Disabilities Awareness Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Series

DISABILITIES AWARENESS BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA MERIT BADGE SERIES

DISABILITIES AWARENESS

“Enhancing our youths’ competitive edge through merit badges” Requirements

1. Do the following: a. Define and discuss with your counselor the following disabilities awareness terms: disability, accessibility, adaptation, accommodation, invisible disability, person-first language, and inclusion. b. Explain why proper disability etiquette is important, and how it may differ depending on the specific disability. Give three examples.

2. Visit an agency that works with people with physical, mental, emotional, or educational disabilities. Collect and read information about the agency’s activities. Learn about opportunities its members have for training, employment, and education. Discuss what you have learned with your counselor.

3. Do TWO of the following: a. Talk with a Scout who has a disability and learn about the Scout’s experiences taking part in Scouting activities and earning different merit badges. Discuss what you have learned with your counselor. b. Talk with an individual who has a disability and learn about this person’s experiences and the activities in which this person likes to participate. Discuss what you have learned with your counselor. c. Learn how people with disabilities take part in a particular adaptive sport or recreational activity. Discuss what you have learned with your counselor. d. Learn about independent living aids such as service ani- mals, canes, and augmentative communication devices such as captioned telephones and videophones. Discuss with your counselor how people use such aids.

35883 ISBN 978-0-8395-3370-2 ©2021 Boy Scouts of America 2021 Printing e. Plan or participate in an activity that helps others understand what a person with a visible or invisible disability experiences. Discuss what you have learned with your counselor.

4. Do EITHER option A or option B: Option A. Visit TWO of the following locations and take notes about the accessibility to people with disabilities. In your notes, give examples of five things that could be done to improve upon the site and five things about the site that make it friendly to people with disabilities. Discuss your observations with your counselor. • Your school • Your place of worship • A Scouting event or campsite • A public exhibit or attraction (such as a theater, museum, or park) Option B. Visit TWO of the following locations and take notes while observing features and methods that are used to accommodate people with invisible disabilities. While there, ask staff members to explain any accommodation features that may not be obvious. Note anything you think could be done to better accommodate people who have invisible disabilities. Discuss your observations with your counselor. • Your school • Your place of worship • A Scouting event or campsite • A public exhibit or attraction (such as a theater, museum, or park)

5. Explain what advocacy is. Do ONE of the following advocacy activities: a. Present a counselor-approved disabilities awareness program to a Cub Scout pack or other group. During your presentation, explain and use person-first language. b. Find out about disabilities awareness education programs in your school or school system, or contact a disability advocacy agency. Volunteer with a program or agency for eight hours.

DISABILITIES AWARENESS 3 c. Using resources such as disability advocacy agencies, government agencies, the internet (with your parent’s permission), and news magazines, learn about myths and misconceptions that influence the general public’s understanding of people with disabilities. List 10 myths and misconceptions about people with disabilities and learn the facts about each myth. Share your list with your counselor, then use it to make a presentation to a Cub Scout pack or other group.

6. Make a commitment to your merit badge counselor describ- ing what you will do to show a positive attitude about people with disabilities and to encourage positive attitudes among others. Discuss how your awareness has changed as a result of what you have learned.

7. Name five professions that provide services to people with disabilities. Pick one that interests you and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss what you learn with your counselor, and tell why this profession interests you.

4 DISABILITIES AWARENESS .Disabilities Awareness Resources

Disabilities Awareness Resources

Scouting Literature Scouts BSA handbook in large print. Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Pilots and Program Development, Athletics, Citizenship in the Community, Boy Scouts of America. Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the Send requests via email to World, Communication, Digital Technology, [email protected]. Engineering, First Aid, Inventing, Medicine, The following materials are Public Speaking, Robotics, Signs, Signals, available at www.scouting.org/ and Codes, and Sports merit badge pam- resources/disabilities-awareness/: phlets; Guide to Safe Scouting, No. 34416; and Guide to Advancement, No. 33088 • Scouting With Special Needs and (section 10.0.0.0) Disabilities, an information sheet • Guide to Working With Scouts With With your parent’s permission, visit Special Needs and Disabilities, the Boy Scouts of America’s official No. 510-071 retail website, www.scoutshop.org, • Scouting for Youth With Disabilities for a complete listing of all merit Manual, No. 34059 badge pamphlets and other helpful • Individual Scout Advancement Plan, Scouting materials and supplies. No. 512-936 • Abilities Digest newsletter Scout Life magazine in Braille. National Library Service for the Blind and For more information, email Disabilities. Print Disabled, Library of Congress, [email protected]. Washington DC. Toll-free telephone: 800-424-8567 Resources for bullying prevention are available at www.scouting.org/training/ youth-protection/bullying/.

DISABILITIES AWARENESS 5 Disabilities Awareness Resources. Books Hoopmann, Kathy. Blue Bottle Mystery: An Asperger Adventure. Jessica Kingsley Fiction Publishers, 2006. A boy with Asperger’s Many of these novels are classics avail- syndrome and his friend travel an able in several editions and formats exciting fantasy adventure when they including audio and large print. discover an old bottle. Burnett, Frances Hodgson. The Secret Janover, Caroline. How Many Days Until Garden. HarperCollins, 2010. A lonely Tomorrow? Woodbine House, 2000. A boy in a wheelchair misbehaves until boy with dyslexia spends an island sum- his orphaned cousin moves in. A locked mer with his grandparents, developing garden brings them closer as they trans- strengths and discovering new talents. form the garden and themselves. Konigsburg, E.L. The View from Byars, Betsy. The Summer of the Swans. Saturday. Aladdin Paperbacks, 1998. Puffin Books, 2004. A teenager gains Four unique students attract the atten- new insight into herself and her family tion of their paraplegic teacher, who when her brother with cognitive disabili- chooses them to represent their class in ties goes missing. the Academic Bowl. De Angeli, Marguerite. The Door in Lord, Cynthia. Rules. Scholastic Press, the Wall. Yearling Books, 1998. In 14th- 2008. A sister helps her brother with century England, a boy with physical autism understand how to live in a world disabilities proves his courage. that does not always have compassion. Dorris, Michael. Sees Behind Trees. Martin, Ann M. A Corner of the Universe. Disney-Hyperion, 1999. An American Scholastic, 2004. After a school for Indian boy with a special gift to “see” people with developmental disabilities beyond his limited eyesight journeys closes, a family must deal with a child- with an old warrior to a land of mystery like young man whose existence they and beauty. have denied for years. Draper, Sharon. Out of My Mind. Mikaelsen, Ben. Petey. Hyperion Books, Atheneum Books, 2012. When a girl 2010. A man with cerebral palsy is with cerebral palsy who cannot walk or misdiagnosed and institutionalized. talk is given a device that lets her “speak,” Sixty years later, he befriends a boy she surprises everyone around her. and shares with him the joy of life. Flegg, Aubrey. The Cinnamon Tree. Philbrick, Rodman. Freak the Mighty. O’Brien Press, 2000. When a land mine Scholastic Paperbacks, 2001. Two boys explodes beneath her, Yola Abonda must unite to become a powerful team, using learn to walk again after the amputation their unique, differently abled talents as of her leg. their strengths.

6 DISABILITIES AWARENESS .Disabilities Awareness Resources

Polacco, Patricia. The Junkyard Wonder. introduction to the expressive language Philomel Books, 2010. A teacher used by many deaf people to speak inspires her class of students with with their hands. special needs to greater heights, and Floyd, Ingrid. Opening the Gate: Stories discovers hidden genius. and Activities About Athletes With Taylor, Theodore. The Cay. Yearling Disabilities. CreateSpace, 2013. An Books, 2003. During World War II, an introduction to the world of wheel- adolescent boy, blinded by a blow on chairs and prosthetics, with outstanding the head, and an old man are stranded athletes recounting the experiences that on a tiny island where the boy gains a helped them participate effectively in new kind of vision. sports and led them to the top of their Winkler, Henry. Niagara Falls, or Does athletic careers. It? Turtleback Books, 2003. In a series Freedman, Russell. Out of Darkness: inspired by the author’s own experi- The Story of Louis Braille. Clarion ences with undiagnosed dyslexia, a Books, 1999. A biography of the 19th- fourth-grader decides to “show’” how century Frenchman who developed he spent his summer instead of writing a system of raised dots on paper that the usual essay. enabled others who are blind to read and write. Nonfiction Kent, Deborah, and Kathryn A. Abramovitz, Melissa. Multiple Sclerosis. Quinlan. Extraordinary People With Lucent Books, 2010. Offers insights into Disabilities. Children’s Press, 1997. A the neurological disease known as MS, collection of biographies of 48 famous what causes it, and how people live people who made great accomplish- with it. ments despite their disability. Autism Speaks. Leading the Way: Kling, Andrew A. Cerebral Palsy. Lucent Autism-Friendly Youth Organization Books, 2012. Discusses the incurable Guide, 2013. A guide to help commu- disorder that strikes about two in 1,000 nity organizations make their programs infants yearly in the United States. more inclusive of children with autism. Krueger, Tira. Taking Tourette Syndrome Corman, Richard. I Am Proud: The to School. JayJo Books, 2002. Portrays Athletes of Special Olympics. Barnes & Tourette syndrome from the point of Noble Books, 2003. Portrays athletes’ view of a child who has the condition. dignity, grace, and joy in competition. Lauren, Jill. That’s Like Me! Stories Dougherty, Terri. Epilepsy. Lucent About Amazing People With Learning Books, 2009. Explains types of seizures Differences. Star Bright Books, 2009. and their triggers, and provides a Stories of 16 adults and young historical perspective on treatments. people who overcome by focusing Flodin, Mickey. Signing for Kids: The on their strengths instead of their Fun Way for Anyone to Learn American learning disabilities. Sign Language. Perigee Books, 2007. An

DISABILITIES AWARENESS 7 Disabilities Awareness Resources.

Meyer, Donald, ed. Views From Our Vujicic, Nick. Life Without Limits. Shoes: Growing Up With a Brother or Crown Publishing, 2010. Portrays a Sister With Special Needs. Woodbine man born without arms or legs who House, 1997. Children ages 4 to 18 lives a rich, fulfilling, independent life share their experiences of having a as an internationally successful motiva- sibling with a disability. tional speaker. Naff, Clayton Farris, ed. Muscular Warner, Penny. Learn to Sign the Dystrophy. Greenhaven Press, 2011. Fun Way! Three Rivers Press, 2001. Explains the causes and treatments Provides games and other activities of muscular dystrophy. that help the reader learn to sign. Oleksy, Walter G. Christopher Reeve. Weihenmayer, Erik. Touch the Top of Greenhaven Press, 1999. Discusses the World: A Blind Man’s Journey to the life-altering accident of the actor Climb Farther Than the Eye Can See. known for his role as Superman and Plume Books, 2002. An adventure- for his efforts on behalf of people with packed memoir in which the author spinal cord injuries. recalls becoming blind, acquiring a Paquette, Penny Hutchins, and Cheryl passion for mountain climbing, and Gerson Tuttle. Learning Disabilities: succeeding in climbing Mount Everest. The Ultimate Teen Guide. Scarecrow Williams, Donna. Nobody Nowhere: Press, 2006. Gives teenagers dealing The Remarkable Autobiography of with learning disabilities tools for an Autistic Girl. Jessica Kingsley coping with the obstacles they face. Publishers, 2004. Takes readers into Rogers, Dale Evans. Angel Unaware. the mind of a person who has autism, Revell, 2007. The story of a child with giving an insider’s view of a little- Down syndrome born to celebrities understood condition. Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Woodyard, Shawn, and others. Stern, Judith, and Uzi Ben-Ami. Many Resources for People With Disabilities: Ways to Learn: A Kid’s Guide to LD. A National Directory, 2nd ed. Ferguson Magination Press, 2010. Describes Publishing, 2001. Provides information different learning disabilities and the about advocacy, assistive technology, many things children with LD can do organizations and associations, reha- to reach their goals. bilitations, state programs, and more. Verdick, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth Reeve. The Survival Guide for Kids With Autism Spectrum Disorder (and Their Parents). Free Spirit Publishing, 2012. Helps young people with autism spectrum disorders understand their condition.

8 DISABILITIES AWARENESS .Disabilities Awareness Resources Organizations and Websites American Foundation for the Blind 2 Penn Plaza, Suite 1102 In addition to those listed here, many New York, NY 10121 local and regional organizations Telephone: 212-502-7600 support people with disabilities. Website: http://afb.org Internet searches (with your parent’s permission) will help you find them. American Printing House for the Blind Inc. AbleData 1839 Frankfort Ave. 103 W. Broad St., Suite 400 Louisville, KY 40206 Falls Church, VA 22046 Toll-free telephone: 800-223-1839 Toll-free telephone: 800-227-0216 Website: www.aph.org Website: https://abledata.acl.gov/ American Speech-Language- Adaptive Sports USA Hearing Association P.O. Box 621023 2200 Research Blvd. Littleton, CO 80162 Rockville, MD 20850-3289 Telephone: 720-412-7979 Toll-free telephone: 800-638-8255 Website: Website: www.asha.org www.adaptivesportsusa.org The Arc American Academy of Physical 1825 K St. NW, Suite 1200 Medicine and Rehabilitation Washington, DC 20006 9700 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 200 Toll-free telephone: 800-433-5255 Rosemont, IL 60018 Website: https://thearc.org Toll-free telephone: 877-227-6799 Website: www.aapmr.org Attention Deficit Disorder Association American Association of Toll-free telephone: 800-939-1019 People With Disabilities Website: www.add.org 2013 H St. NW, Fifth Floor Washington, DC 20006 Autism Empowerment Toll-free telephone: 800-840-8844 P.O. Box 871676 Website: www.aapd.com Vancouver, WA 98687 Telephone: 360-852-8369 American Association on Intellectual Website: and Developmental Disabilities www.autismempowerment.org 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 900 Autism Society Silver Spring, MD 20910 6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 305 Telephone: 202-387-1968 Rockville, MD 20852 Website: http://aaidd.org Toll-free telephone: 646-385-8500 American Council of the Blind Website: www.autism-society.org 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420 Alexandria, VA 22311 Toll-free telephone: 800-424-8666 Website: http://acb.org DISABILITIES AWARENESS 9 Disabilities Awareness Resources.

Autism Speaks Disabled Sports USA 1 E. 33rd St., Fourth Floor 451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 608 New York, NY 10016 Rockville, MD 20850 Telephone: 212-252-8584 Telephone: 301-217-0960 Website: www.autismspeaks.org Website: www.disabledsportsusa.org BlazeSports America 1670 Oakbrook Drive, Suite 331 Easter Seals Norcross, GA 30093 141 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1400A Telephone: 404-270-2000 Chicago, IL 60604 Website: http://blazesports.org Toll-free telephone: 800-221-6827 Bookshare Website: www.easterseals.com Website: www.bookshare.org Goodwill Industries International Inc. Brain Injury Association of America 15810 Indianola Drive 1608 Spring Hill Road, Suite 110 Rockville, MD 20855 Vienna, VA 22182 Toll-free telephone: 800-466-3945 Telephone: 703-761-0750 Website: www.goodwill.org Website: www.biausa.org Guide Dogs for the Blind Children and Adults With Attention- P.O. Box 151200 Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder San Rafael, CA 94915-1200 National Resource Center on ADHD Toll-free telephone: 800-295-4050 4221 Forbes Blvd., Suite 270 Website: www.guidedogs.com Lanham, MD 20706 Helping Hands Telephone: 301-306-7070 541 Cambridge St. Website: www.chadd.org Boston, MA 02134 Disability Is Natural Telephone: 617-787-4419 P.O. Box 39076 Website: https://monkeyhelpers.org/ San Antonio, TX 78218 International Dyslexia Association Telephone: 210-320-0678 40 York Road, Fourth Floor Website: Baltimore, MD 21204 www.disabilityisnatural.com Telephone: 410-296-0232 Disabled American Veterans Website: https://dyslexiaida.org 3725 Alexandria Pike Learning Disabilities Association Cold Spring, KY 41076 of America Toll-free telephone: 877-426-2838 461 Cochran Road, Suite 245 Website: www.dav.org Pittsburgh, PA 15228 Telephone: 412-341-1515 Website: https://ldaamerica.org

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Mental Health America National Federation of the Blind 500 Montgomery St., Suite 820 200 E. Wells St. at Jernigan Place Alexandria, VA 22314 Baltimore, MD 21230 Toll-free telephone: 800-969-6642 Telephone: 410-659-9314 Website: www.mhanational.orgt Website: http://nfb.org Muscular Dystrophy National Library Service for the Association USA Blind and Print Disabled 161 N. Clark St., Suite 3550 1291 Taylor St. NW Chicago, IL 60601 Washington, DC 20542 Toll-free telephone: 800-572-1717 Toll-free telephone: 800-424-8567 Website: www.mda.org Website: www.loc.gov/nls National Association of the Deaf National Multiple Sclerosis Society 8630 Fenton St., Suite 820 Toll-free telephone: 800-344-4867 Silver Spring, MD 20910-3819 Website: Telephone: 301-587-1788 www.nationalmssociety.org Website: www.nad.org National Organization on Disability National Center for 77 Water St., Suite 204 Learning Disabilities New York, NY 10005 31 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700 Telephone: 646-505-1191 Washington, DC 20005 Website: www.nod.org Toll-free telephone: 888-575-7373 National Rehabilitation Website: www.ncld.org Information Center National Center on Health, 8400 Corporate Drive, Suite 500 Physical Activity, and Disability Landover, MD 20785 4000 Ridgeway Drive Toll-free telephone: 800-346-2742 Birmingham, AL 35209 Website: www.naric.com Toll-free telephone: 800-900-8086 Special Olympics International Website: www.nchpad.org 1133 19th St. NW National Down Syndrome Congress Washington, DC 20036-3604 30 Mansell Court, Suite 108 Toll-free telephone: 800-700-8585 Roswell, GA 30076 Website: http://specialolympics.org Telephone: 800-232-6372 TASH Website: http://ndsccenter.org (Equity, Opportunity, and Inclusion for National Down Syndrome Society People with Disabilities) 8 E. 41st St., Eighth Floor 1101 15th St. NW, Suite 206 New York, NY 10017 Washington, D.C. 20005 Toll-free telephone: 800-221-4602 Telephone: 202-817-3264 Website: www.ndss.org Website: https://tash.org

DISABILITIES AWARENESS 11 Disabilities Awareness Resources. Telecommunications Relay Acknowledgments Service (TRS) The Boy Scouts of America thanks Federal Communications Commission the following individuals, who were 445 12th St. SW generous with their knowledge and Washington, DC 20554 time in assisting us with the Disabilities Toll-free telephone: 888-225-5322 Awareness merit badge pamphlet. Website: www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/tele- • Sara Qureshi, director, Program communications-relay-service-trs Support, The Kids on the Block United Cerebral Palsy • Chris Privett, communications 1825 K St. NW, Suite 600 director, The Arc of the United States Washington, DC 20006 • Doug Hind, manager, Special Toll-free telephone: 800-872-5827 Curriculum, The Church of Jesus Website: http://ucp.org Christ of Latter-day Saints United States Association • Dale McClellan, administrative of Blind Athletes assistant to the Young Men general 1 Olympic Plaza presidency, The Church of Jesus Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Christ of Latter-day Saints Telephone: 719-866-3224 The Boy Scouts of America is grateful Website: http://usaba.org to the men and women serving on the USA Deaf Sports Federation National Merit Badge Subcommittee for P.O. Box 2011 the improvements made in updating Santa Fe, NM 87502 this pamphlet. Website: www.usdeafsports.org Photo and Illustration Credits U.S. Paralympics 1 Olympic Plaza Burke-Triolo Productions—page 69 Colorado Springs, CO 80909-5760 CapTel®/Ultratec Inc., courtesy; CapTel Telephone: 719-866-2030 is a registered trademark of Ultratec Website: www.teamusa.org/ Inc.—page 26 (captioned telephone) US-Paralympics Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library/Margaret Suckley, courtesy—page 14 (Roosevelt) ©Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc., courtesy—cover (guide dog); pages 22 and 23

12 DISABILITIES AWARENESS .Disabilities Awareness Resources

Hemera Technologies—pages Wikipedia.org/James38— 17 and 52 page 26 (videophone) Library of Congress Prints and Wikipedia.org/©Matt Martin, courtesy— Photographs Division, courtesy— page 14 (Tebow) page 14 (Tubman) All other photos and illustrations not National Sports Center for the Disabled, mentioned above are the property courtesy—cover (skier) of or are protected by the Boy Scouts Randall Anderson/Rossmiller of America. Photography, courtesy— Dan Bryant— pages 8, 34 (street), 35, page 14 (Waddell) and 43 San Diego Hall of Champions, Tom Copeland Jr.—pages 13 and 32 courtesy—page 14 (Larson) Greg Crenshaw—page 5 Shutterstock.com—cover (wheelchair, Ernest Doclar—page 29 ©Jevgeni Mironov; prosthesis, (basketball game) ©Andrew Mayovskyy); pages 10 (©michaeljung), 15 (©Andrey_ Al Drago—page 7 Popov), 21 (©Goodluz), 25 (cane, Daniel Giles—pages 4, 40, and 60 ©Ververidis Vasilis; wheelchair, Jeff Hattrick—page 20 ©Jevgeni Mironov), 26 (smartphone, ©Sasithon-sj), 27 (man, ©Monika Mary Oakes—page 48 Wisniewska; woman signing, Randy Piland—pages 6, 30, 33, and 37 ©adriaticfoto; woman on phone, Steve Seeger—page 28 ©Elena Elisseeva; manual alphabet, ©Littlekidmoment), 34 (wheelchair, Trey Spovey—page 51 ©Konstantin Yolshin), 36 (man with recorder, ©wavebreakmedia), 38 (©Phovoir), 41 (©Chad McDermott), 42 (ribbon, ©GWImages), 45 (©Phovoir), 54 (©Deflector Image), 56 (©Monkey Business Images), 57 (©Monkey Business Images), 58 (©Photographee.eu), and 59 (©Monkey Business Images) Special Olympics, courtesy— page 42 (athlete) Wikipedia.org, courtesy—cover (hearing aid); page 29 (skier) Wikipedia.org/Sarah Chester, courtesy—cover (folding cane)

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