Video: Walk In My Disabled Shoes

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LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. [WCBI] — Some second graders at New Hope Elementary School are discovering its not easy dealing with challenges pertaining to cerebral palsy, autism, down syndrome, or impaired vision or hearing.

New Hope students were pretending, if only for a day, that one arm is disabled and must be placed in a sling. Its not easy doing simple every day things like homework or just putting on your own clothes.

“Its hard, they don’t realize the difficulty that some kids have with things that we take for granted. You know just being able to feed ourselves,” said Angie McCoy, Columbus Junior Auxiliary.

McCoy knows all too well the up hill climb and sometimes frustration experienced by people living with these challenges.

“My son has cerebral palsy; Its very mild,” said McCoy.

“Well, it wasn’t really hard on the right hand. But on the left hand its kind of really hard to do. I would feel very sad if I had that,” said Madison Logan, New Hope Student.

And so having mimicked the disabled… to feel what they feel, there is a better appreciation for the differences and some times difficulties of others.

“With the left was easy without the strap, but whenever you put it on, its really hard,” said Jackson Forstner, New Hope Student.

“I hope they are learning empathy and compassion towards other kids with disabilities and helping everybody belong and have friends, Because that’s important. Those kids want to be friends and be included just like everybody else,” said McCoy.

As they empathize with the physically challenged, New Hope Students in Lowndes County are making the grade.

As a part of educating about disabilities the students were introduced to working puzzles while blindfolded and touching pages of Braille books used for non-sighted people.

Categories: Local News

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