people with disabilities during presentations at Silver Creek Central School.

The invitation to speak resulted from a connection that was developed between our Make A Mark group and Janet Decker, a Silver Creek special education teacher. Inspired by publicity surrounding past successful efforts of our Make A Mark group to have the City of Dunkirk declare March as “Spread the Word: Inclusion” Month, Janet, the Silver Creek Youth Advisory Committee and Forestville Central School students successfully advocated for the Hanover Town Board to do something similar this year.

TRC employee Beth Ray, who facilitates the Make A Mark group, contacted Janet. This led to an invitation to have Make A Mark representatives address assemblies at the high school, the middle school and for fourth- and fifth-graders at the elementary school. Make A Mark members Jennifer Meyers and Michael Ostrye told the young people about the importance of including people with special needs in all aspects of community life and treating them with respect, with each sharing how they had been bullied and excluded when they were children.

“This bullying made me feel like the stupidest person alive. Can you imagine feeling like that every day?” Jen told the audience. “Just because someone is a little different than you, it never gives you the right to treat them badly.”

“The ultimate goal is to think twice about treating someone with a disability differently or excluding them, and maybe take time to encourage people that may need a little extra help,” Mike said. “I always like to say, ‘Hey, get to know us before you judge us.’”

A third Male A Mark member, Mary Hayes, wasn’t able to attend the assemblies, so Mike read her comments to the audiences.

Beth also spoke. “They are all success stories,” she said of Jen, Mike and Mary. “They have jobs, homes; they vote, just like everyone else; and they are valued members of the communities where they live and work.”

Pictured from left are Beth; Janet; Lynne Newman, TRC Employment Services Administrator; Mike; Sandy Korzeniewski, TRC Production Coordinator; and Jen.

We thank Jen, Mike and Mary for sharing their personal stories and spreading the word about inclusion! They did such a good job, they were invited to come back to do a similar presentation for second- and third-graders.

Several TRC staff were on hand to support Jen and Mike, as were retired Silver Creek Teacher and Laurel Memorial Run/Walk founders Wayne Hotelling and his wife, Elaine.

Jen, Beth and Mike stand in front of a wall containing hundreds of Inclusion Pledges signed by pupils, teachers and staff.