March 02, 2019

Quote of the Week

"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences." -- Audre Lorde

Ian, A Short Film On Playground Inclusion

"All kids want to play. Kids with disabilities are no different. “Ian” is a short, animated film inspired by a real-life boy, which sets out to show that children with disabilities can and should be included. The real Ian is a fourth grader who, like most fourth graders, wants to play with his friends. But because some kids are not used to someone like Ian—someone who has cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair, and a computer that works with his eye movements to communicate—they bully him and don’t include him when they play. This short film does not use dialogues to express children’s feelings, which makes it even more inclusive so that all people, regardless of language, race, color or flag, are able to understand the message of love.

Ian wants the world to know that he and all the other kids like him can play, too, if others include them. With his mother, Sheila’s, help, they managed to transform pain and anguish into action to break down the barriers of isolation that people with disabilities often suffer and to transmit that on the road to a more inclusive society there is no time to lose." [Watch Short Film]

Reading Corner

Title: My Friend Suhana: A Story of Friendship and Cerebral Palsy (Growing with Love)
By: Shaila Abdullah and Aanyah Abdullah
Ages: 3-8

Why? "This was such a beautiful book. Told in the perspective of a child with a friend who has cerebral palsy, made this so endearing. We learn that although Suhana cannot walk or talk or play the way the other children can, the little girl loves her all the same. She takes time to play with Suhana, to draw her pictures, to show her she is loved. Sometimes Suhana gets upset and frustrated and the little girl compares Suhana's moods to colours. Red for upset, Blue for calm and pink for when she feels loved. Suhana at seven is just learning to walk and the little girl encourages her all the same, celebrating her achievements." -- Amazon Reviewer

Be the Change

Watch the 10-minute film, "Ian", as a family and take turns sharing reflections about what feelings came up for each of you as the movie concluded.