Future teachers share insights into disability

ALANNA WOLF Staff Writer
Northwest Missouri State University special education major Mekenna Wingard, standing, spoke to fifth-graders at West Nodaway R-I Wednesday morning about achieving greater awareness and understanding with regard to people with disabilities. Wingard explained to the class that many successful people have overcome various disabilities, including George Washington, first president of the United States.

A group of Northwest Missouri State University students, along with their professor, visited a class of West Nodaway R-I fifth graders Wednesday to talk about the history of mental and physical disability, and to create awareness with regard to people who must cope with those conditions.

Shantel Farnan, coordinator of special education programs at Northwest, and four of her students, Keyawna Conley, Meagan Cahalin, Alyssa Adams, and Mekenna Wingard, tried to communicate to the youngsters how important it is to show understanding for people who face special challenges.

“This exercise is part of a class I teach at Northwest,” Farnan said. “The students prepared a lesson on disability awareness, and now is their chance to actually teach a group of children about living with disabilities versus a group of their peers.”

One of the activities at West Nodaway included a dyslexia simulation.

Dyslexia, a reading disorder, is characterized by trouble with reading and comprehension despite normal intelligence. Those with the conditions can be affected to varying degrees.

In 2011, Farnan said, the Missouri Legislature passed a bill designating October as “Disability History and Awareness Month.” The bill encouraged schools to provide students with information about disability history and to promote the awareness of contributions made by individuals with disabilities.

“This year we decided to take it one step further,” Farnan said. “So we reached out and contacted some area schools to work collaboratively with — to teach these lessons to various grade levels within their schools for the month of October.”

Farnan said she worked with West Nodaway counselor Lori Snead to arrange this week’s classroom visit.