On Tuesday, Dec. 3, during lunch, Archie Williams’ Peer Resource (PR) class hosted a Disability Awareness Day event. In celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Archie Williams students collected at the senior tree to participate in various activities by PR. The event featured informational tables about Disability Awareness Day, rounds of trivia, and other games for attendees.
Senior Siena Michelson is in her first year of PR and helped coordinate the event alongside other PR students. She hopes that this event raised more awareness and knowledge about the Archie Williams Bridge Program, an on-campus student learning community for students needing modified courses and education for success.
“Part of the reason I wanted to join PR was to have more inclusivity at Archie and raise more awareness about the Bridge Program and people with disabilities in general. This [event] was one of the things that I had an idea for coming into the school year,” Siena said.
Siena and other PR members included a ping pong game and friendship making stations with the Bridge Program. Junior Henry Nelson, a first-year PR student, attended the event and found the activities very beneficial. While he did not coordinate the event, he appreciated the opportunity to connect with both his peers and students in the Bridge Program.
“[The event] was very fun. I have connected with a few of the Bridge [Program] students and my fellow Peer Resource students. It is a good environment to meet new people and connect with the Bridge students,” Henry said.
Archie Williams PR teacher Jenny Brown oversaw the planning of PR’s Disability Awareness Day. According to Brown, the event was primarily organized by students in PR, who coordinated with the Bridge Program and PALS club, a club where students meet with the Bridge Program monthly for lunch. Brown hopes to have events like this more regularly.
“[The] majority of this was student-led,” Brown said. “Sienna Michelson, Leta Benson, Chloe Brown, and Scarlett Chinn did most of it with the Bridge Program and PALS, and we helped in Peer Resource to put out fun games and just be with everybody. I hope to see it become a monthly thing and just have people come out and eat lunch together and have fun.”
PR’s Disability Awareness Day took steps toward fostering further inclusivity and raising awareness about the Bridge Program and people with disabilities. Students engaged with one another through fun activities, trivia, and opportunities for meaningful connections. Organizers hope to make events Disability Awareness Day an annual occurrence, and are currently planning their next event for next semester.
