World News from Belize

"A society where everyone, regardless of background or disability, feels welcome, included and supported"

Belize: Disability Awareness Week

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