Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn Opens Disability Awareness Exhibit

NEWS RELEASE

July 15, 2014

Children'sMuseum

Raising Awareness and Understanding

OAK LAWN, Ill. – The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn has announced the debut date of a new disability awareness exhibit.

“What If…?” is a periodically-changing exhibit that will be open to the public on Tuesday, July 22. The exhibit will explore different disabilities and generate understanding and awareness by allowing guests to experience the disabilities firsthand.

“What If…?” will pose situational questions such as “what if I had…” and “what if I were…” to guests by replicating experiences of living with a disability.

“As a parent of an adult child with a disability, I have working knowledge through my son’s life experiences in some of the struggles he faces day-to-day,” said Adam Woodworth, the museum’s Executive Director. “Through the generosity of the Edmond & Alice Opler Foundation, as well as Two Little Hands Productions, the museum is able to introduce this exhibit to the public.”

The first topic that “What If…?” will feature is hearing loss. The exhibit will include a Dangerous Decibels activity, basic sign language videos and a lip reading component, among other things associated with hearing loss.

“Many of us don’t understand what it is like to have hearing loss, vision loss, or the use of just one hand,” said Woodworth. “This exhibit will explore, over time, a variety of disabilities, such as these. The outcome we hope to achieve is that children and their parents will gain a little bit of understanding. Not that you will ever really know what it is like to have permanent hearing loss, but this exhibit, for a moment, may help bridge the understanding gap and teach you something that you didn’t know.”

“What If…?” has been funded through the Edmond & Alice Opler Foundation and Two Little Hands Productions.

For more information, please contact Adam Woodworth at (708) 423–6709 ext. 201 or by email at adam.woodworth@cmoaklawn.org.

About The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn

Established in 2001, the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn houses several play-based educational exhibits for children of all ages. CMOL is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a vision to create fun-while-learning opportunities that inspire imagination and lifelong learning. For more information, please visit www.cmoaklawn.org.

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We want to acknowledge Signing Time Academy Instructor Monica Blouin for all of her work with the Museum on our behalf.

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