Johnson County issued the following announcement on Oct. 12.
Sheriff’s Deputy Dylan Hurt and Havencroft Elementary Kindergarten Teachers Abby Clinton, Chelsea Grammer and Noelle Silva were recognized on Thursday, Oct. 11 at the City of Olathe’s 15th Annual Community Awards Dinner.
Deputy Hurt, pictured above, was recognized with the Accessible Community Award for his work with the Take Me Home program. Any child or adult who may have difficulty communicating due to a developmental or cognitive disability when lost or in an emergency situation may enroll in this free program. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office maintains this database, including the individual’s name, picture, disability information, physical description and emergency contact information. This information allows a police officer to best assist these individuals if they are found lost or reported missing. The Take Me Home program also provides window clings for homes and automobiles that notify law enforcement personnel that there may be someone inside unable to respond to verbal commands.
Teachers Clinton, Grammer and Silva were also recognized with an Accessible Community Award. These three teachers have partnered with Johnson County Developmental Supports (JCDS), which supports members of community with intellectual or developmental disabilities, to offer “Fun Fridays” once a month in their classrooms. This interactive event welcomes clients of JCDS into the kindergarten classrooms, providing the opportunity for these clients to interact with the students at stations doing crafts and other activities. This partnership helps the kindergarten students grow up free of stigma-driven stereotypes about people with disabilities.
Several other individuals and organizations were also recognized at this City of Olathe event, sponsored by the Olathe Human Relations Commission and the Olathe Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board. As the Olathe Community Awards website explains: “The awards are designed to celebrate businesses, civic organizations and individuals who have made…significant contributions to enhance human rights, equality, cultural diversity and the pursuit of disability of inclusiveness.”
Johnson County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson was the keynote speaker for the celebration. Postoak Ferguson shared her experience raising a daughter with Down Syndrome and the challenges and joys that have come along with that experience. She encouraged the audience to be kind, creative and patient when working with individuals with disabilities. Through surrounding one’s self with people who are different, one finds his or her life greatly enriched.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Johnson County
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