AWESOME WEEKEND AT PRINCETON!!!

Posted November 26, 2013

Princeton Disabilities Awareness

I just returned from speaking at a fabulous (and frigid) conference at Princeton University. An awesome, incredible, terrific student organization, Princeton Disability Awareness (PDA), held their 7^th annual conference on Down Syndrome. And for the first time, they teamed up with the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education (NJCIE). The PDA was founded 7 years ago by a student who has a brother with Down syndrome. After that student graduated, the student body voted to keep the PDA going, and it has grown steadily since then. Talk about inspiring!

The Keynote Presenter was Emily Srebro, a Self-Advocate who went through her school years in full inclusion; I gave the Plenary Session on teaching reading to our learners with DS; and the afternoon was filled by panels on both Inclusive Education and Transitioning into Adult Life.

Carnival for The Kids!

Most heartening of all was the “Carnival” held simultaneously on campus for ALL of the babies, children, and teens with Down syndrome. Parents simply dropped off their children to students who already had lots of information on “their” child. While parents absorbed information, the kids had a blast with crafts and fun. 120 students donned their bright orange “Chin Up for Downs” T-shirts and doted on 75 kids.

New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education

Here’s the link to the NJ Coalition for Inclusive Education: www.njcie.net. You can sign up for their newsletter and more. This caught my eye on the home page: “Are you a parent who is experiencing challenges with the inclusion of your child? Participate in one of our periodic, free “Lunch & Learn” conference calls.”

And this is from their “About” page: “Today, NJCIE continues to be the only organization in New Jersey whose sole focus is Inclusion.”