Senior Brianna Deeble volunteered for her third time at Camp Barnabas last summer, a ministry in southwest Mo. that provides unique experiences to people with special needs, their siblings and other youth across the US.
“You see people who don’t know what they signed up for,” Deeble said. “They start off really anxious or standoffish, maybe disrespectful. But throughout the week you see this change as they start having fun and learning things they didn’t expect to.”
Through the pool parties, dining hall meals, bracelet making and karaoke, Deeble realized something.
At Northwest there are divisions.
There are people who don’t treat students who have disabilities with respect, or approach them at all.
There is bullying, ignorance and a general lack of education.
That’s what pushed her to create Project Reach this year, a club about forming sincere friendships and sparking conversation between those who do and don’t have disabilities.
“Me and Miss Jenkins were really surprised at how many people already were wanting to commit,” Deeble said. “Which is good. Because every school needs this, a community that changes how we view disabilities and reaches people who aren’t trying to be malicious, they just don’t realize it.”
Last year, there was a pledge made to prevent students from saying the “R-word,” a derogatory term used against people with intellectual disabilities. Deeble had friends who wouldn’t sign their name or take it seriously.
Deborah Jenkins, the special ed. teacher, said she got reports from cadets that students were prompting those running the table who had intellectual disabilities to say the “R-word” as a joke.
“I graduated in 1996,” Jenkins said. “When I was in highschool, that was a term you would say to someone, like, ‘you’re being ridiculous,’ ‘dumb’ or ‘stupid’ and it was used very frequently. I have a friend who still uses that word and have to remind her that it’s not okay.”
Project Reach is meant to be a safe space for all students. They usually meet before school in room 104 or have parties in other locations twice a month.
“I would just say pull up,” Deeble said. “It can feel really scary at first. But we’re never gonna put you in a one-on-one situation that you don’t know how to handle. You will genuinely be surprised.”
