The state of North Carolina designated October as Disability History and Awareness Month in 2007 to, in part, have local school districts “provide instruction about people with disabilities and the disability rights movement.”
In Durham Public Schools, education regarding people with disabilities and how to treat everyone equally and respectfully is observed and encouraged throughout the year.
“October as Disability History and Awareness Month provides an opportunity for our DPS community to highlight the voices, lived realities, and perspectives of disabled individuals,” said Dr. Kristin Bell, Executive Director for Exceptional Children’s Programs. “When we engage in this work with intentionality, we demonstrate our commitment to elevating the humanity of those with disabilities.”
Dr. Bell added that the district’s continued efforts to increase access and inclusive opportunities speaks to the value DPS places on all students.
“We all benefit and grow from interacting and learning from each other,” she said.
Morehead Montessori: A culture that’s about ‘all being all’
Morehead Montessori Elementary School hosts guests who speak to students about a variety of issues regarding disabilities during the month of October. Students also wear a different color each day of the last week of October, with each color representing a specific disability as a way to increase awareness and foster understanding.
“When we talk about accessibility and inclusion, it’s a culture, not a thing you do in isolation,” said Morehead Principal Tyler Steketee. “Everyone benefits from an accessible and inclusive environment, not just people who have disabilities.”
Morehead students with disabilities are included in everything that those without disabilities enjoy, said Steketee. Everyone participates in all activities, with necessary accommodations for students with special needs, regardless of what they might be.
“Seeing our kids who don’t have disabilities welcome those who do without condition speaks to the culture we’ve created at Morehead about ‘all being all,’” said Steketee. “It’s a thing people in our school do all the time. It’s an ‘all day all the time’ thing for everybody.”
Morehead recently applied for and received a $15,000 GO (Go Outside) Grant from the North Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission to create an outdoor garden that would be accessible for all students.
The garden features raised beds on tables for wheelchair accessibility, water basins with aquatic organisms that are also wheelchair accessible, and wheelbarrows and outdoor gardening equipment that are modified for students with disabilities. The students grow a variety of fruits and vegetables that they give to members of the community.
Forest View Elementary: SOAR brings awareness and appreciation
Forest View Elementary School has a similar philosophy of embracing and celebrating differences throughout the year. But the school has a special week of observance called “[SOAR](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zSnl7aDgvoBr9PU79oP6LDf2TSHdnhTq/view?usp=sharing): Disability and Inclusion Awareness Week” during the month of March, which is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. (The link provided here features the March 2025 observance, as the March 2026 event has not yet been finalized.)
“Disability and Inclusion Awareness week at Forest View is a wonderful collaboration among our staff, parents, and community partners to provide whole school awareness, appreciation, and education around disabilities,” said Forest View Principal James Boyce. “We bring in vendors as well as cater lessons to teach all students about disabilities, and students are able to participate in activities that provide hands-on experiences. This is a beloved part of celebrating the diversity of our school.”
SOAR week features daily themes that educate and lift up differences among students. Last year’s themes included “Alike and Different,” “What is a Disability?” and “Be a Helper, Not a Hurter.” Like Morehead, the school also invites guest speakers and offers activities such as poster contests and decorating areas in the school that accommodate students with disabilities to make them more cheerful and inclusive.
‘Different is OK’
Principal Steketee said that he is very pleased with the way his students have embraced their peers with disabilities in such a way that everyone feels equally accepted, included, and appreciated for who they are, without labels.
“Having students feeling like they belong is probably the number one priority at Morehead, and I think our kids do a great job with that,” he said. “My own two children go to Morehead, and it’s great to see my son work with a student who is in a wheelchair just like he would any other kid in the class.”
Steketee added that he receives positive feedback from parents of students with disabilities who are very happy with how well their children have assimilated and are having positive experiences both with learning and interacting with their peers.
“I think the thing we want students to get is the sense of belonging in a positive, richly diverse community,” he said. “They don’t feel different, they don’t feel ‘other.’ Different is OK, because we’re all different.”