Carey Services is joining with other disability advocates around the country to observe National Disability Awareness Month in March.

In Indiana, more than 19 percent of the state’s population are children and adults with disabilities. The goal of the month-long observance, which has been occurring for more than 70 years, is to increase awareness of those who have disabilities while also promoting inclusion and independence for all people.

This year’s theme and poster artwork — “I’m Not Your Inspiration” — emphasizes an important fact: people with disabilities are people first and defined by their abilities, not the challenges they might face. They are co-workers, classmates and neighbors who want to be fully included in their communities like everyone else.

For more information, visit the website of the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities here.