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Pathfinder hails Disability Awareness Month

Huntington Mayor Brooks Fetters recently signed a proclamation as part of the statewide celebration of March as Disability Awareness Month. Pathfinder Services staff and individuals who are served by the organization were on hand for the signing.

Throughout March, various organizations like Pathfinder Services will participate in similar activities statewide. Locally, Pathfinder Services has several activities planned for the month. The children at Pathfinder Kids Kampus will experience what it feels like to have a disability through activities like being blindfolded. The children will also have a story about inclusion read to them by Fetters.

The Creative Abilities Art Studio shop is open throughout the month at Café of Hope so patrons can shop for art created by talented artists who are served by Pathfinder Community Supports Day Services program. The Cookies, Canvas and Community event on Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. at the Café of Hope is also open to the public. Registration is available at pathfinderser vices.org.

The organization hopes that the community will join in to celebrate inclusion by participating in Spirit Week, March 11 to 15:

• Monday - Wear yellow to support Down Syndrome awareness.

• Tuesday - Go blue for autism.

• Wednesday - Wear green to support mental illness/cerebral palsy.

• Thursday - Dress in orange to support ADHD, self-injury awareness and Prader-Willi Syndrome.

• Friday – Wear purple to represent dignity, creativity, pride and independence.

This year the theme for the month is “Be Cool. We Are.” No matter the differences between people, it is always better to treat others the way you want to be treated, and this is especially true when interacting with friends, co-workers and other Hoosiers who live with disabilities. The theme is all about the importance of being comfortable in one’s own skin and making the conscious decision to be themself.

Each March, Disability Awareness Month is celebrated throughout Indiana. Led by the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, the goal of Disability Awareness Month is to increase awareness and promote independence, integration and inclusion of all people with disabilities.