Skip to content
Menu
  • English Selected
  • Français

 

Header secondary

  • Sign up for eNews
  • Donate

Header

  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Our Programs
    • Leadership Team
    • Board Members and Committees
    • Donors
    • Annual Reports
    • 2021-23 Strategic Plan
    • FAQ
    • Work With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Champion's Circle
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • About Rick
    • About Rick
    • Rick's Story
    • Man In Motion World Tour
      • Man In Motion World Tour
      • The Dream
      • Tour Timeline
      • Tour Gallery
      • Tour Team
      • 35th Anniversary
    • Rick’s Work and Vision
    • A Conversation with Rick
    • Awards & Honours
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Get Involved
    • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Legacy Giving
    • Fundraise
    • Help make Canada accessible
    • Everyone Everywhere
    • National AccessAbility Week
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Become Accessible
    • Become Accessible
    • Rating & Certification 
      • Rating & Certification 
      • Rating Request Form
      • RHFAC FAQ
      • RHFAC v3.0
    • Accessibility Training and Education
      • Professional Training
      • Accessibility Training and Education
      • Tuition Grants
    • Accessibility Resources
    • Accessibility Professional Network
      • Accessibility Professional Network
      • FAQ: Accessibility Professional Network
      • Login
      • RHFAC Professional Directory
    • Post an Accessibility Job
    • Accessibility Advisory Services
    • Buildings Without Barriers Challenge
    • Leaders in Accessibility
    • B.C. Accessibility Grants
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Schools & Communities
    • Schools and Communities
    • Create an Inclusive School Year
      • Start with Awareness
      • Concentrate on Kindness 
      • Boldly Take Action
    • Resource Library
    • Ambassador Presentations
      • Ambassador Presentations
      • Book a Presentation
      • About Our Ambassadors
    • Difference Maker Awards
      • Difference Maker Awards
      • Difference Maker Winners
    • Supplementary Resources
    • Our Partners
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • News & Stories
    • News & Stories
    • Blog
    • Media Centre
    • Newsletter
    • Disability Reports
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Search
Hero Start with Awareness

Start with Awareness

Breadcrumb

  1. Rick Hansen Foundation
  2. Schools & Communities
  3. Create an Inclusive School Year
  4. Currently selected Start with Awareness

The first theme of our Inclusive School Year is “Be Aware”.  1 in 5 Canadians have a disability, and face both physical and attitudinal barriers daily. With virtual Ambassador presentations and resources for every age, you can teach your class or community youth group about disability inclusion, connecting to wider discussions around diversity, equity, and accessibility. “Be Aware” presentations are available from September- December, 2022. 

Get started by booking your RHF Ambassador presentation below, or explore additional videos, lesson plans and activities on this topic by grade level. If you have already booked a presentation, you’ll also find pre and post presentation activities here: 

  • Kindergarten – Grade 2
  • Grades 3-5
  • Grades 6-8
  • Grades 9-12
Image
Classroom with students watching a virtual RHF Ambassador presentation on a projector screen.
Hero

Book a Presentation

RHF Ambassadors are individuals with various disabilities affecting their mobility, vision, and/or hearing. They share their engaging stories with children and youth in schools and communities in the form of virtual presentations provided at no cost. Book a “Be Aware” themed presentation for your class, school or community group from September – December, 2022. 

Book Now

Have you already completed the “Be Aware” module? In January, join us for the “Be Kind” theme on anti-bullying, and in the final months of the school year students will learn to “Be Bold” making a difference in their communities.  

banner

Resources for Kindergarten - Grade 2 Students

illustrated children build a sandcastle on a beach. In the background, a man is pushing a woman in a beach wheelchair in shallow water. And older lady also walks up the beach on a beach mat.

On the Move (Video)

Join friends Alex and Liam for an afternoon adventure as they explore their accessible city. Presented by the Rick Hansen Foundation School Program, this short, animated film for Kindergarten to Grade 5 students shows that an inclusive world is possible with the removal of attitudinal and physical barriers. 

Learn More
illustrated children build a sandcastle on a beach. In the background, a man is pushing a woman in a beach wheelchair in shallow water. And older lady also walks up the beach on a beach mat.

On the Move (Audio Described Video)

Audio described for blind and low vision people. Join friends Alex and Liam for an afternoon adventure as they explore their accessible city. Presented by the Rick Hansen Foundation School Program, this short, animated film for Kindergarten to Grade 5 students shows that an inclusive world is possible with the removal of attitudinal and physical barriers. 

Learn More
Boy smiles and reads braille in a library, circle with a lightbulb illustration, title says 'no two alike part one'

No Two Alike: Leaves, Snowflakes, People Part 1 (K-2)

Pre-Presentation Activity: Students consider the similarities and differences between either leaves or snowflakes, then consider how people are similar – we all have some things that make us the same and some things that make us different.

Learn More
No Two Alike - part 2, smiling girl with glasses, orange bubble with a lightbulb

No Two Alike: Leaves, Snowflakes, People Part 2 (K-2)

Post-Presentation Activity: Students compare similarities and differences between children, including those with disabilities and learn that children with disabilities like to do many of the same activities that we all do.

Learn More
A little girl with blonde hair, wearing a white t-shirt and purple glasses, in a wheelchair. Title text says: "A day in your shoes"

A Day in Your Shoes (K-2)

Students are put into groups and given a scenario where they consider what it would be like to be someone else and how they would like to be treated in the given scenario.

Learn More
Students painting on a large white mural, title text says "Everyone has Abilities"

Everyone Has Abilities (K-2)

Students identify their own abilities and challenges, read a story about Rick Hansen and discuss how much we can tell (and can’t tell!) about a person just by looking at them.

Learn More

Resources for Students in Grades 3-5

On the Move (Video)

On the Move (Video)

Join friends Alex and Liam for an afternoon adventure as they explore their accessible city. Presented by the Rick Hansen Foundation School Program, this short, animated film for Kindergarten to Grade 5 students shows that an inclusive world is possible with the removal of attitudinal and physical barriers.

Learn More
Understanding Disability (Grades 3-5)

Understanding Disability (Grades 3-5)

Pre-Presentation Activity: Students watch a short video about a teen with a mobility disability, then answer some reflection questions.

Learn More
Assumptions (Grades 3-5)

Assumptions (Grades 3-5)

Post-Presentation Activity: Students examine their first impressions of different roles people hold in society (for example, Artist, Athlete, Musician). These mindsets are challenged by introducing students to famous people with disabilities who hold these roles.

Learn More
Assumptions Extension Activity (Grades 3-5)

Assumptions Extension Activity (Grades 3-5)

Students discuss first impressions and the importance of seeing beyond myths and stereotypes about people with disabilities.

Learn More

Resources for Students in Grades 6-8 

Changing the Conversation About Disability-Thumbnail-Updated

Changing the Conversation about Disability (Grades 6-8)

Pre-Presentation Activity: Students watch a short video about perceptions and attitudes towards people with disabilities as well as accessibility, then answer reflection questions.

Learn More
Elementary aged boy studiously looking down at and working on an assignment in a classroom. He has black hair and is wearing a navy blue sweater. Title text says: "Disability Awareness True or False"

Disability Awareness True or False (Grades 6-8)

Post-Presentation Activity: Students consider whether 10 disability statements are true or false. They learn that while first impressions can be misleading, we can do our part by increasing our disability awareness to make sure everyone is not erroneously judged and is included.

Learn More

A Day in the Life (Grades 6-8)

Students reflect on a typical week in their own life. Then, they imagine and reconsider their regular activities from the perspective of a person with a disability. Students portray this by creating a “Day in the Life” of a person with a disability art project.

Learn More
Rick Hansen and a young boy in a wheelchair smiling at each other, title text says "First Impressions and Stereotypes"

First Impressions & Stereotypes (Grades 6-8)

Students complete an exercise evaluate how first impressions can be misleading, and discuss their misconceptions. They will learn about the life of Rick Hansen and how first impressions affected him.

Learn More
Young adult with dark brown hair, wearing a grey t-shirt and blue jeans, photographed in their wheelchair outside. The greenery in the background is blurred.

Just Like U (Video)

This video introduces Elena, Jaelyn, and Tai, and their friends and family, who encourage all of us to create a more inclusive world. Speaking from their experience of young people living with a disability, they share their dreams about what is possible when we all choose to see the person first, with all of their potential.

Learn More

Resources for Students in Grades 9-12

Young adult with dark brown hair, wearing a grey t-shirt and blue jeans, photographed in their wheelchair outside. The greenery in the background is blurred.

Just Like U (Video)

This video introduces Elena, Jaelyn, and Tai, and their friends and family, who encourage all of us to create a more inclusive world. Speaking from their experience of young people living with a disability, they share their dreams about what is possible when we all choose to see the person first, with all of their potential.

Watch video
Young adult with dark brown hair, wearing a grey t-shirt and blue jeans, photographed in their wheelchair outside. The greenery in the background is blurred.

Just Like U (Audio Described Video)

Audio described for blind and low vision people. This video introduces Elena, Jaelyn, and Tai, and their friends and family, who encourage all of us to create a more inclusive world. Speaking from their experience of young people living with a disability, they share their dreams about what is possible when we all choose to see the person first, with all of their potential.

Watch video
Two young adults, one with short brown hair that is sitting, and one with long blonde hair with her crouching next to the other with her arms wrapped around their shoulders.

Circles of Trust (Grades 9-12)

Pre-Presentation Activity, part 1: This exercise will increase our awareness that many of us tend to create our closest communities with those that are similar to us. It will bring awareness to some of the unconscious biases and limited perspectives we may each have.

Learn More
Three teenager siblings sitting on a park bench. On the left is a teenage boy, in the middle is a teenage girl with white hair wearing sunglasses and using a white cane, and on the right is a teenage girl with long black hair.

Similarities Game (Grades 9-12)

Pre-Presentation Activity, part 2: We share more than we think! In this game, student in the middle of a circle have the opportunity to share a truth about themselves, while the rest of the students determine if they share that truth in common. Students then reflect on what they’ve found out about their classmates, and how if our natural tendency is to gravitate towards those that are similar to us, we may miss out on connecting with others we may really enjoy.

Learn More
Three adults conversing and laughing outside of a building. On the left is a man wearing a green zip-up, in the middle, a woman wearing grey clothing, and on the right, a woman wearing a black shirt and blue jacket, who is carrying a white cane.

Choosing to Include or Exclude (Grades 9-12)

Post-Presentation Activity: Students watch a short video clip, where Élise, a young Deaf adult, shares about an experience of being excluded. Students then answer some reflection questions, which can be either completed as a class discussion or as a written assignment.

Learn More
Two teenage youth sitting on the steps of a gazebo in a park.

Recognizing and Embracing Diversity (Grades 9-12)

Students watch a short video that introduces youth Elena, Jaelyn, and Tai, and their friends and family, who encourage all of us to create a more inclusive world. Students then answer reflection questions either by written response or as a group discussion.

Learn More
Television screen of a moment during an interview with Rick Hansen, title text says "Picture This"

Picture This (Grades 9-12)

Students examine the depiction of people with disabilities in the media and recreate an advertisement to be inclusive of people with disabilities.

Learn More

How can we support your classroom’s journey to inclusion?  

Get in touch with one of our team members for guidance on how our lessons and activities can help you create an inclusive, disability-aware classroom, and how to continue the conversation with youth on making a difference: schools@rickhansen.com 

Back to top

The Rick Hansen Foundation School Program
Made possible by the generous support of Scotiabank, the Gordon and Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation and the Skidmore Foundation.
Gordon and Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation
 

Learn More

 

Stay in Touch

Receive Foundation emails to stay up-to-date on our impact and programs.

Contact Us

1-800-213-2131
info@rickhansen.com

Rick Hansen Foundation
300-3820 Cessna Drive
Richmond, BC
Canada V7B 0A2

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Imagine Canada

The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under license by the Rick Hansen Foundation.

About Us - EN

  • About Us
  • Our Programs
  • Leadership Team
  • Board Members and Committees
  • Donors
  • Annual Reports
  • 2021-23 Strategic Plan
  • FAQ
  • Work With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Champion's Circle

About Rick - EN

  • About Rick
  • Rick's Story
  • Man In Motion World Tour
    • Man In Motion World Tour
    • The Dream
    • Tour Timeline
    • Tour Gallery
    • Tour Team
    • 35th Anniversary
  • Rick’s Work and Vision
  • A Conversation with Rick
  • Awards & Honours

Get Involved - EN

  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Legacy Giving
  • Fundraise
  • Help make Canada accessible
  • Everyone Everywhere
  • National AccessAbility Week

Become Accessible - EN

  • Become Accessible
  • Rating & Certification 
    • Rating & Certification 
    • Rating Request Form
    • RHFAC FAQ
    • RHFAC v3.0
  • Accessibility Training and Education
    • Professional Training
    • Accessibility Training and Education
    • Tuition Grants
  • Accessibility Resources
  • Accessibility Professional Network
    • Accessibility Professional Network
    • FAQ: Accessibility Professional Network
    • Login
    • RHFAC Professional Directory
  • Post an Accessibility Job
  • Accessibility Advisory Services
  • Buildings Without Barriers Challenge
  • Leaders in Accessibility
  • B.C. Accessibility Grants

Schools & Communities - EN

  • Schools and Communities
  • Create an Inclusive School Year
    • Start with Awareness
    • Concentrate on Kindness 
    • Boldly Take Action
  • Resource Library
  • Ambassador Presentations
    • Ambassador Presentations
    • Book a Presentation
    • About Our Ambassadors
  • Difference Maker Awards
    • Difference Maker Awards
    • Difference Maker Winners
  • Supplementary Resources
  • Our Partners

News & Stories - EN

  • News & Stories
  • Blog
  • Media Centre
  • Newsletter
  • Disability Reports

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ethical Reporting Policy
  • Complaints Policy
  • Imagine Canada Certification
  • Accessibility Commitment
  • Diversity and Inclusion
Imagine Canada

The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under license by the Rick Hansen Foundation.

Charitable Registration Number: 10765 9427 RR 0001 © 2023 Rick Hansen Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Back to Top
Hero

Our programs and initiatives work to create an accessible and inclusive world where people with disabilities can live to their full potential. 

Learn more
Hero

When Rick set out to wheel around the world in 1985, he had three missions: to raise awareness about the potential of people with disabilities, create accessible and inclusive communities, and find a cure.

Read more
Hero

Receive updates from RHF on the impact we’re making for people with disabilities across Canada.

Subscribe
Hero

Have your site rated and certified for meaningful access for people with physical disabilities. Make your community more welcoming and inclusive for all!

Get Started
Hero

Receive free educational resources that teach youth about the importance of access and inclusion.  

Learn more
Hero

Browse the latest stories about access and disability inclusion. 

Read our Blog