Some people have different feelings because their nerves are different. People who are blind have to use Braille. Blind people do the same stuff that we do. Those were examples elementary students gave when asked what they learned at the 13th annual Barrier Awareness Day on Friday. Almost 275 fifth- and sixth-graders from Aberdeen public schools, Roncalli Elementary, Aberdeen Christian School and Northwestern School in Mellette attended the event at the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Aberdeen.

At the event, sponsored by the Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities, the students got to experience what it's like to live with a disability, including blindness, deafness, physical disability and learning disability.

"People with disabilities may face obstacles, but we're all people, we're all alike, and we can learn to help each other," speaker Dawn Brush told the children.

Learning stations taught topics such as what it would be like to be autistic and the use of "people first" language - saying "a person who is blind," not "a blind person," said Alma Sahli, who co-chaired the event with Marianne Dale. Students even learned a little bit of American Sign Language, Sahli said.

They also learned that waving their hands in the air is the way to applaud for someone who is deaf.

Roncalli sixth-graders Nicole Outka and Erica Carrels said navigating wheelchairs through an obstacle course was a little tricky. So was another exercise, they and their classmates said: Students partnered up and took turns putting on a blindfold and leading the other around.

Simmons Elementary School fifth-graders Keegan Hovel and Taylor Rombs said they had difficulty shooting a basketball while sitting in a wheelchair - neither of them made a basket.

For lunch, each student was given a disability. Some had to try to eat with socks over their hands or their fingers taped together; some wore ear plugs. Some, including Sarah Dutt, had to wear a blindfold - a difficult task, the Simmons Elementary School fifth-grader said as she struggled to open a snack bag.

Students received T-shirts that said "Barrier Awareness Day." The phrase was also spelled out in Braille, American Sign Language, and was written as it would appear to a person with dyslexia.

Volunteers from various organizations, including Opportunities for Independent Living, the Mayor's Advisory Council on Disabilities and Hub Area Technical School's health occupations class, helped at the event, Sahli said.

Also volunteering were Derek and Wade Turner - twins, Custer natives and seniors at the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

"I think it is really good for students to learn about people with disabilities," Derek Turner said.

Speaker Brush, who is visually impaired, brought her guide dog, a 9-year-old yellow Lab named Whimsey. Brush shared many facts about guide dogs:

The correct term is actually "dog guide," though people commonly call them "guide dogs."

Labs, golden retrievers, retriever/Lab mixes and Labradoodles are most commonly used as guides.

It's best to ask the handler's permission before you pet a guide dog.

Guide dogs typically "retire" at 10-12 years old.

One student asked Brush whether Whimsey ever makes mistakes.