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Disability Awareness and History Month

This is a graphic that includes the disability rainbow flag, a variety of people holding hands in silhouette, including an individual in a wheelchair, the Berkeley Unified logo, and the text: Berkeley Unified School District introduces January as Disability Awareness and History Month in BUSD, January 1-31, 2024

On December 6, 2023, the Board of Education adopted a resolution to combat the marginalization of those with disabilities in our school community by establishing January as Disability Awareness and History Month in BUSD.  This month is an opportunity to recognize and honor the contributions of  those with disabilities who have enriched and inspired our nation and generate learning around the experiences of those with disabilities.

This is an image of Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel with the words: A Note From Enikia, Superintendent Ford Morthel. It includes the image of a pencil with the following words written on the pencil: Excellence, Equity, Engagement, Enrichment

Dear Berkeley Unified Community,

On December 6, 2023, our Board of Education voted unanimously to approve Resolution 24-017: Declaring January Disability Awareness and History Month in BUSD. January holds particular significance in Berkeley as it is the birth month of Ed Roberts, who began the disability rights movement at UC Berkeley leading to curb cuts nationwide and the development of centers for independent living.

I am proud of the work done by School Board President Ana Vasudeo and the many staff, students, and community members involved in the development of this resolution. It reflects the district’s commitment to our mission to enable and inspire our diverse student body to achieve academic excellence and make positive contributions to our world and to ensure Excellence, Equity, Engagement, and Enrichment for all students we serve. 

The district recognizes that students with disabilities have a right to and have the ability to learn alongside their non-disabled peers and must be provided equitable and meaningful opportunities to learn and grow. We achieve engaging and excellent education when all of our students learn from and with each other. 

Disability Awareness and History Month in BUSD is an opportunity to educate our community about the many historical contributions of those with disabilities, and to center the experiences and needs of our students and staff with disabilities. By engaging in critical conversations about disability and providing educator and family resources, we will encourage a culture of inclusion and belonging not only in January but year-round.

Join BUSD in celebrating, uplifting, and honoring the diverse histories, experiences, and voices of our disabled students, staff, and community members throughout the month. Together we can  disrupt the marginalization of those with disabilities and create a more equitable and inclusive school district, community, and society that will allow all students to thrive. 

In community,

Enikia Ford Morthel
Superintendent

About the Flag

this is a graphic of the disability pride rainbow flag on a dark grey backdrop, the rainbow colors are pink, yellow, white, blue and green

The Disability Pride Flag underwent a makeover for accessibility purposes in 2021. The parallel stripes stand for intracommunal solidarity. The colors on the flag symbolize various disability experiences. The black background mourns disabled people who have passed away. The stripe’s color represents disability types:

  • Red: physical disabilities
  • Gold: cognitive and intellectual disabilities
  • White: nonvisible and undiagnosed disabilities
  • Blue: psychiatric disabilities
  • Green: sensory disabilities

Read more about the flag here.

Disability Pride Flag Coloring Sheets

Events 

Community members joined BUSD staff, students, and families at these events in celebration of Disability Awareness and History Month in BUSD.

January 25, 2024: Virtual BUSD Community Conversation on Disability Awareness and Neurodivergence

This is an image of a slide from a community conversation presentation titled: What is Neurodiversity? It includes this copy: Neurotypical/Neurodivergent: Umbrella term that includes mental health conditions, learning disabilities and other diagnosis- difference of brain function and behavior traits. Different way of thinking, learning, problem solving and communicating. 15-20% of the global population has a diagnoses related to neurodiversity. On the right side of the slide there is a colorful image of the human brain surrounded by a group of colorful circles. Each circle has some words in it. These are the words: OCD, Developmental Disabilities, ADHD/ADD, Intellectual Disabilities, Auditory Processing, Speech Delays, Sensory Integration Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Dyspraxia, Anxiety, Dyslexia, Autism. There is an arrow in the center of the image. Clicking on the image will play the video of the event.

In this video, linked above, BUSD staff members share about neurodivergence and how it is addressed in teaching. Guest speakers who identify as neurodivergent share their own learning experiences. View the deck in English and in Spanish. 

Reading Lists for All Ages  

These reading lists, organized by grade level, were curated by our library staff from the Schneider Book Awards, an award presented yearly by the American Library Association that honors artistic expression for the disability experience. Every school library will receive copies of some of the newest books on the lists in both English and Spanish.

This is a picture of the cover of the book "Just Ask!" written by Sonir Sotomayor and illustrated by Rafael Lopez. It had a child pushing a wheel barrow with the text "Be different, be brave, be you!" below him     This is a picture of the cover of the book "show me a sign" by Ann Clare LeZotte. The cover is of a girls face and hands performing sign language. The illustration is completely blue.   This is a picture of the cover of the book "A Face for Picasso, a memoir" by Ariel Henley. It has a photograph of the profile of a girls face and abstract illustrations around the photograph on a light blue background.    This is the image of the cover of the book "Breathe and Count Back From Ten" by Natalia Sylvester. It has an illustration of a girl swimming in large waves with a pink sky.

Family Guides

 

Enjoy the 2023-2024 Family Guide for celebrating Disability Awareness and History Month in BUSD.

This is the english family guide for Disability Awareness and History Month, it is grey and purple and has a black and white photo of disability activists and a colorful painting of a building. The readable pdf is linked below

Family Guide English

This is the Spanish family guide for Disability Awareness and History Month, it is grey and purple and has a black and white photo of disability activists and a colorful painting of a building. The readable pdf is linked below

Family Guide Spanish

Teaching Guide

This  2023-2024 Teaching Guide supports educators in celebrating Disability Awareness and History Month in  BUSD classrooms and schools.

This is a screenshot of the teaching guide for Disability Awareness and History Month. It is grey and purple and has a self portrait of Frida Khalo and a black and white photo of Bradley Lomax, the readable pdf is linked below

 

Teaching Guide

Additional Resources

This is an image of a document titled : Disability Awareness and History Month in BUSD. January 2024. The image pictures an adult male on it with a quote that states "Disability is Strength. Our number one issue is still old attitudes toward us, and those old attitudes see us as helpless and unable and disability can make you very strong and very able." -Ed Roberts. Berkeley Public Schools logo is aligned at the bottom left corner of this image.

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Anti-Bullying: Board Policy | Administrative Regulation | Compliance

Suicide Prevention: Board Policy

Notification of Non-Discrimination Policy:

The Berkeley Unified School District is committed to providing equal opportunity for all individuals in district programs and activities. Accordingly, BUSD programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression; nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. The Board shall promote programs which ensure that discriminatory practices are eliminated in all district activities. (Board Policy 0410, Board Policy 1311, Board Policy 4030, Board Policy 5145.3, Board Policy 5145.7)

The Board also prohibits retaliation against any district employee or job applicant who complains, testifies or in any way participates in the district's complaint procedures instituted pursuant to this policy. (Board Policy 4030)

Complaint forms are available at school sites and on the district webpage at www.berkeleyschools.net/complaints.

For inquiries or concerns regarding BUSD nondiscrimination policy 5145.3 or the filing of discrimination complaints please contact:
Jasmina Viteskic, Title IX Coordinator/Compliance Officer
2020 Bonar Street Room 116, Berkeley, CA 94702
Phone: 510.486.9338     Email: nondiscrimination@berkeley.net
More information is available at www.berkeleyschools.net/non-discrimination/.
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