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Airmen from Ramstein’s National Disability Employ-ment Awareness committee visited elementary schools within the Kaiserslautern Military Community to read to students for National Disability Employment Awareness Month Oct. 17 through 20.
At Ramstein Elementary School, second graders were read the book “Tuesday Tucks Me In” by Luis Carlos Montalvan, a book about a service member who has come back from war with post-traumatic stress disorder and now has a service dog.
Third- through fifth-graders at Vogelweh Elementary School were read “We’re All Wonders” by R.J. Palacio, which is about a boy who was born with physical deformities.
“Through these books, students had the opportunity to learn that not everyone is the same,” said Airman 1st Class Matthew Powell, 86th Medical Support Squadron war reserve material technician.
According to the National Con-sortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts, National Disability Em-ployment Awareness Month is a national campaign held in October that raises awareness about employment issues for disabled people and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities.
The National Disability Em-ploy-ment Aware-ness Month committee visited approximately 30 elementary school classes to impact hundreds of students.
“This opportunity allowed students to see how people with disabilities can lead a productive and meaningful life,” said Natalie Horne, Ram-stein Elementary School assistant principal. “The same is true for students with disabilities. With the right support, our students will be successful.”
Informing the community about National Disability Employment Awareness Month is important, and it starts with young students.
“If you teach children at a young age to respect others no matter their appearance or behavior, you will set a foundation for years to come,” Powell said. “Awareness starts with them.”
