The month of March marks the beginning of Disability Awareness Month. The purpose of this month is to inform those that are unaware of how people with disabilities live their lives, and also celebrate those who live without allowing their disability define them.

The national month became official on February 26th, 1987 when President Ronald Regan declared Proclamation 5613 to make March the national month for Disability Awareness Month.

The President at the time said, “Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the month of March 1987 as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. I invite all individuals, agencies, and organizations concerned with the problem of developmental disabilities to observe this month with appropriate observances and activities directed toward increasing public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with developmental disabilities.”

There are over one million people globally with physical disabilities; those including people who are vision impaired, hearing impaired, those who are wheelchair bound, or use assistive devices for mobility. Non-visible disabilities including autism, ADHD, and cognitive dysfunction, just to name a few.

In order to give students with disabilities the opportunity to be a part of extracurriculars in a safe place, PHS established a Unified Track team to the list of spring sports. The foundation of the Unified Track team is being included without being judged for their abilities. More schools nationwide should take better action in involving all students, regardless of abilities, in their extracurriculars.