March is Disability Awareness Month and Sycamore Services is celebrating by raising awareness about this year’s theme, “Be Cool. We Are.”

According to the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, the goal of Disability Awareness Month is to promote the independence, integration and inclusion of all people with disabilities. The 2019 campaign theme reminds everyone that it is always better to treat others the way you want to be treated, and this is especially true when interacting with friends, co-workers and other individuals with disabilities. “Be Cool. We Are.” is all about the importance of being comfortable in your own skin, because acting different around someone with a disability isn’t cool. 

Adults and children with disabilities represent slightly more than 19 percent of Indiana’s population. It’s important for all Hoosiers to recognize that individuals with disabilities have the same wants and needs as everyone else. Working together, we can help provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to live, work and contribute to our communities. Accepting differences, and recognizing the unique abilities of individuals, rather than focusing on their disability, can make our communities stronger.