A sea of blue washed over the field of grass at One Kids Place as hundreds upon hundreds of small blue flags were planted along McKeown Avenue to raise awareness for Learning Disability Awareness Month, Tuesday night.
“What we’re trying to do is spread awareness and the need for support and assistance,” Stefanie Reading, Resource Facilitator, Learning Disabilities Association of North Bay and Area said. “There is a long waiting list for children waiting to get diagnosed and supported and we have over 2,000 students in this community that are identified.”
Reading said there is a stigma that individuals with learning disabilities are not as intelligent when in fact they are, but they need assistance in getting their information out.
“We all learn differently,” she said.
The Association planted 2,228 small flags representing the total number of students who have been identified with a learning disability within the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board, the Near North District School Board, Nipissing University, and Canadore College.
These flags can be seen on the lawns of One Kids Place for the next week.
Earlier in the day, the Learning Disabilities Association of North Bay’s flag was raised this morning at City Hall where Mayor Al McDonald was on hand to proclaim October as Learning Disabilities Awareness Month.
Also, as part of Learning Disability Awareness Month, the organization will host a free community workshop on October 5 at 7 p.m. at One Kids Place featuring Angie DeMarco. The goal of this workshop is to understand what a learning disability is, what it is not, what it feels like, and why students learn differently. This experiential workshop will build awareness and empathy regarding the processing differences that affect the academic success of students with a learning disability.
For more information on the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, visit their website, here.
