Bartley shares experiences in honor of Disability Awareness Month

Caitlin Bartley and her mother, Beth Melton, stress the positives of living Friday at South Callaway High School.
Caitlin Bartley and her mother, Beth Melton, stress the positives of living Friday at South Callaway High School.

"Stilettos are not a disability," Caitlin Bartley told high-schoolers Friday.

In Bartley's own way - using informative material mixed in with a touch of humor - the 21-year-old college student gave South Callaway High School students a presentation on disabilities. A former bulldog herself, Bartley was asked to come back to the high school to share her experiences with students for Disability Awareness Month.

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The 2008 Flower and Garden Show takes place Feb. 22-24 at the Statehouse Convention Center.

Whizzing around in her hot pink electric wheelchair, Bartley informed the high-schoolers she has congenital muscular dystrophy. She told them her disability should not be used as an excuse to feel awkward around her. Instead, she encouraged students to be accepting and respectful to those with disabilities.

Throwing in some humor during her presentation, Bartley shared a story about how girls with heels tend to steal elevator space at her college. She is a sophomore at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, majoring in social work and psychology.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.