Building Bridges: Understanding People with Different Abilities

This month, Hackley Lower School students have been “building bridges” of empathy as they gain greater awareness about children and adults with different abilities. Read about their experiences here.
Three years ago, Hackley launched its “Building Bridges program,” inspired by a similar program offered in the Mamaroneck Public School District. Building Bridges has been warmly received by Hackley students and parents, and has become a wonderful complement to Hackley’s Character Education program.

Building Bridges helps students a gain greater awareness about children and adults with differing abilities. Empathy is one of the five character virtues studies this year and Building Bridges is all about having our students put themselves in someone else’s shoes, whether the focus is on blindness, deafness, motor impairments or learning differences.

The experiences the children gain from this program not only develop empathy and compassion, but they reinforce the belief that all people, no matter their differences, visible or invisible, have the same social emotional needs and feelings. Each grade level explores a different type of ability. Kindergarteners receive an overview of vision impairment, hearing impairment and physical disabilities; first graders learn about blindness/vision impairments; second graders-deafness/hearing impairments; third graders- physical impairments; fourth graders- learning differences/disabilities. First, students participate in hands-on simulation activities in the classrooms that are facilitated by parent volunteers. Then every class, Kindergarten through 4th grade, attends an assembly that introduces them to engaging speakers who provide personal, real-life perspectives on the grade level subject. This year, our 2nd graders had the incredible opportunity to visit Fanwood (The School for the Deaf) in White Plains. Over the course of their K-4 Lower School experience, students experience the full breadth of the program.

What’s most special about the program is that the parents get to be the “teachers” for the day in the classrooms. They take their jobs to heart, and work together to memorize scripts, work together as a team, and perform the activities with the students. It’s a volunteer opportunity parents deeply appreciate. One commented, “I love the program! My son explained the entire session to my husband and daughter at the dinner table this evening. To me that is a sign of a successful learning session. He also said ‘Mom, I was really proud of you today.’" Other parents observe how “contagious” the programs are – children come home and share the lessons with siblings and even visiting cousins. Above all, parent participants love the chance this gives them to teach some meaningful and important life lessons.

Building Bridges has also provided opportunities for Hackley students to share stories of siblings with different impairments in a way that they have never been able to reveal to their classmates before—sharing that builds trust, understanding and connection among students. The Building Bridges program only takes place one week a year, but its benefits last far beyond.
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