Birmingham Public Schools highlights Unified Week and expanded inclusive programming

Audra Holdorf, the district’s Director of Specialized Services, told the school board the district organized a districtwide Unified Week to promote inclusion, neurodiversity awareness and peer connections across pre‑K through young‑adult programs.

Holdorf said every school participated in adapted activities—examples included Unified Sports Bags tournaments, sensory‑friendly prom events at Seaholm, a Unified Autism Acceptance Walk that drew more than 200 participants downtown, and in‑class peer‑to‑peer programs such as Greenfield’s "Gator Buddies." She said the district is pursuing a goal of becoming a Unified Champion Schools district under Special Olympics guidance.

"Our goal for next year is to become a unified champion school district, culminating in a district wide unified sports games," Audra Holdorf told the board. "We want to broaden unified and adaptive sports across all grade levels, pre k to young adult."

Holdorf described grant and program supports used by schools: Special Olympics offers an annual grant (reported on the meeting as $1,200 with a $300 shop credit) that Beverly Elementary used to buy signage and activity supplies, and the Adult Transition Program earned an ambassador designation that includes staff training opportunities. She also said the district added daily adaptive swim classes at Derby and Berkshire and expanded community education adaptive classes; Community Ed adaptive activities have generated 94 registrations as of the meeting, she said.

Holdorf highlighted the training and outreach that led to the week, noting that families and staff helped shape the framework that principals tailored to each school. She urged building a district committee to refine the program, expand unified sports and host a resources fair to connect families with services.

The board also heard from parent Jocelyn Cook, who traveled with Superintendent Dr. Roberson and the district’s Director of Specialized Services to Washington, D.C., to advocate for full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Cook said she was the only parent in the room at several meetings and asked staffers to consider the human side of policy—she handed legislators a photo of her daughter with Down syndrome participating on a mainstream team.

"If you get IDEA right, if you get education for kids with disabilities right, everybody benefits," Cook told the board. "...look beyond the numbers and look beyond just the kids with disabilities because it actually is for everybody."

Superintendent Dr. Roberson told the board the national goal (as described in the advocacy materials) is that IDEA be funded at 40% of estimated need; he said actual federal funding averages about 10.3% nationally. The board did not take policy action at the meeting; Holdorf requested continued district support to expand unified programs and parent engagement work.

Holdorf offered to share a monthly Special Services newsletter and solicited parent feedback on potential disability‑awareness workshops and future program planning.