Walt Disney worked with his dyslexia.
Tom Cruise struggled with a learning disability.
Magic Johnson and Arthur Ashe lived with HIV-AIDS.
And Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart struggled with Tourette’s Syndrome.
But students at Voorhees Middle School were most surprised to learn that iconic soccer star David Beckham lives with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD.
And this was only the beginning.
Students lined up at a table to try and match celebrities with the disabilities they face everyday.
This was one of dozens of activities sixth-graders at the school participated in as a part of SPEAK Week on March 8.
In the gymnasium, students sat on the bleachers and waited for a teacher to hand them a sticker to place on their shirt. That would be their disability for the afternoon.
Some students weren’t able to speak.
Some couldn’t use one or both arms.
Some students lost the use of their legs, and some children put on glasses that blocked their vision.
Afterward, students rotated through three different sporting events, including bowling, volleyball and basketball. Students were challenged to stick to their disability and shoot a free throw with one hand or stay in one spot on their knees during volleyball.
Seeing all the students participate in the sporting events and hearing them talk about the challenges of having a disability or even looking a disabilities in a different way is inspiring to Dr. Karen Scardigli.
After all, she organized the event at the middle school three years ago.
SPEAK, Special needs Parents, Educators and Kids of Voorhees, began more than three years ago when a group of parents wanted to add their thoughts to the conversation in the school district.
Scardigli was personally inspired to get involved with SPEAK at the middle school a few years ago. She knows what it’s like to take care of a loved one with a disability.
Her 20-year-old son, Matthew McCaughey, with cerebral palsy, resides at the Voorhees Pediatric Center.
She also has a neurological background, so she thought to combine her passion for both with a way to teach the next generation how to respond to disabilities.
In the second gymnasium, students saw first-hand what it’s mentally like to live with a disability.
Students looked into a box with a mirror and tried to trace a simple figure. The results … not so good, some students said of their work.
There were quizzes and words association activities, presentations, Braille readings, sensory stations and puzzles to get students thinking and talking about disabilities.
Scardigili said she was happy to see students enjoying the activities and hopes students can bring even just one thought back home with them to share with someone else.
“To experience a disability, students become more tolerant, more aware and more sensitive to classmates’ needs,” she said. “They tell their parents it’s something they really remember. The kids teach their parents.”
