Having social connections is important to all people; we are, after all, social beings. Social connections are even more important and harder to accomplish for people with disabilities. D.U.F. (Differences Understanding Friendship) is working hand in hand with the Parent Information Center (PIC), to distribute the PIC Disability Awareness Kit to all 468 public schools in the state of New Hampshire. Our vision is that when children experience the activities included in the Disability Awareness Kit, they will have a better understanding of their peers with differences and thus breaking down barriers to friendship. We also feel that experiencing this Kit will help children with disabilities integrate into the world of those without.
DUF is a group of people who met through the Institute On Disability’s Leadership Series. We come from all over the state, from the north country to the sea coast. DUF is comprised of people who themselves have a disability and others who have a loved one with a disability. Even the disabilities represented in the D.U.F. team are of a broad range; down syndrome, autism, and brain injury to name only a few.
The Parent Information Center’s Disability Awareness Kit includes a variety of simple, fun, and challenging activities designed to simulate some of the more common disabilities, including speech/oral, vision, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities.
D.U.F. believes that the Kit alone will not solve the all of the social problems of those with disabilities. Therefore, we also plan to have at least one staff member in each receiving school trained in the proper use of the Kit and the follow up questions that need to be asked of the students. Our goal is to have the trained school staff introduce this kit to the students to show how everyone can have differences, yet have things in common as well. With this attitude we hope children both with and without disabilities will find themselves making new friends.
We started working on our mission in November of 2008 and already we see what a difference it can make. Immediately we had people’s attention when they became aware that such a kit existed. Many began to ask how they could get one to use. Sen. Maggie Hassen, the Deputy Commissioner of Education Mary Heath, as well as Heather Thalheimer, the Executive Director if the Parent Information Center met with us in January and is fully behind us and are excited about this project. The UNH Institute on
Disability is supporting DUF with conference space and training for the DUF members. The Parent Information Center is acting as the fiscal agent for DUF and providing trainings on the use of the Disability Awareness Kit.
Our Mission is to have a Disability Awareness Kit in every public school in New Hampshire within three years. The cost to put the Disability Awareness Kit into all the public schools in the State of New Hampshire will cost $107,640.00. Even though the cost looks high, this project has the ability to affect 200,000 plus children in the New Hampshire.
We are looking for partners; organizations or individuals to consider participating in our mission. Please see the enclosed donation sheet to see the different options.
We, as the members of DUF would like to thank you for your consideration. Through Understanding Differences we can break down the barriers to Friendship.
For more information on D.U.F. please contact Rebecca Ladd @ 728-8949 or Rebeccaladd@hughes.net
Thank you,
Rebecca Ladd
Differences Understanding Friendship
The Parent Information Center
P.O. Box 2405
Concord, NH 03302-2405
Your donation is tax deductible
Name:______________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________________________
Phone:___________________________ Email:____________________________________
Cash donations, any amount __________________________
Donate the cost of one kit, $230.00 to place in the following school.
______________________________________
I want a “in the name of” tag on the kit Yes or No if yes write info below.
________________________________________________________________________
I volunteer to be trained in and deliver kits and training in schools. YES NO
Geographic area I will volunteer in _______________________________________
I volunteer to donate supplies needed to put the kits together.
__ white paper __ 3 ring binders
__ pencils __ index cards
__ file folders __ sunglasses
__ pennies (we need 1404) __ legal pads of paper
__ plastic file crates __ pill bottles, with push twist tops
Thank you,
We will be in touch!
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