Photo Provided This month, the Belmont County Board of Developmental Disabilities is donating children’s books on acceptance and inclusion to every public library and elementary school library in the county. Here, Erin Schramm, center, representing the DD Board, presents the donation to Martins Ferry Public Library children’s librarian Anessa Keifer and library Director Anthony Orsini.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Board of Developmental Disabilities is donating a collection of 10 children’s books encouraging acceptance of people with differing abilities to every public and elementary school library in the county.

Titles include “Just Ask” by Sonia Sotomayor; “All the Way to the Top” by Annette Bay Pimentel; and “You are Enough” by Margaret O’Hair. Another book, “I Am Not a Label,” introduces young readers to 34 artists, athletes and activists living with disabilities.

According to developmental disabilities Superintendent Gloria Llewellyn, the goal of this donation is to help children understand disability, practice kindness and learn how to interact respectfully with people who are different from them.

“Young children are naturally eager to learn and more open to accepting classmates with developmental differences when they understand what those differences are,” Llewellyn said. “These books do that while also highlighting the many ways we are alike, too.”

Each year in March, activities are held to raise awareness of disability-related issues.

On March 4, Ohioans with disabilities gathered at the Statehouse for Developmental Disabilities Awareness & Advocacy Day to engage with legislators and advocate for policies that affect their lives.

The Belmont County Board of Developmental Disabilities coordinates and funds services for over 800 eligible children and adults with physical and intellectual differences such as autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. To learn more, log onto bcbdd.org.