Pride Outreach

PRIDE was a project housed at CDCI that helped students and educators explore disability rights and the social history of disability experience through the voices and experiences of people who lived it. The curriculum supported the integration of disability studies into your anti-bias activities and helped students explore disability as part of our shared history and social experience. In 2016 the Vermont Statewide Independent Living Council updated and expanded PRIDE. It is now known as Include!

The PRIDE Curriculum

The PRIDE Curriculum was developed in 2005 by the Vermont Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) with the help of teachers, family members, and individuals with disabilities. The purpose of the program was to bring disability pride to students with and without disabilities. PRIDE materials were free and available to interested schools. Updated versions of this program can be found for free on the Inlcude! Website.

Sample Lesson Plans from the PRIDE Curriculum

These lesson plans are presented in the same format as the full curriculum, with appreviated text for introductory purposes.

ELEMENTARY GRADE LEVEL (E)

LESSON 1.2E: INSIDE OUT

This lesson focuses on disability awareness and introductory exercises to the curriculum. This lesson helps students explore differences, including disabilities. Interactive art activities and suggested talking points help students talk about visible and invisible disabilities, the importance of respectful language, and the ways in which attitudes, fears, and stereotypes are formed.

LESSON 1.4E: DISABILITY DATA

This lesson uses personal relationships, a drawing exercise and disability readings to help students think about disability and difference as part of who we are as humans. Activities include identifying and identifying types of disabilities, understanding differences among individuals, and exploring what inclusion means in a family, school, and community. A list of suggested books is included.

MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL (M)

LESSON 1.2M: LANGUAGE 101

This lesson focuses on disability awareness and introductory exercises to the curriculum. This lesson helps students explore differences, including disabilities. Working in small groups students engage in a writing activity where they write a short story which has at least one character with a disability, with the overlying goal being to write with a positive attitude and respectful language. The concepts of harmful and respectful language are reviewed, as well as how they relate to communicating with or about people with disabilities.

HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL (H)

LESSON 1.2H: REPORTING IN RESPECTFUL LANGUAGE

This focuses on disability awareness and introductory exercises to the curriculum. This lesson helps students explore the origins of discriminatory terms and how to use respectful language. Students will engage in a journalism activity to learn about the concepts of respectful and harmful language and how they relate to communicating with our about people with disabilities.

Suggested Books for use with PRIDE

Mama Zooms

Jane Cowen-Fletcher, writer and illustrator
Scholastic Inc. 1993

A small child shares the fun he has riding with his mom on her “zoom machine”- a wheelchair. Their travels take him on the sidewalk, down a ramp and on imaginary journeys. A lovely read aloud book or early reader that can be used to stimulate conversations in many kindergarten and elementary school classes.

Hi, I’m Ben! … And I’ve got a secret!

Julie A. Bouwkamp, Illustrated by David Tesnar
Band of Angels 1995

In this engaging picture book for kindergarten and early elementary school children, Ben tells the reader all the things he does with his parents and his family. He also tells the reader/audience know that he has a secret to share. Readers (or listening children) will turn the page to get closer to the secret. Eventually Ben shares that he has Down syndrome and what that means. Before he get there, the story and pictures will help readers or children in the audience see how much they have in common with Ben.

Dad and Me in the Morning

Patricia Lakin, Illustrated by Robert G. Steele
Albert Whitman & Co. 1994

A young Deaf boy and his father get up early to see the sun rise. Steele’s illustrations include the boy’s flashing alarm clock and hearing aids and the author weaves the use of sign language and lip reading into a quiet and beautifully illustrated story of boy and his father sharing a early morning adventure.

Through Grandpa’s Eyes

Patricia MacLachlan, Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
Harper Collins Publishers, 1980

As John does things with the grandfather he loves, he learns how his grandfather sees the world through hearing, touch and smell. This picture book is for children from 5-8.

Enrique Speaks with his Hands

Benjamin Fudge, Illustrated by Tim Edmonson
Hilton Publishing Co. 2008

The words and illustrations in this picture book show a family living in a village Honduras. When the new baby, Enrique, does not hear thunder his mother realizes that Enrique cannot hear. His mother and sisters love Enrique but don’t know how to talk with him and he does not know how to share feelings and ideas with them. The children in the village made fun of him. Then one day Enrique goes to a school where he saw other children speaking with sign. As Enrique learns signs, his mother learns too and a world opens up for both of them. This is a story based on real life: The author met Enrique and the teacher who introduced him to sign language when they visited Honduras in 2003.

Do You Remember the Color Blue?

Sally Hobart Alexander
The Penguin Group, 2000

This book, for children 9 and older, shares some of the questions ask about being blind. The author, who lost her sight when she was 26, shares her answers to some of the questions children ask her most often: Was it scary at first? What does a guide dog do? Do people treat you differently? Is it hard being a parent when you can’t see? Why do so many people who are blind wear sunglasses? These are just a few of the questions Sally Hobart Alexander addressed in this book.

Never Sell Yourself Short

Stephanie Riggs with photographs by Bill Youmans
Albert Whitman and Co. 2001

Television journalist Stephanie Riggs interviewed Josh Maudlin when he was in junior high. She worked with Josh and with photographer Bill Youmans to create this book about his daily life. Josh talks about his friends and interests (learning to drive) and goals (being a pilot). His words and Youmans’s pictures show Josh doing all the things most kids do; but also show what it is like to live in a world designed for taller people. This book will interest elementary and junior high school students. It could also be used to stimulate a writing and photography project where students write about and photograph their lives.

I Am Utterly Unique

Elaine Marie Larson, Illustrated by Vivian Strand
Autism Asperger Publishing Company, 2006

This alphabet book for early elementary grades (and even earlier) goes from A to Z describing the interests, strengths and skills of children with high functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome. Bright big pictures accompany each page. The gifts of many children with these conditions are found in every letter of the alphabet, from animal lover, busy brain, and colossal collector to having an eXtra large memory and loving puZZles and piZZa.

Ian’s Walk, A Story about Autism

Laurie Lears, Illustrated by Karen Ritz
Albert Whitman and Company, 1998

Julie wants to go to the park with her big sister, Tara; but their Mother says that their brother Ian has to go too. Julie is angry about having to spend time with Ian who does things so differently all the way to the park. When Ian is lost and then found doing something he loves, Julie walks home with Ian and tries seeing and hearing and touching the world the way he does. This elementary school book has wonderful illustrations.

In His Shoes, A Short Journey Through Autism

By Joanna L. Keating-Velasco
Autism Asperger Publishing Company, 2008

This book for middle school students shares stories of days in the life of Nick, a boy who has autism. As we read about Nick doing all the things kids do on their own, in school, with friends, and with family, we learn how Nick experiences the world. Each episode in Nick’s life is followed by points to ponder and the book also ends with a glossary. Both children and adult readers learn a lot about what it is like to “walk in the shoes” of someone with autism.

Algunos nios son sordos: Some Kids are Deaf

Lola M Schaefer

This book for elementary grades (and younger) uses simple words and bright color photographs to explain deafness to young children. Children who are deaf and hard of hearing children are shown using hearing aids, closed captioning, text messaging equipment, visual alarms and other equipment and communicating through sign language and lip reading. This small books is a comfortable size for small hands and is written in both Spanish and English.