Elangeni School Disability Awareness Week! We recently had the pleasure of working with Elangeni School in running a fantastic Disability Awareness Week, filled with inspiring and eye-opening activities. We were delighted to be invited to launch the week by hosting a special assembly during which pupils listened to a lively and insightful talk from our Ambassador, Kat Panagaki, herself a wheelchair-user. Kat kindly shared some of her own life experiences of what life is like living with spinal cord injury and the daily challenges she faces. The pupils were fantastic listeners and were able to ask Kat questions about everything from how she brushes her teeth, to what it's like to travel in an aeroplane! Throughout the week, Elangeni pupils experienced how it might feel to face certain physical limitations through different challenges, which encouraged teamwork, communication and lots of patience! Embracing every activity with enthusiasm, the highlight for many was competing in their own version of the Paralympic Games, where they discovered the determination and skill involved in adaptive sports. They also challenged themselves to design festive Christmas cards without using their hands—a fun yet thought-provoking exercise that sparked creativity and resilience. Alongside their jam-packed timetable of challenges, pupils also took part in our Wheels at Work initiative, taking it in turns to experience the challenges of using a wheelchair themselves. This gave them a new perspective, encouraging them to think creatively about accessibility in their classrooms, with pupils demonstrating compassion and determination to make their spaces welcoming for everyone. The week ended with a non-uniform day with pupils coming into school wearing the charity colours, and taking part in a reflection assembly to talk about what they had learnt throughout the week. The whole school community got behind the week and thanks to their generosity, raised over £1,200, an incredible achievement, thank you Elangeni! Elangeni Head Teacher, Miss Burns said: “Thank you so much to SMSR for visiting Elangeni School! Disability Awareness Week was nothing short of an extraordinary experience. From the moment we met Kat during the assembly, pupils were captivated. Kat's powerful story of life in a wheelchair opened hearts and minds, showing our children the strength, courage and positivity that can be seen through even the toughest challenges. Overall, the week was a fantastic opportunity for Elangeni to celebrate diversity and develop a deeper appreciation for the abilities of all individuals. One of our most important values is inclusion and we were very proud to be able to support this charity.” Pupils were asked to feedback about their learnings and what they enjoyed about the week. Here are just a couple of their thoughts! “The Paralympic games were my favourite because it showed me how strong and fast you can be even if things are different.” Cara, Year 4 'It was really hard to move around the class and my desk in a wheelchair, but everyone helped me and it was fun" Lillian, Year 3 We are grateful to the school for inviting us along to be part of their brilliant Disability Awareness Week, and to our fantastic Ambassador Kat, for her support and kindly giving up her time. To find out more about hosting a disability awareness event and the Wheels at Work challenge, click here Manage Cookie Preferences