A puppet show designed to teach kids to better understand disabled people will be presented at the Harold Washington Public Library this Saturday.
The Kids on the Block Program was designed by special-education teacher Barbara Aiello, in Washington after federal laws in 1975 mandated public access for disabled children, which placed them within regular school classes. Since then, the program has been presented at schools and public libraries around the country, to help ease the disabled children into the mainstream.
”The academic transition (for the disabled students) was not difficult, but the social transition was,” said puppeteer Mary Waldman of Chicago, who will present the program this Saturday.
The puppets discuss their handicaps with ”normal” puppets and explain them in a humorous way.
The program runs 30 to 40 minutes, and is followed by a question-and-answer session. It is designed for children between the ages of 8 and 10.
The show, which is sponsored by the Illinois Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, begins at 11 a.m. at the library auditorium, 400 S. State St. Admission is free. For information call 312-747-4200.
