Taking A Walk In My Shoes

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Chances are, at some point, your child will have a classmate with a disability.

The same way students learn to make friends, the Columbus Junior Auxiliary Organization is making it a point to encourage kids to learn about and be a friend to a child with disabilities.

It’s Disabilities Awareness Month, and the ladies of Junior Auxiliary are taking the chance to show kids what it’s like from some of their classmates perspectives.

“They were like, I can’t do it! I can’t do it! I said well, now you see what they feel,”

“Take A Walk in their shoes!” It’s a familiar phrase but it’s easier said than done.

“In My Shoes is a disability awareness program that we present to second graders here in the Lowndes County area. We go into their classrooms, and we discussed several disabilities and help them gain a better understanding of what it would be like to walk in the shoes of someone with a disability,” said Junior Auxiliary Vice President Bethany Bustamante.

Students spent the day experiencing the challenges some of their classmates face every day.

“For vision, we put on spray painted glasses. The children have to put those on and try to read braille. For cerebral palsy, we put on these harnesses that help limit mobility to see how difficult it would be to put on a pair of shorts or get dressed in the morning,”said Bustamante.

Studies show 13% of student populations throughout the country include students with special needs.

“Now, it’s a lot more common a lot more kids are being put into the mainstream classroom. I think that helps with their socialization. Whether they can hear or whether they can speak, they still need to be able to play with other kids and get their socialization and get that one on one that just being a kid is fun,” said Cook Elementary 2nd grade teacher Joanna Gunter

Gunter says these lessons are valuable to students even after leaving the classroom.

“Everyone is different. It doesn’t matter what you look like or what you sound like. Everyone has a voice. Whether it’s an actual voice or I have to use my hands as a voice, it’s going to help them in the long run. It’s going to help them compete in the world,” said Gunter.

This is the 10th year for the Disabilities Awareness Program.

Junior Auxiliary will do the program again in New Hope in the spring.