In 1979, the
PACER Puppets, a multicultural cast representing children with various
disabilities, were introduced to classrooms of kindergarten through fourth
graders. The puppets, each a unique work of handcrafted art, were created as an
innovative teaching tool to educate children about their peers with
disabilities and assist schools in efforts to implement programs of inclusion.
The puppets
come to life through the puppetry techniques of trained volunteers. The COUNT
ME IN shows range from 35 minutes to one hour, depending on the age of the
students, and typically include scripts on blindness, deafness, spina bifida or
cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome. Supplementary scripts on a variety of other
disabilities have also been developed.
The goals of
the COUNT ME IN project are to provide an opportunity for children to explore
disabilities in a comfortable learning environment, gain acceptance of
disabilities through understanding, and foster positive attitudes toward
persons with disabilities.
The LET'S
PREVENT ABUSE puppet project was added in 1984 because of awareness that people
with disabilities are more vulnerable to maltreatment. In the LET'S PREVENT
ABUSE show, which lasts about 35 minutes and is designed for children in grades
1-4, the puppets talk to students about child abuse, safety skills, and that
abuse is never the child's fault.
PACER’s
puppet shows are entertaining as well as educational. Children easily identify
with the puppets and are able to interact with them through questions and
dialogue.