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Volunteering at Scouts is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing at Scouts. Read more

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Cubs Disability Awareness Activity Badge

Cubs Disability Awareness Activity Badge

Disability Awareness badge

As Scouts we believe in inclusion, which means everyone is welcome and nobody gets left out. Play your part by learning about additional needs and disabilities.

How to earn your badge: Choose one thing to do from each of the four lists.

  1. Disability awareness
    1. Explain what a disability is. What are the different types of disability?
    2. Research a famous person with a disability.

      Make a poster or write about their life and achievements.

    3. Visit a local community building like a library, town hall or cinema. How accessible is it for someone with a disability?

       Write down what you find out.

    4. Show how you could help someone with a disability to make the Cub Promise.

      Think of a different example to the ones in steps 2, 3 or 4.

  2. Physical disability awareness
    1. Find out about two different aids that can assist a disabled person. How do they help? You could find out about things like wheelchairs, computers, rising chairs or adapted cars.
    2. Find out about three ways to make it easier for a wheelchair user to use public places, like shops, parks, hospitals or libraries. How could your meeting place be made better for a wheelchair user?
  3. Deaf awareness
    1. Learn the alphabet using fingerspelling. Show you understand a word communicated to you using fingerspelling.
    2. Learn a song in Makaton or British Sign Language.
    3. Explain what equipment a deaf person might use in the home. You might look at special features on things like fire alarms, telephones or TVs.
    4. Show how you would approach a deaf person and speak to them so they can lip-read.
  4. Sight awareness
    1. Describe two different ways a blind or visually impaired person can read. You could talk about how they would use computers, Braille or Moon.
    2. Explain what guide dogs for blind people do. How are they trained?
    3. Learn and read your name in Braille.
    4. Show how to approach a blind or visually impaired person. How would you identify yourself?

Tips

  • You may have noticed that we've removed badge requirements that require simulating a disability. These were inappropriate and we apologise for any offence or upset they may have caused. 

     

    Often these simulations become a game, inviting a young person to have fun while replicating a disability. As Scouts, we promise to have respect for others, and so we're removing these requirements. We recognise that the reality for a disabled person is the barriers society puts in place, which makes their lives more difficult. Disabilities shouldn’t be perceived as fun and can't be avoided by simply removing a blind fold or stepping out of a wheelchair. 

     

    However, we've been working on improving our requirements for these badges to create a more educational, understanding and respectful badge. We're nearly ready to share a proposed new set of requirements, they'll be available soon and we’d welcome you to feedback your thoughts.

March 2024.

Requirements can be adapted to suit each young persons abilities. See our guidance on flexibility.

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