Through Children's Eyes

Through Children’s Eyes is a program designed to educate today’s youth about people with disabilities, the impact of inaccessible environments and proactive ways of dealing with these issues for a more accessible future. The program, initially developed and implemented by  Ken Sider, Riverside Elementary School Teacher in Oneonta, NY and Don Wyckoff, Architectural Barrier Specialist at the Catskill Center for Independence, is a comprehensive ongoing disability awareness program. Through Children’s Eyes connects existing New York State curriculum to an experiential component designed to engender empathy as opposed to sympathy regarding people with disabilities. One of its goals is to turn passive awareness of a problem into action plans that result in positive perceptual and behavioral changes among students, as well as staff. In so doing, the result has led and will continue to lead to better informed citizens prepared to acknowledge and stand up for the rights of people with disabilities, making our communities and our future more accessible.

This program has been replicated at other schools in New York State and beyond. Contact us to learn more about how it can be replicated in your school or for additional information about the program.