Advocacy for barrier-free, public access for persons with disabilities is an ongoing process. Most of us  recognize that persons using wheelchairs and those who are blind and using a service dog should be able to be  accommodated in restaurants, grocery  stores, department stores, and houses of worship as well as public buildings. However, many persons whose disabilities are not visible, are being denied access when accompanied by their service animals. Who are they? They are children and adults who have any type of a disability for which their physician has recommended a service animal.

Please visit the web site of The Canadian Registry of Therapy Animals and Service Animals (CRTASA) at www.crtasa.com. They are providing persons with disabilities a way of validating their right to barrier-free public access. They are Canada’s first official centralized registration service issuing membership services and photo I.D. card registration in Canada and the United States to people with disabilities, their certified service animals, handlers of service animals in training and owners of trained therapy animals.

There are membership details for people with disabilities using certified service animals for assistance, trainers or handlers of service animals in training or owners of trained therapy animals in Canada and the US. Those who train, handle or use a service animal or own a trained therapy animal can apply for the new, official, standardized CRTASA Photo ID Card designed to offer verified CRTASA members with great membership savings on animal related purchases at participating businesses as well as enhanced barrier free access to public places across Canada and the USA by showing the official standardized CRTASA Photo ID Card when using a service animal for assistance.

CRTASA is also collaborating with businesses and service providers across Canada and the USA  to increase promotional saving discounts for their  members. If you are a business or know of a business that might be  interested in becoming one of their Corporate Accessibility Fellows please email them at: corporatesponsorship@crtasa.com

By: http://ilearntechnology.com

What it is: Can Do Street is a website that has games, lessons, and videos focused on character development for young students.  The site is membership based but does have some free content. Hector’s Being Selfish is a free video on the site that teaches students what it means to be selfish.  The cartoon is easy to understand and helps kids recognize selfishness and what it means to be a good friend.  Throughout the video, students are given the chance to interact by answering questions.

How to integrate Hector’s Being Selfish into the classroom: This videos helps children recognize selfishness and offers ways that they can be a good friend.  Character education needs to be taught, we can’t expect that all children will naturally pick it up.  Kids come from different backgrounds and differing expectations at home.  Hector’s Being Selfish is a good video to begin the school year with, and would be a great reminder mid-year.  Watch the video as a whole class and invite students to vote on their answers throughout the video.

There are three “Can Do” Kids that have disabilities. Annie wears a hearing aid because she has  hearing loss. Orrie uses a wheelchair to get around and Mickey is blind. These characters are there to introduce young children visiting  “Can Do’ Street  to kids who can do much of what they can do despite the fact that they may look different to them.

Mickey and his dog Muggins make children aware of the role of a guide dog. Mickey talks about how Braille enables him to read music so he can play the saxophone. Annie shows visitors that her hearing loss doesn’t prevent her from being good at basketball or playing the drums in the community center band. Orrie needs a wheelchair to get around, but he can swim, is a straight A student and sings in the community center chorus.

These characters show young visitors to “Can Do” Street that kids with disabilities make good friends who don’t let their disabilities get in the way of having fun.