Local high school’s ‘Best Buddies’ program creates an inclusive environment for students with IDD

Best Buddies participants explain the impact of Best Buddies at Midview High School on ABC 5 Cleveland. Best Buddies high school participants in Northeast Ohio are helping bridge the divide between their fellow classmates with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Rachel Thomas, senior, has noticed a major shift at Midview High School since the Best Buddies chapter was chartered. Students are embracing differences that might otherwise put distance between one another. “We just have to be more open minded, said Rachel. “They’re just as smart and just as capable as the rest of us and sometimes even more so, and they’re a lot more open to meeting new people and it’s really important for us to keep that in mind.”