ENCOURAGING EMPATHY AND REFLECTING ON THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPECT: HNC JOINS CELEBRATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
03.12.2024Today (Tuesday 3 December) is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities – this annual day, hosted by the UN, provides an opportunity for organisations around the world to shine a spotlight on the challenges faced by those who have disabilities, and consider how we can work together to create a more equal world.
This year’s theme explores how those with disabilities can be empowered to actively shape the conditions of their daily lives, and how their voice can be heard while celebrating the value and diversity of all in our communities. For HNC, the day presents an opportunity not only for celebration, but a chance to help our students develop their awareness of the wide range of disabilities individuals can experience – and how many of the disabilities recognised by the Equality Act may not be immediately obvious.
Students have been able to join a range of interactive activities including reading braille, wearing googles that give an insight into what a living with a visual impairment is like and joining a celebrity hidden disabilities quiz. At this students were asked to identify the hidden disability of a range of famous people including David Beckham and Elton John, and access a QR code which provided the correct answer. Students have also been exploring and discussing individuals with disabilities who have made huge contributions within their chosen subject areas, and exploring just how different the world might be without these significant contributions. Our community has also worked to create badges which demonstrate and celebrate our support of those with disabilities. A collection of images from our events can be found below.
Stuart Ogden, Enlighten Lead comments: “Over 1 in 5 of the UK population has a recognised disability. As a College we provide varied and exciting opportunities for students to actively explore, debate and discuss the power of diversity, and provide ways for our community to learn from the experiences of others. As a College, we are proud to welcome students of all abilities, and joining this international day has provided an additional opportunity for our College community to develop their knowledge of the wide range of disabilities that exist, and deepen their empathy and respect for the uniqueness of others. We believe that by empowering students’ knowledge and understanding, they will be able to play their part in addressing inequality and prejudice in the wider world and today has helped us focus on how we can do this, both collectively and as individuals. I would like to I would like to thank all of the teams at HNC who have worked to help create engaging and meaningful ways to get everyone talking about disabilities.”
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