Disability Awareness Week is
being observed this week under the theme, "The Goal is
Inclusion - Victory for All." Love News spoke with
Educational Assessor of the Special Education Unit of the
Ministry of Education, Merlene Neal about the week.
Merlene Neal:"Disability Awareness
Week is a week set aside in the year to inform the public
to raise the awareness of children with special
educational needs both in regular and inclusive
education. The week starts with a church service
yesterday at Wesley Church and the activities for the
week,we are going to have radio and talk shows.On
Wednesday we are going to have our Care Belize open
house, on Thursday will be the Crystal National Spelling
Bee for the Deaf,on Friday we'll have a parade in the
streets of Belize City beginning Yarborough Green and
ending back on the Stella Maris compound and on
Saturday,June 2nd there will be a gala dinner to raise
funds for Special Olympics to send our participants to
China."
Neal explains one of the week's
highlight, the National Crystal Spelling Bee for the
Deaf.
"Crystal Spelling Bee is for the
children who are deaf.It's similar to the National Coca
Cola Spelling Bee it's just that our children spell with
their hands instead of orally. We would like to ask the
public to support children with special needs because
these children are in our society and we would like to
promote and create a welcoming community where the
children will feel wanted and appreciated."
Neal says last year, Elton Colon, a
student of Stella Maris School won the National Crystal
Spelling Bee for the Deaf. For more information on the
calendar of events in connection with Disability Week,
contact the Special Education Unit at telephone number
2-2-3-1-1-5-0.
Source: www.lovefm.com
