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Increasing awareness of disabled community

Culpeper Star-Exponent - 3/19/2018

A couple dozen people walked or rolled onto Main Street in the freezing rain Saturday with bright balloons and signs for the Second Annual March in March for disability awareness. The half-mile stroll through downtown Culpeper felt frosty for March participants while increasing overall consciousness of the locally disabled community.

"It's not a march of protest," said Keith Kessler, chairman of the Culpeper County Disability Services Advisory Committee that organized the event. "It's a walk to support disability and accessibility. To highlight the issues in town, to be visible ? for people to know we're here and not to be forgotten."

Kessler, who uses a wheelchair, almost didn't do the march due to arm pain, but when it came time to start, he nonetheless led the procession from the downstairs worship center at Culpeper Baptist Church up Locust Street to Main Street and through the center of town.

"I'm doing fine," he said in the middle of it.

The march headed south for a few blocks before crossing at Chandler Street and heading north to Spencer Street before swinging back around to the church on West Street.

Jasmine Moctezuma walked with her sister, Emmy Smith in a show of support.

"I want to help spread the word that there are all these different programs to help everyone around the world and in our community," said Moctezuma, of Culpeper.

Inside the church, about 20 vendors highlighted those locally available services and programs, including for special education students in Culpeper County Public Schools. Special Education teachers Lauren Cook, of Yowell Elementary, and Julie Miglino, of Pearl Sample Elementary, manned a table with informational brochures like one about the Parent/Teacher Resource Center at Eastern View High School. The center has books, pamphlets and videos to assist in a greater understanding of special needs children.

Cook said her parents lacked such information about available resources for her younger brother, who has autism. She was 12 when her brother was born and helped her stay-at-home a lot with his upbringing while her dad was an over-the-road truck driver.

"I learned how to be an advocate for him," said Cook, who would come home from college to sit in on his meetings with teachers in school. "I wanted what was best for him and for him to grow up and be a good citizen."

Her brother is now 16-years-old and on the honor roll. He's also in drama club and plays sports. Cook always wanted to be a teacher, but her brother directed her special education focus.

"As I learned about autism, I saw everyone on the spectrum is different," said the teacher. "I was learning along with my brother as well."

It was all about celebrating differences at the March in March, and lending support to everyone. It's why Culpeper mom Kelly Robson co-launched an organization last year called, "Shooting Stars" ? to increase opportunities, perception, acceptance and quality of life for people with Down Syndrome and their families.

"Everybody is kind of quiet when they hear about the diagnosis," said Robson, who has a 5-year-old with Down Syndrome. "They fail to say congratulations on your son or daughter."

She is changing that through Shooting Stars, which gives baskets stocked with baby supplies, gift cards and other items to expecting parents of babies with Down Syndrome. It's called, "Project Congratulations."

Raising a child with the genetic condition is very much like being a parent of any other child, Robson said.

"Our lives are ordinary, but extraordinary," she said. "You appreciate things so much more."

Outside the church, four different local Lions Clubs came together to sell food on the wintery day; they also provided vision and hearing services.

"We wanted to be here to let people know they are not alone, there are people willing to help them," said Sally Kenavan, of Stafford, a district governor of the Lions of Virginia for this area.

Tim Brown, vice chairman of the Culpeper County Disability Services Advisory Committee, deemed the event a success in spite of the bad weather contributing to decreased turnout.

"The genesis of this was to highlight Culpeper's efforts and work in making downtown more accessible," he said. "We still have ways to go, but we are very fortunate that our suggestions for greater accessibility have been incorporated. This is a walk in union and in appreciation of that."

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